Maintaining the Perfect Pout

As we enter the fall and winter seasons, we sometimes forget to prep and protect our lips from this harsh weather. In general, lip care should be a daily regiment; however, I've noticed that's not always the case with some people. You've seen it...crusty dry lips, cracked lips, peeling lips etc.  and it's not a good look on men or women. So with that being said, I thought I would share with you all some tips to maintain luscious lips: 

• Moisturizing! Invest in a good lip balm, butter or chapstick. Ladies, some of us only use lip glosses as a form of moisturizing; however, they don't always provide enough protection. Glosses are great to had shine to your perfect pout but definitely use a great lip balm or lip butter as your base. Read the labels too! Great lip balms or lip butters have a wealth of vitamins (i.e. Vitamin E), oils (i.e. shea butter/jojoba) that will help hydrate your lips. If you are out in the sun a lot, it's definitely worth purchasing a product that has UV protection in it! 
• Drinks lots of Water! Make sure you are getting an adequate amount of water in your daily diet. Sometimes cracked lips can mean that you aren't getting enough water (better known as dehydration) and you need water to function in life. 
• Maintain a Nighttime Routine! Believe it or not, ensuring that your lips are moisturized before bed can make a world of difference in your lip care routine. Your lips are exposed to the sun and air particles all day, so they need to be revived with some tender, love and care. A great lip moisturizer at night is some good ole Vaseline or raw Shea butter.
• Exfoliate, Exfoliate, Exfoliate! Yes, lips need to be exfoliated too! Lips are skin and like skin, it sheds but we can accelerate this process by gently exfoliating our lips regularly. To gently exfoliate your lips, use a clean washcloth (only for your face), apply a little bit of your favorite facial scrub or a gentle facial wash in your washcloth. Then, close your lips together (please do NOT consume products) and in gentle circular motion rub the washcloth on your lips. Wipe lips clean and apply lip balm/butter right away.   

Photo Courtesy of Flickr.com/By Myrmidon Formicida