Cold winter air is especially harsh on our lips which tend to get cracked and painful. The good news is that it’s really easy to give yourself a lip treatment at home. And we are not just talking about slathering on some lip balm, although that is a good idea. But you have to get the dead skin off first.
So start by exfoliating your lips, either by going over your lips gently with a toothbrush or a homemade sugar scrub.
1 tsp coconut oil, 1 tsp sugar
If your coconut oil is in a very solid state, you will need to soften it somewhat. I tend to use these masks when I’m taking a bath, so if I let the glass bowl sit in the warm water for a few minutes, the coconut oil becomes the perfect consistency for lip application. Don’t get it too hot though, because it will melt the sugar if you do, and you want the sugar to remain granulated.Once the coconut oil is mushy enough, mix the sugar and oil with your finger and apply to your lips. You can let it soak in for two to three minutes so the coconut oil can moisturize and help soften dead skin, and then begin to scrub your lips. Use your index finger and go in a circular motion, making sure to cover your entire mouth a few times. Rinse off the scrub and let your lips rest for a few minutes.
So slather on the honey and leave for at least 15 minutes. If you want to reapply during that time period, that’s fine. You can remove it when you’re finished if you want, but you can also leave it on until your lips have absorbed most of the honey. Resist licking it off as this will just dry them out again.
Exfoliating can be a little irritating to your skin, so next you’re going to calm it back down with a nice honey mask. Honey moisturizes your lips and has antibiotic properties, but it’s also nice and thick, which means that it will stay on when you apply it.
