Lip Therapy

Out of all the parts of my face, I think my lips are my most neglected part. Chapped, dry and dark lips - not a pretty sight at all. Especially now that summer's fast approaching, we need to make sure that our lips are just as protected as the rest of our body. Besides, if we have a regular face care regimen, or an eye care regimen, then why should we not have a lip care regimen as well?

For dark lips, check out Godiva's Lightening Lip Gloss. It says it lightens both your lips and nips so they're dual-purpose. It's super cheap too, at just 90 bucks or so. After a week's time, your lips will be noticeably lighter in color. Another cheap solution to dark lips is good ol' Petroleum Jelly. Apply this on your lips to restore your pigmented or discolored lips to its natural pinkish state.

To protect your lips against further pigmentation, apply lip balms with SPF in it. I really love Neutrogena's Lip Moisturizer with SPF. Not only does it keep my dry lips in check, it also contains SPF 15 to prevent my lips from darkening even more. I use this even when I'm just staying at home because even the rays that come from TV or computer exposure are harmful and can cause skin darkening. Nivea Lip Balm and Chapstick also contain SPF to shield your lips from sun damage. You can't go wrong with Kiehl's Lip Balm #1. This famous lip balm feels creamy and luxurious and it also has SPF 4. If you want something with higher protection, head on over to VMV. VMV Armada Moisturising Protective Lip Balm contains an SPF of 60! You can't beat that. Before you head off to the beach, you might want to pick up Hawaiian Tropic SPF 45 plus Aloe Vera Sunblock Lip Balm. It's moisturizing and it's waterproof so you can lounge around in the beach all day without worrying about dry, dark lips.

If you want something more tinted, there are a variety of lipglosses and lipsticks out in the market that also contain sun protection ingredients. For a cheap gloss with SPF, try E.L.F's Super Glossy Lip Shine. Their glosses come in a variety of shades that also contain SPF. Another brand that carries tinted lip treats with SPF is Smashbox. Their Tinted Treatment Lipstick line comes in five different shades aside from having SPF 15. Elianto's Spa Lipstick line does not only contain SPF, it also has Vitamin E which gives anti-aging benefits.

To combat dry lips, I love using the ever-famous Smith's Rosebud Salve. I even use this on other dry parts of my skin sometimes, such as my elbows or heels. My mom swears by Blistex when her lips get uber-chapped and dry. On regular days she uses Burt's Beeswax Lip Balm or Vaseline Lip Therapy.

Once a week, I slather on YSL's Exfoliating Lip Balm. When I first heard about this product, I was really amazed. Wow, these people really think of everything! In just one treatment, all my dry, peeling skin were removed. I do that at night and then I put on my favorite lip balm before I sleep. When I wake up in the morning, my lips are softer and more moisturized.