Published: March 5, 2017
Lips are the part of the face that many members of the opposite sex find especially attractive. What epithets did the poets give them! However, chapped, hard, flaky lips can hardly be called seductive.
At the same time, it is almost impossible to hide such a flaw: lipstick lies unevenly on cracked skin, only emphasizing their unevenness. This problem does not bother ladies who have discovered a lip scrub, which most of them make at home with their own hands.
Why do you need a lip scrub?
Women who care about their appearance do not need to explain why they should regularly peel their face: this procedure allows you to remove dead skin cells, intensify regeneration processes, and the skin after such procedures looks smooth and fresh.
However, while intensively caring for their face with peeling, many of them forget to pay attention to their lips. But their delicate skin also needs renewal and exfoliation of dead cells.
A homemade scrub allows you to carry out this procedure gently and not without pleasure. The result is smooth lip skin and a bright tone even without the use of gloss or lipstick. In addition, the lips may become plumper and their shape becomes clearer. They simply cannot help but attract admiring glances!
What is it and why is it needed?
Sponges are characterized by the absence of sebaceous glands, so they are prone to peeling , drying out, and also suffer greatly from the harmful influences of the environment:
- heat;
- wind;
- frost;
- dust.
A scrub will be an excellent assistant in your care. This cosmetic product is designed to exfoliate dead skin particles without damaging the skin. It will also come in handy if you need to apply matte lipstick and your lips are chapped.
With the help of a little helper, you can quickly get your lips in proper shape and prepare them for coating.
Since the skin on this part of the body is very delicate, when you use the product, you should pay attention to the size of the scrubbing particles. They should not be large and hard.
Oils should also be present in the peeling. They will moisturize, nourish and restore damaged skin.
Any scrubbing agent consists of two components:
- moisturizing (nourishing);
- exfoliating.
Moisturizers include:
- oils;
- honey;
- hard batters.
Exfoliating agents include:
- sugar;
- peach, apricot, grape seeds;
- cereals;
- semolina;
- soda;
- coffee.
Regular use of an exfoliant can:
- Remove dead skin particles.
- Increase the intensity of blood circulation.
- Stimulate capillaries.
- Improve appearance - after scrubbing, lips look visually fuller, contours are more clearly defined.
- Moisturize and nourish the skin.
- Prevent aging.
- Even out the relief and color of the lips.
- Smooth out fine wrinkles and imperfections.
- In hot weather, the scrub can protect the epidermis from ultraviolet rays.
Rules for using natural scrubs
The skin of the lips is thin and delicate. If you scrub them incorrectly, it may crack, and the problem, instead of disappearing, will become more acute. In order for the scrub to work well, but not cause harm, it should be used in compliance with simple rules:
- Prepare your lips for the procedure by steaming them first.
This is done with the help of compresses. Warm, even hot (but in no case scalding) water is poured into the bath. A clean napkin is dipped into it and brought to the lips. After applying the napkin, wait a few seconds until it begins to cool, repeat the procedure 2-3 more times. Then blot with a dry cloth.
This must be done without fail, since the scrub is applied exclusively to dry skin. Otherwise, the particles of sugar or other product used for scrubbing will dissolve, and the procedure will not give the expected effect.
- Using clean fingers, apply a small amount of the prepared scrub onto your lips, covering them completely.
Gently massage them in circular motions with your fingertips. If desired, you can even use a soft toothbrush, but do not press on it during the procedure. When massaging your lips, do not rub them, otherwise they will crack.
- Leave the scrub on for a couple of minutes.
Most often, it contains substances that nourish the skin, and they take time to act. In this case, the benefits of using the scrub will be double.
- Rinse off the scrub or brush away sugar crumbs from your lips if the scrub consists of it and an oil base.
- Blot your lips.
You just need to apply a napkin, and not wipe your lips with it, so as not to damage their thin skin.
- Apply nourishing balm.
Regular hygienic lipstick is not suitable for this purpose, since it only creates a protective layer on the lips, but does not nourish them.
When using a scrub, you should also be aware that such procedures are not suitable for everyone. You will have to refuse scrubbing if:
- you have cracks, jams, ulcers, herpes on your lips;
- you are allergic to one of the scrub components.
It is recommended to carry out the scrubbing procedure once every one to two weeks.
How to use: indications and contraindications
You can use a lip scrub either commercially produced or homemade. The second option is preferable. Depending on the individual injuries, only those components are selected that can facilitate and systematize the moment of recovery.
Like any mechanical process, scrubbing is not for everyone. There are a number of contraindications.
- The use of a scrub on the lips is unacceptable if there are damage, cracks or wounds.
- It is forbidden to use the composition if the surface is in the active stage of inflammatory herpes formations.
- When the body does not accept the ingredients included in the composition, but responds with an allergic reaction. Honey and perfumed essential oils are often allergens.
A simple proven method will help you check your predisposition to allergies to components. To do this, alternately apply a small amount of each ingredient to the crook of your elbow. Redness and rashes on the skin will tell you what is suitable and what should not be used.
Scrub recipes that you can make yourself at home
Homemade natural scrubs are most often prepared from available products. According to any of the folk recipes, you can make the product yourself, even if you have no experience in preparing homemade cosmetics.
Coffee
After brewing black coffee without sugar, strain it and measure out a teaspoon of coffee grounds. Add half a teaspoon of fat sour cream to it, stir. The scrub is ready for use.
Honey
This multi-component scrub can be stored in the refrigerator for a month, placed in a cream jar, so you can prepare a honey scrub from a fairly large number of components.
For a tablespoon of honey, take a pinch of sugar and half a teaspoon of soda, mix the ingredients thoroughly. Then I add half a teaspoon of olive oil, one drop of mint essential oil, and then mix everything again.
Sugar
Mix a tablespoon of sugar with a pinch of cinnamon, which improves blood circulation and makes lips plumper. Dilute all this with a small amount of grape seed oil, half a teaspoon should be enough. It is not necessary to wash off the product after use; you can just shake off any remaining sugar with a dry cloth.
With honey and added sugar
Mix one part olive oil, 2 parts sugar, 4 parts honey until smooth.
Raspberry with honey
Mash a couple of raspberries, add a teaspoon of coconut oil, two teaspoons of sugar and a teaspoon of honey. Mix everything and put it into a jar. This product will keep in the refrigerator for 3 weeks.
Chocolate
This product is multi-component, so it has a complex effect: exfoliates, moisturizes, restores, protects, improves the shape of the lips, and makes their shade brighter.
The chocolate scrub contains 5 g each of cocoa, mango and sweet almond oils, 2-3 ml of avocado oil, 2 teaspoons of cane sugar, a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 3-4 drops of vitamin E in an oil solution. All these components just need to be mixed. You can safely store the product in the refrigerator for several months.
Vanilla
Mix 2 teaspoons of sugar with a teaspoon of soda. Add a quarter teaspoon of vanilla extract and a teaspoon of olive oil and stir. After using this product, your lips will exude a sweetish aroma for a long time, which is why they will become even more seductive.
With honey and rolled oats
Grind oatmeal in a coffee grinder to flour, mix with honey. Both components must be taken in equal quantities. The scrub is suitable for sensitive lips.
Honey + cottage cheese
Take half a teaspoon of large grain cottage cheese and mix it with the same amount of honey. Add half a teaspoon of rolled oats crushed in a coffee grinder to this mixture and stir. The scrub will not only gently exfoliate dead skin cells, but also soften the skin of the lips.
Peeling scrub with jojoba oil and aspirin
Crush a couple of acetylsalicylic acid tablets into powder, mix with a teaspoon of sugar, add a quarter teaspoon each of glycerin and jojoba oil, stir and apply.
Vaseline with soda
Take two parts each of soda and sugar, one part each of olive oil and Vaseline, mix everything. The scrub softens the lips well and creates a protective film on them. If you don’t want to wash it off after use, you can exclude honey from the composition. This will make the product hypoallergenic.
With jojoba oil and rose petals
Mash 2 tablespoons of rose petals (dried) into powder, mix with the same amount of powdered sugar, pour a teaspoon of jojoba oil into this mixture, add a drop of mint ether. The aroma of this scrub turns the procedure into a spa session.
Based on semolina
2 teaspoons of semolina are mixed with half a teaspoon of liquid honey.
Almond
Soak a couple of nuts in water overnight, dry them in the morning and grind them in a coffee grinder. Mix with half a teaspoon of glycerin. If desired, you can add a little honey or almond oil, but this is not necessary.
Grapefruit
Mix a teaspoon of honey with the same amount of olive oil. Pour in 2 teaspoons of grapefruit juice, add 3 teaspoons of sugar. Mix everything well. If you find the product too liquid, add a little more sugar.
Thanks to grapefruit juice, the product allows you to perform a deep, but at the same time very soft peeling that does not injure the delicate skin of the lips.
Strawberry
Mash one large ripe berry thoroughly or even rub through a sieve. Add half a teaspoon of vegetable oil to the berry puree; almond, peach, avocado, and jojoba oils work well.
Apply a thick layer to your lips and leave for 15 minutes: in less time the product will not have time to act, in longer it may dry out and when you remove it you can injure the skin. You won't find a gentler lip exfoliator.
Citric
Mix half a teaspoon each of lemon juice and castor oil, add a quarter teaspoon of glycerin. This scrub is applied to the lips for several hours, then washed off. If desired, you can leave it overnight. This product can be used even if your lips are chapped.
Fruit acids help exfoliate and rejuvenate the skin, sugar, soda, coffee grounds help remove dead skin particles, oils soften, moisturize and nourish the skin.
Knowing the properties of cosmetic oils and products, you can create your own recipes for lip scrubs.
This video contains recipes for 11 more different scrubs to care for delicate lip skin.
Features of lip scrub products
They say that women of Ancient Greece, long before the advent of the New Era, knew how to keep their lips fresh with the help of ground fruit seeds mixed with olive oil or animal fat. The idea, in general, is sound - hard particles will polish the skin, and fatty substances will soften it, supply it with healing vitamins and give it smoothness. But this is when it comes to the body. But bones would hardly be appropriate in a lip product, so the ancient Greek women clearly got carried away. Such a scrub should contain very, very finely ground particles. Even sugar and coffee grounds, which you can use without embarrassment to scrub your skin in rather delicate places - for example, on the stomach - can cause more problems for your lips than good.
In short, be extremely picky when choosing ingredients for a scrub:
- no aggressive pepper or salt (even with cinnamon you should be careful - sometimes it burns noticeably);
- no coarse grinding - the grains should be only slightly larger than regular flour.
Another important argument: you should simply like the chosen product. If every time you open a jar of scrub, you feel the aroma of your favorite honey, orange oil or the delicate freshness of mint, there will be more benefits from the beauty procedure.
While you are selecting ingredients for the scrub, take care of suitable containers - let everything be aesthetically pleasing and pleasant
How to care for delicate skin
The effect obtained from using the scrub will not last long if your lips are not properly cared for afterwards. Proper care involves:
- using protective cosmetics when going outside, especially if the weather is windy or frosty;
- regular use of nourishing balms, which can be applied before bed, as well as in the morning under lipstick;
- using only high-quality decorative cosmetics, without overusing them.
It is also not recommended to moisturize your lips or lick them with your tongue, as this contributes to their chapping. It is even more necessary to get rid of the habit of biting your lips.
How to get a scrub effect without a scrub?
You can also replace the use of a scrub with
- A clean, medium-soft toothbrush. The fluffy bristles will exfoliate and visibly cleanse the skin. Please note that the movements are performed in one direction.
- Use a regular bath towel. Its structure allows you to perform a small facial scrub. Soak a towel in hot water and, using light pressure, move it over the area you want to clean. The pores will be cleaned, which is visible to the naked eye. The fibers on the towel are good at catching dirt and grease that have accumulated.
The solution will have the effect of a classic lip scrub. And for those who want to make a lip scrub at home, here is a list of simple, effective recipes.
Reviews of scrubs
For those who doubt the advisability of using a lip scrub, here are reviews from those who use these products.
Olesya, 19 years old:
My lips have always been rough, especially in winter. In cold weather, the problem became so acute that I could not use lipstick - it looked simply terrible on my lips. But one day I found a recipe for a sugar lip scrub on the Internet and tried to make it. I mixed the ingredients, applied it to my lip, massaged it, rinsed it off, and smeared my lips with regular Vaseline. In the morning I didn’t recognize myself in the mirror - how good she is! Now I use the scrub regularly and have forgotten about the problem that tormented me for many years. I recommend to everyone!
Irina, 35 years old:
I don’t like long cosmetic procedures, and I can’t afford to waste time preparing homemade cosmetics. Lip scrub is one of the few products I make myself. Mix honey and sugar - what could be easier? And the scrubbing procedure only takes a couple of minutes. The result is amazing. Of course, with regular use. And instead of lip balm I use regular vegetable oil. Simple, fast, cheap.
Natasha, 26 years old:
My lips are capricious, constantly chapped and flaky. Plus, I’m probably not the only one familiar with the habit of biting my lips. Lip scrub is my salvation. If you use it 2 times a week, as I do, your lips look quite tolerable. Even lipstick goes on smoothly, especially if you apply balm first.
So, anyone who has doubts can be advised to make a lip scrub at least once and test its effect on themselves. After all, you will have to spend no more than 5 minutes on this.
Lip scrub is an effective remedy for their health. It removes dead skin particles and makes lips smooth. Bright and attractive. You can make this product yourself; it won’t take much time. If used correctly, the effect will be positive.
Examples of Korean remedies
If you don’t have the opportunity, time or desire to prepare the scrub mixture yourself at home, you can purchase a finished product.
Several years ago, Korean skincare cosmetics established themselves as pleasant to use and very effective .
You can also find lip scrubs in the lines of various Korean brands. With their help you can achieve the effect of smoothing, renewal, smoothness and softness of the skin after the first use.
Top 3 Korean lip scrubs:
- VVVic Lip Scrub from Rire;
- Kissful Lip Care Lip Scrub from Etude House;
- Tony Moly Kiss Kiss Lip Scrub.
Exfoliating your lips is as important a part of your routine as cleansing your face. Both homemade and industrial cosmetics are equally effective, but with the help of a home procedure you can save money and choose the ingredients yourself.
