Don't mean to give you lip service, but your kiss is under attack these days.
They are one of the most delicate areas of your face – and one of the easiest to get dry and flaked in the winter.
If you live in one of those cities like my hometown of Chicago with the harsh winds blowing and icy chill then your lips.
Skin care expert and friend of this column says, "Lips are surprisingly delicate yet we subject them to constant abuse. I'm pretty sure lips know no abuse worse than cold, cold city winters."
Jillians says to think about it: Your lips must deal with freezing guts of wind and air pollution, plus all the other cold weather perks like ice outside, but hot, dry heat on the inside of buildings.
How can you make sure your lips make it through another winter? Here's some lip service from Jillian:
Chapped Lips Tip Number One: Cool it on the coffee and alcohol. Jillian says that lips don't get enough water, but these two drinks dry out your lips even more – which just makes it worse. Coffee and alcohol lead to dehydration. "The thin skin on our lips is no match," she says. "They will become irritated and inflamed."
Chapped Lips Tip Number Two: Check out your bad habits.
Are you a lip licker? Do you bite your lips? You need to stop nervous habits because they're leaving your lips even more irritated and drying them out more.
Chapped Lips Tip Number Three: Drink more in the winter.
All of us know it's important to drink eight, eight ounce bottles of water a day, but in the winter it's easy to forget. Most of the time, we reach for the hot coffee and skip the water in an effort to stay toasty. Jillian says to skip some of your coffee and replace it with water or herbal tea. "Drink water with your meals," she says.
Chapped Lips Tip Number Four: Think about buying a humidifier.
Jillian says to sleep with a humidifier on at night. It won't just keep your lips hydrated, but also your skin will stay moist and have a glow that most don't have in the winter.
Chapped Lips Tip Number Five: Protect your pucker. You can't avoid the outdoors in winter, but you can make a conscious effort to protect your lips. Jillian loves Bioelements Instant Emollient, which she says to apply before going out and few times during the day. It's a great way to protect yourself from chapped lips because this product hydrates and soothes.
Chapped Lips Tip Number Six: Exfoliate your lips. "A few nights a week, use a sugar based exfoliant like Bioelements Lip Buff to sloth off dead, peeling skin."
Chapped LipsTip Number Seven: Re-think your sleeping habits. "Another common reason, we often have chapped lips in the winter is because we're often more stuffed up during the cool months. So, we tend to sleep with our mouth open," says Jillian. "This creates this constant flow of air passing by the lips, which contributes to their chapping." Her advice: Use a Neti pot to help your poor sinuses clear out.
Want to book an appointment with Jillian? If you're in the New York area call (212) 249-2230.
