Most of us have a makeup routine, a skincare routine, and a haircare routine that we follow (fairly) diligently. Less common is having a dedicated lip care routine—but we’d argue that it’s worth investing your time into. There are a couple of reasons for this. For one, the skin on your lips is delicate and can benefit from specialized care. Also, lipstick and lip gloss just look better on smooth, soft, cared-for lips. That’s why we’ve put together this easy-to-follow lip routine that you can incorporate into your daily self-care ritual. Ahead, you’ll learn a bit about why lip skin care is important and discover how to take care of your lips for a hydrated, healthy-looking pout. Keep reading for the scoop.
Why Do Your Lips Need Special Care?
The skin on your lips requires special care because it differs from the skin on the rest of your face. It’s thinner, for one—and it also lacks the oil glands that help keep the rest of your face hydrated. It’s also less able to hold onto water than other parts of your face, which can leave it prone to dryness and lead to everyone’s least favorite winter skin concern: chapped lips. The right lip care products can help hydrate your lips and ward off unwanted dryness. If you have dry lips, care for them with the Smushy Matte Lip Balm. It’s infused with moisture-locking ingredients, including mochi rice powder and ceramides, and leaves the lips feeling pillow-soft all day long.
As for why we don’t recommend using your facial skincare products on your pout, it’s simple: They’re not formulated for lip care. It’s likely they’re designed specifically to provide benefits to the skin on your face and may not do the same for your lips.
The Benefits of Lip Care
The benefits of establishing a proper lip care routine extend beyond just reducing the risk of developing dry, chapped lips. Consistent lip care can also help keep your lips feeling soft and smooth. This creates a better canvas for lip makeup, so your lipstick will go on easily and evenly. It can even help prevent your lipstick from looking dry as the day goes on.
We also like to think of lip care as self-care. There’s something inherently indulgent about exfoliating your lips or applying a nourishing lip treatment before hitting the sheets. It just feels good—and we’re strong believers in the idea that you should always carve out time for self-care when you can.
Lip Care Routine: Step-by-Step
There are a few things you should keep in your lip care kit: an exfoliant, a balm, a sunscreen (if your balm doesn’t contain SPF), and a few (or more!) nourishing lip care products. We’ll break down the importance of each below and explain how to use them in your lip care routine.
Step 1: Clean your pout
Just as you wash your face before applying serums and moisturizers, you’ll want to remove any products from your lips before getting into your lip care routine. You can use a damp washcloth to gently cleanse your lips or, if you’re wearing waterproof lipstick, reach for a cleansing oil, balm, or micellar water. Note that you’ll want to keep your lips closed to avoid getting the cleanser in your mouth.
Step 2: Exfoliate your lips
The best lip care routines always include exfoliation, and that’s because dead skin can leave your lips looking (and feeling) rough. Because your lips are more delicate than the rest of your face, however, you’ll want to avoid going at them with your face scrub. Instead, use a clean toothbrush to softly buff your lips for about a minute, or reach for a dedicated lip scrub to help remove dead, dry skin.
Should you exfoliate your lips every day?
You don’t need to exfoliate your lips every day. There’s no hard and fast rule for how often you should exfoliate, so we suggest going by feel. If you have dry lips, care for them with gentle exfoliation once a week. On the other hand, if your pout is generally smooth and soft, twice a month may be sufficient. Chapped lip care, on the other hand, should be as gentle as possible: Take a break from exfoliation when dealing with cracked or peeling lips to avoid further irritation.
Step 3: Moisturize with lip balm
Lip care for dry lips often involves the liberal use of lip balm, but in reality, everyone should use balm—it’s not just for those with drier pouts. As we mentioned earlier, lip care products (like balm) can help hydrate, soften, and smooth the lips. Balm is especially important to use after exfoliation, as it helps protect your freshly scrubbed pout.
For pillow-soft lips and a sheer wash of weightless color, try the Smushy Matte Lip Balm. The hydrating formula comes in 11 flattering matte-finish shades that condition the lips for a plush, pillowy pout. There’s also an untinted balm for those who want hydration without added color. If you’d prefer a glossier finish, try the Fat Oil Slick Clicks. These buildable, tinted balms are infused with cloudberry, raspberry, and avocado oils and deliver 12 hours of hydration with a soft, shiny wash of sheer color.
Step 4: Apply SPF
Using sunscreen daily is one of the best ways to keep your skin looking and feeling its best, but you’ll only reap those benefits if you use it properly. Unfortunately, the lips are one area many people forget to apply sunscreen. During the day, use a lip balm with an SPF of at least 15 to help protect your lips from the sun’s damaging rays. (And don’t forget to reapply!)
Step 5: Use nourishing makeup
Once your lips are exfoliated, moisturized, and protected, you can go ahead and apply whichever lip products you choose. But for really healthy-feeling lips, we recommend opting for lip makeup that also boasts lip care benefits.
If you’re someone who loves to rock a statement lip, pair your favorite lip liner with one of the Fat Oil Slick Click. he creamy formula comes in 20 shades that offer a flush of buildable color, so you can go as sheer or as bold as you’d like. Our Lip I.V. Hydrating Lip Gloss Stain is another excellent pick, especially for anyone who wants to keep touchups to a minimum. It’s packed with magnesium, vitamin B12, and coconut water and comes in 16 saturated shades that start shiny and leave behind a flattering stain once the glossy finish fades.
For those who prefer subtler lip looks, we recommend Fat Oil Lip Drip Gloss. It contains vegan squalane and delivers up to 12 hours of hydration, plus tons of shine. Opt for one of the tinted versions for a subtle pop of color, or reach for the clear option for a glossy finish sans pigment.
4 Lip Care Tips for a Healthy-Looking Pout
A proper lip care routine can help ensure your lips look (and feel) their best, but it’s not the only way to keep your pout in tip-top shape. Ahead, learn how to care for your lips every day with four essential tips.
Tip #1: Stay hydrated
Just like the rest of your skin, your lips need plenty of hydration to stay soft and smooth. Using hydrating lip care products can be a great way to add hydration to dry lips, but it’s also important to ensure you’re drinking plenty of water each day. How much water you need may vary depending on the season and how active you are, so use your thirst as a gauge: if you feel thirsty, drink up.
Tip #2: Don’t lick your lips
Licking your lips might relieve dryness temporarily, but the habit can actually leave your lips drier than they were to start. If your lips feel parched, smooth on a hydrating lip balm or oil to help lock in moisture.
Tip #3: Avoid biting or picking your lips
If you bite your lips as a nervous habit, try to stop. It may seem harmless, but biting your lips (or picking at them) can damage the delicate skin and leave it vulnerable to irritation. If you find it hard to break the habit, try wearing a bold lipstick color each day—with a gorgeous lip look on lock, you might be less tempted to pick at your pout.
Tip #4: Choose products with hydrating ingredients
Finally, when looking for lip care products, prioritize using those with hydrating ingredients, such as plant-derived oils, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, or vitamin E. These lip-loving ingredients can help nourish your pout so it looks and feels its best day after day.
Next: Find inspiration for your next signature lip look in our article Plump It Up: How To Get Full, Pouty Lips .
Whichever type of lip you pick, share a picture with us at @nyxcosmetics on Instagram.
PRODUCTS USED
Fat Oil Lip Drip
Hydrating tinted lip oil gloss in 18 shades.
Slim Lip Pencil
Natural-looking long-wear lip liner
FAT OIL SLICK CLICK
Lightweight, buildable pigmented lip oil balm in click up packaging available in 20 shades.
SMUSHY MATTE LIP BALM
A soft-matte buildable lip color infused with mochi rice powder and sugar ceramides in 12 shades.
Lip I.V. Hydrating Lip Gloss Stain
Lip gloss + long-lasting lip stain in 20 shades.
