Our facial and body skin aren’t the only indicators of a stressful lifestyle and the lack of hydration, diet, and proper grooming routine. The lips can also bear the brunt. Cracked, chapped lips could be attributed to arid, harsh climate conditions or poor hydration. While pigmentation on lips is common with South Asian skin tones, extreme cases can happen due to multiple factors like sun damage, smoking, or not having a proper lip care routine. All of this pooled together can make the lips look dull, dry and lacklustre. Here’s the perfect lip care routine for men for a healthy, supple pout.
Lip Balms
Let’s get the basics out of the way. Lip balm is the most common lip care product that keeps the lips soft. They’re best recommended for people who struggle with dry, dehydrated lips. However, using a lip balm regularly throughout the day can ensure that your lips stay nourished.
Nykaa Man Recommends:
If you struggle with pigmentation or darkness on the lips, the Derma Co lip balm with SPF 30, 1% Kojic acid, and alpha arbutin is made just for you. Kojic acid and alpha arbutin are popular ingredients in the skincare space that reduce signs of hyperpigmentation and prevent excess production of melanin. It even has SPF 30 to further protect your lips from the harsh UV rays that cause sun damage.
The Vaadi Herbals Lip Balm makes a stellar case for how sometimes affordable solutions can yield great results. Retailed at only INR70, their orange lip balm is made of simple yet effective ingredients like shea butter, jojoba oil, organic beeswax, and orange essential oil. They give a soothing respite to dry, cracked lips while deeply healing and softening them.
Lip Scrub
Just like you scrub your face from time to time to remove dead skin cells, your lips require routine scrubbing too. Unlike face scrubs, lips scrubs are more finely milled to gently exfoliate the delicate skin of the lips. Lip scrubs remove dead skin cells and pigmentation which makes way for new skin cells for even-toned, brighter lips.
Nykaa Man Recommends:
If you struggle with chapped skin constantly accumulating on the lips, you need a lip exfoliator that removes them for lips that are smoother. The Dot & Key Lip Polish contains sugar cane extract that contains natural enzymes to exfoliate away dead skin cells, finely milled coffee bean powder to remove pigmentation, and vitamin E to condition the lips and prevent moisture loss.
As you age, your lips can diminish in size as they lose collagen and the natural oil which also keeps them protected from external stressors. The Nat Habit Coco Cinnamon Lip Scrub contains natural cinnamon extracts that improve blood circulation to make the lips fuller. It has beetroot and brown sugar to remove dead skin cells while shea butter, desi ghee, and honey soften and moisturise the lips.
Lip Mask
Lip masks are a type of lip product that’s richer and thicker than a lip balm and they deeply heal and repair the lips. Though they’re not necessary for everyone, if you have lips that are damaged from smoking, stress and harsh weather conditions, you can benefit from lip masks. They’re ideally applied during nighttime owing to their thick texture which works efficiently overnight.
Nykaa Man Recommends:
The Lush Lips Hydrating & Nourishing Lip Mask is one of the best lip masks for men from India’s premium botanical skincare brand, Ras Luxury Oils. It’s made with key ingredients like rosehip oil, aloe vera, cocoa butter, and fifteen other botanical extracts to soften, deeply nourish and reduce pigmentation.
If you ask any hardcore skincare enthusiast, they will immediately attest that Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask is a must-have. They’re, after all, the pioneers of the concept. Laneige’s Apple Lime Lip Sleeping Mask is loaded with antioxidants like fruit complex and vitamin C to heal the lips from sun damage and external factors. Its base is made of moisturising properties like murumuru seed butter, shea butter, and coconut oil to soften the lips.
Lip Oil
Lip oils are subjective. While lip balms and lip sleeping masks have their own role and benefits, lip oil can also work in multiple ways. It can be used underneath a lip balm or lip sleeping mask to provide a layer of hydration that a lip balm can lock in. This is a great hack if you struggle with extremely dry and sensitive lips. However, if you don’t like the heavy feeling of lip balm, you can get away with using lip oil.
Nykaa Man Recommends:
What we like about the Shankara Soothing Lip Oil is its unique amethyst roller-ball applicator, a precious gemstone that helps increase circulation and oxygenates the lips. The lip oil formula is made with avocado oil and carotene to soften the lips and protect against the harmful effects of UV rays. Using it regularly will also get rid of chapped skin and dryness.
Pure almond oil is known to be incredibly beneficial for healthy skin. Baidyanath Rogan Badam Shireen Almond Oil is made with premium quality almonds to retain the healthy fatty acids that aid the lips’ natural lipid and collagen production. It restores dry, cracked lips while improving the skin’s appearance for even-toned lips.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What should be in a lip care routine?
A simple lip care routine is all you need to ensure the daily health of your lips. A lip balm and lip scrub is a basic yet effective 2-step routine. However, if you have really dry lips, consider adding a lip sleeping mask or lip oil to the routine.
- How to remove dark lips?
Using a lip scrub twice a week will remove dead skin cells and excess melanin production from the lips. If you have sensitive lips, look for a lip balm or lip serum with active ingredients like alpha arbutin, Kojic acid, or vitamin C.
- How to apply lip care?
Products like lip balm, lip sleeping mask, and lip oil should be applied every day. Use a lip scrub at least once to twice a week. A lip oil should be used before a lip balm so that it properly absorbs into the skin. Use a lip balm as the final step to deeply moisturise the lips and lock in hydration.
Once you understand the importance of each lip care product, building a lip care routine becomes easy. Use this guide for the best recommendations and a healthy, supple pout.
