Fabulous Lips, Whatever the Weather

A Woman's Guide to Lip Care Essentials

By Teri Brown

Across the country, women are spending millions of dollars on their skin. We moisturize, peel, protect, exfoliate and massage – all to keep skin looking young and soft.

Our lips, however, are a different matter altogether. Often, the very same woman who just spent a great deal of time and energy cleansing and moisturizing her face will walk out into the elements without so much as giving a second thought to her lips!

With their thin outer layer and lack of oil glands, lips are prone to extreme dryness. They also contain very little melanin and are easily burnt without protection. Along with an increase in skin cancer, due to overexposure to the sun, dermatologists are also seeing an increase in lip cancer.

Tamra Orr, a mother of four from Gresham, Ore., makes sure to moisturize her lips every night with an organic lip balm. She knows she should protect them before going outdoors but finds it difficult to manage. "During the day, it's too easily rubbed off or passed on to someone else's lips," says Orr. "At night, I put it on and go to sleep. By morning, it is gone and my lips are soft and moist."

Dr. Bruce Freund, a cosmetic dentist and founder of the Lip Clinic in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., believes the No. 1 mistake women make is concentrating on their teeth instead of their whole smile. "Many women come into my practice wanting beautiful teeth to give them a perfect smile," says Dr. Freund. "As a dentist, I don't only focus on someone's teeth. It's hard for a patient to get a perfect smile if their lips are consistently neglected. Your teeth and lips go together. Most women use lipstick every day, but the truth is, women are more likely to apply a body cream or get a facial than properly care for their lips, even though they are one of the most exposed areas of the skin."

Just as women often have a weekly care regime for their skin, Dr. Freund believes that women should also have a weekly lip care routine. To keep lips supple, Dr. Freund suggests that women exfoliate their lips gently using a soft toothbrush and a lip exfoliator. "Apply in a circular motion with your fingertips and gently massage your lips with a lip exfoliator," says Dr. Freund. "For an extra boost, use an old soft toothbrush. Brush your lips, wash with a cloth and apply a lip balm with sunscreen for extra moisture and protection."

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