Your Summer Lip Care Routine is Missing This Very Important Step.

It's that time of year when I start thinking about how I should tweak my beauty routine to prepare for spring and summer.  Lately, I've pondered on why I have sooooo many lip products that I barely use.  Years ago, I went on this lifelong search to find the perfect lip products. Yes, I found a lot that I liked. But I still haven't found my "signature lip" combo that I want to wear every day.  I'm still sorta experimenting until I stumble on a look I absolutely love.   

But now I realize what's getting in the way of achieving my ultimate signature lip.

The issue is that the lip products I own don't appear as vibrant on my overly pigmented lips.  I sought out solutions for this issue and even considered having my lips lightened.  Booking a treatment to manually lighten my lips seemed like my last option.  Instead, I wondered if I could uncover a more natural approach.

Yes, there a lot of DIY treatments online that involve regular sugar exfoliation along with copious use of lemon but I didn't want to go there yet because I felt it was a temporary solution.  

So then I wondered if I could gradually and naturally lighten my lips by taking the most obvious action that I never thought of before.....wearing SPF on my lip.

I can't recall a day in my entire life when I've ever worn sunscreen on my lips.  Could this have contributed to the deep pigmentation of my lips?   We all know that sun exposure leads to the darkening of the skin.  It's why we're darker during the summer.  I'm obsessed with how my skin glows when it tans but I'd prefer if my lips had a more natural tone.  The skin on our lips is more fragile and delicate than the rest of the face yet many of us do nothing to protect it from the drying, aging, and darkening effects of the sun.

Theoretically, we're aware that UV rays can lead to recessive pigment on the lips, but I wanted to know if anyone had personal experience with returning their lips to a more natural color by simply applying daily sunscreen on their lips.

Someone on Reddit shared that they noticed an obvious change in the deep pigment of their lips once they started wearing sunscreen lip balm daily.  We've talked a bunch about how using regular sun protection is an ideal way to help treat pigmentation from acne scars.  Of course it makes sense that protecting our lips could also preserve our natural lip color.

The commenter on Reddit convinced me to get serious SPF on my lips consistently from this day forth. I have a multitude of lip balm and glosses at home, but literally, none of them contain any SPF.  Why is UV protection for the lips something that beauty brands ignore?   

Once I realized that I needed an SPF lip product asap, I immediately made my way to Amazon and purchased Aquaphor's Lip Protection.  It's affordable and effective. Aquaphor can do no wrong in my opinion.  I also like the fact that the SPF is 30 which is a decent level of UV protection.  Most other products offer much lower levels.  Next on my list of balms to try is Burt Bees' Sienna Rose Tinted Balm (SPF 30).  I have a few of their (non-SPF) tinted balms that I love.  They do a great job of keeping the lips moisturized.   I need this version in my life.  And, for those days when I'll be exposed to a lot of direct sunlight, I'm thinking about picking up Target's Sport Lip Balm with a much higher level of protection (SPF 50)

If you're not yet convinced of the importance of protection on the lips, take a look at this video below to see it in action.  

@likeskin helps prevent sun spots on lips #spflipbalm #sunprotection #lipbalm #lipbalmspf15 #sunspots ♬ original sound - 🫵

 

Under UV lights, our lips appear black when SPF is applied.  This represents the shield of protection our lips experience from the damaging sunlight.  Just like when we apply SPF on our faces, we must also remember to reapply our lip-protecting balms frequently throughout the day since we're always eating, drinking, or licking our lips. 

It's a known fact that recessive sun exposure is likely the cause of most of the visible premature aging we experience.  The skin on our lips is fragile and probably needs even more sun protection than other exposed areas.  If you want younger-looking, hydrated lips with a more natural color, try this 5-step lip care routine and get serious about protecting them with SPF.