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It’s that time of the season, folks. While it’s yet to snow in some cities, others are already blanketed in a white flurry, and temps are in the negatives. The combo of cold, dry weather is especially bad for our lips. New York City’s winds have been especially brutal to my lips these past few weeks, causing me to go through several different lip balms over the course of a month and ruin some very *romantic* moments (rude). But thanks to one lip treatment, I’ve been able to get my juicy and kissable pout back.
Experts in This Article
director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology and associate professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital
Fresh, Sugar Lip Polish Exfoliator — $18.00
Enter the Fresh Sugar Lip Polish ($18). It’s an exfoliating scrub that’s designed to help improve the way your lips look and feel within just a few applications. The way it works is by using tiny brown sugar crystals to buff away dry, flaky skin on your lips while simultaneously nourishing them with shea butter and jojoba oil. And it’s this trio of ingredients that can safely exfoliate and give your lips the ultimate moisture boost, according to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Joshua Zeichner, MD.
“The skin on the lips is among the thinnest and most sensitive on the body,” says Dr. Zeichner. “The stronger excavators that can be used on areas like the elbows or knees are too harsh for the lips. Sugar crystals offer ultra, gentle exfoliation without being too harsh on the skin barrier.” Moreover, both shea butter and jojoba sees oil have emollient properties that help protect your lips’ moisture barrier and help provide a much softer pout, overall.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that using an exfoliating treatment on dry, chapped lips can help restore your lips’ smoothness by sloughing away the dry and dead skin. This encourages fresh and smooth skin to surface and help make it easier for lipstick and other moisturizing products to be applied, Dr. Zeichner says.
My experience testing Fresh Sugar Lip Polish
You only need a tiny dollop of scrub to exfoliate chapped lips: I use maybe 1/10 of a teaspoon and massage it in with my finger. The formulas has a gritty, sand-like consistency, but it’s not prickly or harsh when you put it on. 40 seconds later, I wash off the scrub, and my lips feel anew. It really only takes one application.
The texture of my lips felt immediately softer after I used it. However, the more the better: The more I used the product throughout the week, the softer, plumper, and more supple my lips became. I also didn’t feel the need to reapply lip balm every hour as much as I normally would throughout the day. My lips felt more hydrated and were able to better retain moisture from my lip balm thanks to the moisture-booting properties of the shea butter and jojoba oil.
Just be careful not to use the scrub every day. The brand recommends applying just two to three times a week for the best results. “The biggest mistake I see people make is over exfoliating the lips, which leads to irritation, inflammation, and ultimately more dry, flaky skin,” Dr. Zeichner says.
So, if you’re looking for your lips to survive the harsh winter winds without drying out, consider adding this lip treatment to your beauty arsenal ASAP. Trust me, it goes a long way.
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