Make your chapstick last for ages with these tips
As the weather gets colder, you may start to notice many changes taking place in the appearance of your skin. You might deal with a drier complexion or struggle to keep your hair moist and hydrated. However, one of the most common effects of cold and dry weather is chapped lips. Between the frigid temperatures and high winds, your lips can begin to suffer from the harsh weather if you don’t take proper care of them.
Luckily, shielding your lips from the cold can be accomplished by applying a quick coat of the best chapstick for your needs. You probably already have a trusted lip balm that you keep safely tucked away in your purse, but chances are it starts to fade a couple of hours after you put it on. With the help of a few smart strategies, you can boost the lifespan of your chapstick and help preserve its effects on your lips. Here are some simple ways to make your lip balm last longer.
Start With Lip Liner
Lip liner acts as a type of primer for your lips. Just like face primer sets the stage for the rest of your makeup, a good lip liner “primes” your lips by increasing the longevity of your chapstick and enhancing its overall appearance. Before you apply lip balm, be sure to use a lip liner on the outer edges of your lips. It helps to choose a shade of liner that matches your natural lip color, as this won’t detract from the appearance of your lip balm. Once you’ve applied the liner, go ahead and add some chapstick to make your lips truly glow.
Keep it Simple
Intuitively, you might think that applying more chapstick helps your lips stay moist and glossy for a longer time. In most cases, though, it’s much more effective to apply a single coat of the product. When you constantly add one coat after another, your lips quickly adjust to the extra moisture and start to need more of it. As a result, they begin to dry out at a much faster rate. Like most things in life, it’s best to keep it simple and stick to a single, well-applied coat of chapstick.
Use Concealer
Your concealer is your trusted sidekick whenever you need to cover up a pesky zit or soften the look of under-eye bags, but there’s a lot more to this makeup staple. You can also use concealer to help your chapstick stay put for a longer time. Along with lip liner, concealer helps the chapstick have something to adhere to, which prevents it from sliding off as the day wears on. Additionally, adding a touch of concealer to your lips helps to emphasize the color of your lip balm. This can be extra helpful if you use a tinted lip balm product.
Choose the Right Product
Not all lip balms are the same, and certain products will stay on your lips for a longer time than others. For optimal results, make sure you look for a chapstick that contains ingredients that adhere to your lips for as long as possible. Moisturizing elements like cocoa butter, olive oil, beeswax, petroleum jelly, and coconut oil can keep the product on your lips without requiring you to reapply it multiple times a day.
Similarly, it’s important to keep an eye out for potentially harmful ingredients in your chapstick. If the product contains any elements that irritate your lips, it can cause them to lose vital moisture, which may lead to inflammation. Some of these harmful ingredients include salicylic acid, camphor, menthol, and fragrance. When you're looking for the ideal product for your lips, be smart about which lip balm you buy and steer clear of ingredients that you know you may have a bad reaction to.
Keep Your Lips Refreshed for Longer
A trusted chapstick can work wonders when you use it correctly. To get the most out of your lip balm, be sure to use it sparingly and enlist the help of other makeup products to supplement the chapstick. Once you find the right chapstick and use it to its full potential, your lips will be well prepared for the dry and chilly weather.
Resources— Bustle, Preview, The Sydney Morning Herald
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