Dry and Dark Lips? Here's an Easy Lip Care Routine for You

Our lips don’t contain sebaceous glands, which means they can’t keep themselves moisturized and protected because they don’t produce oil on their own. They are thinner and more sensitive than the skin on other parts of our bodies. If not properly taken care of, our lips can become chapped and cracked. They can feel tight, scaly, and overall uncomfortable. The same factors behind dry lips can also lead to their pigmentation or darkening. 

These common concerns may be driven by several day-to-day habits and other causes:

Surely it’s tempting, and it’s alright to do it occasionally, but don’t turn it into a custom! While licking the lips can add temporary moisture to the surface, our saliva evaporates quickly and contains digestive enzymes that wear down our lips over time.

Take dry lips as a sign to get a glass of water. Dehydration reduces our overall body moisture; with our lips being more fragile due to the absence of oil glands, this can make them dry up and be more susceptible to discoloration. Where does caffeine come in? Caffeine increases urine, which means the body is losing more water than it’s taking in. We literally can’t go a day without water, but maybe, just maybe, we can go some days without coffee.

Think about it this way: in the summer, we bathe under the sun and let our skin produce melanin so we can achieve that glowing bronze complexion. When we stay too long, especially without proper prep, we get sunburned and our skin starts to peel. The same is true for our lips, except it happens at a faster rate (and we don’t want a summer tan on our lips anyway). UV rays harm the lips too, so they need sun protection just as much or even more.

The nicotine and tar present in tobacco can stain the lips, making smoking a big contributor to the lips drying and darkening.

We’ve heard of hormonal acne, but did you know that changes in our bodies can cause lip darkening too? This applies especially for women, as there are significant hormonal changes caused by pregnancy, menstruation, and menopause.