Chapped lips
You know that feeling when your lips start feeling dry, flaky and start cracking? This should be the first sign to clue you into the fact that your pout simply hasn’t been feeling the love lately. Usually caused by dehydration, chapped lips can also spring up with prolonged exposure to cold or hot temperatures as well as certain matte lipsticks that can bleed out the skin’s natural moisture.
When looking for the best products for chapped lips, the key is to go back to basics. Put the cakey mattes on the back of your shelf for a while and instead, make fast friends with hydrating ingredients such as mineral oils, shea butter and white petroleum jelly. While the best product for dry lips is a hydrating lip balm applied every three hours, extremely chapped lips might need a thicker lip mask.
Tira recommends: Laneige Berry Lip Glowy Balm (10g)
Vaseline Rosy Lip Therapy - (17g)
Lip discolouration
If you have been observing darker patches cropping up on your lips, it might be time to analyse your lifestyle choices more closely. While lip discolouration can occur at any age, the culprit usually lies with prolonged sun exposure as well as smoking. Routinely dehydrated lips can also tend to darken over time if left unattended. In certain cases, some medical issues can also be at play, such as hormonal changes or vitamin deficiencies.
The first lip-care tip you’ll hear from anyone when treating lip discolouration is to moisturise like there’s no tomorrow. Keeping a hydrating lip balm in your handbag at all times can help you hydrate your pout regularly and keep it from darkening. Regular exfoliation can also aid in scrubbing away dead skin cells to reveal fresher skin underneath. If your lifestyle involves prolonged periods in the sun, you’ll want to look for UV protection when shopping for lip-care products in India.
Tira recommends: Minimalist Minimalist SPF 30 Lip Balm (8g)
Maybelline New York Baby Lips Color Lip Balm SPF 11 - Anti Oxidant Berry (4g)
Lip pigmentation
A sister concern of lip discolouration is pigmentation—caused when excess melanin is deposited on the lips. While the common concerns run the gamut—from sun exposure to smoking—certain everyday lifestyle choices might be at play as well. Excessive intake of caffeine can dehydrate the body while continuously licking the lips can also deprive it of its natural moisture, leading to pigmentation over time.
Regular exfoliation is your first ally when looking for products for lip pigmentation, and you’ll find a host of lip scrubs ready to service every need. A regular exfoliation routine once or twice a week coupled with lifestyle changes—drinking adequate water, reducing caffeine and avoiding licking lips often—can also help.
Tira recommends: ClayCo Japanese Peach & Squalane Brightening Lip Polisher (8g)
KIKO Milano Lip Scrub (4.2 g)
Lip wrinkles
It is a known fact that the body starts dialling back its production of collagen as we age—starting from the day you turn 20. While this makes the skin appear less elastic, it can also pop up on the skin of your lips in the form of vertical lines or wrinkles.
While ageing is a natural process, if you are looking to embrace these changes with flair and grace, it helps to develop a vigilant lip balm and exfoliation routine. A host of lip plumping formulas are also earning their crown as the best product for lip lines—one swipe and your pout can instantly appear fuller and plumper.
Tira recommends: Too Faced Travel Size Lip Injection Maximum Plump Lip Plumper - Original (2.8g)
KIKO Milano Volume Lip Plumper - Tutu Rose (0.21 ml)
Lipstick bleeding
As you age, your lipstick can start feathering and bleeding outside your lip’s natural lines more often. When the skin’s collagen deposits start shrinking, the pout loses its natural firmness—leading to little nooks and crevices for your lip colour to delve into.
The quest for the best lip-care products for mature skin will, unsurprisingly, point you in the direction of lip scrubs for sufficient exfoliation. Once you have a smooth canvas to work with, apply a layer of lip balm for boosting the skin’s natural hydration and then reach for a lip liner to fence in the lip colour. After you have meticulously lined your pout, apply your lip colour in a dabbing motion to allow the colour to truly sink into your lips.
Tira recommends: Sebamed Lip Care Defense (4.8g)
KIKO Milano Lip Scrub (4.2 g)
Huda Beauty Lip Contour 2.0 Automatic Matte Lip Pencil - Very Berry (0.5g)