‘Hey, I have chapped and dry lips. They are scaly and can sometimes decide to bleed. Want a kiss?’
You just made a face – kissing cracked lips seems like a scene from a horror movie, right? You are probably touching your lips, trying to figure out if they are dry.
Well, sometimes, our lips can get past the point of no return. If it isn’t dry air or the numbing cold, it’s the harsh sun rays or your cosmetics drying out your lips.
While a lip balm can help, in such cases, you’ll need something that can soothe your lips and give them a fresh look – a treatment for a clean slate—cue in the DIY lip mask.
Just like the face mask, you’ll let it sit for a bit, and voila! Your lips will be replenished and revived.
With that, here are some simple DIY lip mask recipes to try out.
DIY Exfoliating Lip Masks
Try touching your lips now. Do they feel rough and scaly? If yes, that’s probably dead skin cells.
Dry and chapped lips cause your skin to lift and flake. Gently exfoliating them can eliminate the dead skin cells that can prevent your lip balm from effectively moisturizing the new skin beneath the scaly areas.
Brown Sugar, Olive Oil & Honey
This is a classic DIY lip mask recipe. Honey features emollient properties that hydrate your lips, keeping them supple. Olive oil contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and the coarse granules of sugar slough off the dead skin cells.
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon of raw sugar, 6 drops of olive oil, and 1 tablespoon of honey
Directions
• Mix the ingredients in a bowl
• Rub in the mixture and gently massage for 2-3 minutes
• Let it sit for 10 minutes before you wash it away with lukewarm water
• Apply a hydrating lip balm or petroleum jelly to lock in the moisture
Aloe Vera & Raw Sugar
Aloe Vera moisturizes, soothes bleeding cracks, and softens your skin. It also helps keep your lips supple while the raw sugar exfoliates dead cells.
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of aloe vera gel and a tablespoon of raw sugar
Directions
• Mix the gel and raw sugar in a small bowl
• Dab and massage the paste on your lips for 3 minutes
• Let it sit for 10 minutes and wipe it clean
Cocoa, Brown Sugar, Olive Oil, Honey & Vanilla Extract
The homespun mask can help keep your lips moisturized and supple. Olive oil and honey hydrate your lips while cocoa protects them from photodamage and delays aging. The vanilla extract protects your lips from free radicals damage while brown sugar eliminates the dead skin cells.
Ingredients: 5 drops of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, ¾ tablespoon of honey, and a tablespoon of vanilla extract and cocoa powder
Directions
• Blend the ingredients
• Rub the mixture on your lips and lightly massage for 3 minutes
• Leave it on for 10 minutes
• Rinse with lukewarm water
Easy Moisturizing Lip Masks
Exfoliation can leave your lips sore and irritated, so next, you need to soothe and relax them with these home remedies.
Honey & Coconut Oil
Coconut has been a skincare favorite for a while now. It is not only an emollient that moisturizes your skin but according to scientific research, the ingredient dis-infects your lips, leaving them germ-free.
Therefore, a combination of honey and coconut oil helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles and lip lines around your mouth while also giving your lips that much-needed glow and elasticity.
Ingredients: A tablespoon of cold-pressed coconut oil and organic honey
Directions
• Warm the coconut oil for 15 seconds
• Mix the organic honey with the warm coconut oil
• Dab the mixture on your lips
• Leave it on for 30 minutes
• Rinse with lukewarm water
Honey & Cucumber
This radiating and moisturizing lip mask keeps your lips moisturized and supple. Just as it rejuvenates your skin, cucumber helps soothe and brighten your lips. The organic ingredient also helps treat sunburns and delays premature aging.
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of muddled cucumber and a tablespoon of honey
Directions
• Mix the two in a small bowl
• Slather the mixture on your lips
• Leave it on for 10 minutes
• Rinse with lukewarm water
Avocado, Vaseline & Honey
The homemade mask helps minimize smoker’s lines. Avocado is packed with fatty acids that moisturize lips. Vaseline acts as an occlusive that helps lock in the moisture.
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of mashed avocado, a tablespoon of raw honey, and a dab of Vaseline
Directions
• Mix the ingredients
• Apply the mixture to your lips
• Let it sit for about 20 minutes
• Rinse with warm water
• Pat your lips dry
Greek Yoghurt & Kiwi
Rich in probiotics, yogurt hydrates and radiates your skin, improving its elasticity. Kiwi is loaded with vitamins E and C, which enhance collagen production and combats free radicals that cause skin damage.
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt and a tablespoon of muddled kiwi
Directions
• Mix the two to form a thick and smooth paste
• Dab the paste on the lips and leave it on for 30 minutes
• Rinse with warm water
Lip Masks for General Care & Color
If you’re looking to give your lips a tint after the scrubbing and moisturizing, try these coloring lips masks. It might help make your dream of having pinkish lips come true!
Honey & Fresh Pomegranate Juice
Pomegranate is pretty and gives your lips that pinkish vibe for a while. It also features anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties, which help safeguard your lips from UVB rays and delay premature aging.
Fun tip: Try this perfect lip mask if you’re going out for a date. You’ll thank us later!
Ingredients: ½ teaspoon of fresh pomegranate juice and a tablespoon of organic honey
Directions
• Mix the organic honey with pomegranate juice
• Slather the mixture on your lips, leaving it on for 20 minutes
• Rinse with cold water
Rose Petals & Milk
This is an ideal organic lip mask if you’re looking to prevent lip discoloration. Rose petals feature anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that safeguard your lips from free radicals damage and UV rays. Milk helps keep your lips supple and leaves you with rosy pink lips.
Ingredients: ½ cup of milk and 6 rose petals
Directions
• Soak the petals in milk overnight
• Remove the petals after 24 hours and mash them
• Mix the mashed rose petals with the milk
• Apply the mixture on your lips, leaving it on for 20 minutes
• Rinse with cold water
Follow-Up Care
DIY lip masks are incredible for your lips, but they aren’t magical. They give your lips life for a few days, but they will inevitably start drying out again if you do not take care of them.
Therefore, you have to ensure that you:
• Stay hydrated – stick to the eight glasses of water a day rule
• Invest in a humidifier to help keep the air in your home moist
• Avoid licking your lips as it only dries them out
• Avoid products that contain chemicals that crack your lips – keep them away from dyes, alcohol, and fragrances
• Use coconut oil and honey for a refreshing boost
• Consult your dermatologist if nothing seems to do the trick
