How To Get Soft Lips: The Key To A Perfect Pout

Ever wonder how to get soft lips? One of the hallmarks of effortless beauty is a plump and kissable pout. Yet, aside from a swipe of color or touch of gloss, we often forget to give our lips the proper care they deserve before we dash out the door. According to dermatologist Bruce Bart, M.D., our lips are like a sponge: “When exposed to moisture, they absorb water and plump up. When dehydrated, they dry out and shrink.” If the thought of chapped and shriveled lips makes you cringe, you’re not alone. Looking for tips for soft, more luscious lips? From exfoliation to moisturizing and plumping, here’s how to enhance that pout.

How To Make Your Lips Soft & Smooth

Whether you have a romantic date coming up, you’re looking to make your smile pop in selfies or you are simply determined to fix those dry, chapped lips once and for all, we’re going to show you how to treat them with luxurious ingredients for a smooth, plump texture.

Remove Excess Dead Skin On Lips

Exfoliating your lips is an effective way to get rid of the dead skin cells and dry skin that cause the lips to look dull. Our Citrus Enzyme Lip Exfoliator is the first step in the Lip Trio, a three-step treatment designed to improve the appearance and feel of the lips. The Citrus Enzyme Lip Exfoliator contains citrus and pineapple extracts to improve the appearance of dryness and the look of fine lip lines. Potent fruit pulp, infused with bioflavonoids and vitamins, combats parched lips, leaving them smooth and ready for the next step in your lip care routine.

Hydrate With A Lip Mask 

Once you’ve exfoliated the dry skin away, the next step in the deeply hydrating Lip Trio is the Lip Comfort Plumping Masque. This whipped dream melts into lips and lip contour areas to impart maximum softness while natural peptides give fullness. The five-star reviews across the board sing its praises as well. One customer, Valerie A., says: “I absolutely LOVE this lip plumping mask! I spread a generous layer on my lips at night after brushing my teeth, and not only does it feel great, I swear it plumps up my lips instantly. I don’t see the little kissing wrinkles around the edges of my lips like I usually do, and it instantly moisturizes my lips.”

Moisturize Your Lips

Unlike the rest of the body, the skin on your lips has no oil glands, making them more prone to dryness and peeling. While healthy, well-hydrated lips look moist and pink, dermatologist Dr. Jessie Cheung tells Bustle that unhealthy lips “are dry, cracked, and the surrounding skin is often wrinkly, red or irritated.”

To keep your lips perfectly hydrated, we recommend moisturizing with our Rosehip & Lemongrass Lip Balm SPF 15 throughout the day. And FYI, proper lip care doesn’t end when the sun goes down. To prevent the transepidermal water loss that occurs while you’re sleeping, we recommend applying our Citrus Lip Balm before your head hits the pillow. This Harper’s Bazaar favorite employs cooling peppermint, shea butter and sunflower seed oil to smooth roughness and give your lips maximum hydration.

Lip Care Throughout The Day

It’s easy to neglect your lips during your busy day, but if your first instinct is to reach for your trusty chapstick, you may want to think twice. The petroleum found in most chapsticks doesn’t actually hydrate the skin and can actually create a barrier that prevents valuable moisture from reaching our lips. Like your go-to chapstick, Rosehip & Lemongrass Lip Balm SPF 15 is a convenient stick — but unlike conventional balms, it uses natural, organic ingredients like hydrating rosehip oil and extra virgin olive oil to keep your lips perfectly moist all day long.

How To Get Soft Lips? Keep Skin Sun Protected 

Sunscreen is the best prevention for wrinkles and fine lines around the mouth, and for maintaining the health of our skin everywhere on our body for that matter. Sun exposure and air pollution can wreak havoc on our complexions, and that delicate skin around the lip area is particularly at risk. Our lips lack melanin, making them more susceptible to sunburn, and they are often exposed to the elements, causing them to quickly take on the visible signs of aging caused by dryness. 

Protect your lips from the sun’s damaging rays with Rosehip & Lemongrass Lip Balm SPF 15. The zinc oxide in this hydrating lip balm stick defends against the harmful effects of UVA and UVB exposure, keeping your lips moisturized and protected. If you’re already battling the look of aging caused by sun exposure, apply our Citrus Lip Balm to minimize the visible signs. The natural peptides in this luxurious balm get rid of the look of fine lines and plump deflated lips for a voluptuous and youthful look.

Add Gua Sha For Softer (And Plumper) Lips

Another way to keep lips soft is to spend a couple of minutes bringing blood flow to the area with the help of a gua sha tool. Just like on other parts of the face and body, gua sha for lips can have a major impact. As well as softening the lips, using a gua sha tool can help reduce the look of wrinkles in the area and even create a temporary plumping effect.

Step 1

First, you’ll want to apply oil to clean, dry skin on and around the perimeter of the lips. The Rosehip Triple C+E Firming Oil is a good option to help with glide. The gua sha will massage any active ingredients into the skin more deeply than your hands would, so you’ll get even more benefits from this quick routine. 

Step 2

Hold your lips taut with the fingers on your non-dominant hand. You’ll be doing the exercise in 6 small sections, so there may be a little bit of a learning curve but you’ll figure it out pretty quickly. The six areas you want to focus on are upper right lip, upper left lip, lower right lip, lower left lip, top middle lip and bottom middle lip.

Step 3

Use the U edge of the gua sha tool to sculpt and define the edges of the lips. If lines are your main issue, use gentle pressure horizontally across any lines. Imagine the gua sha tool is an eraser and you’re gently breaking up the wrinkle.

Step 4

Continue using the U edge over each of the 6 sections, starting in the middle and moving outwards with 8 strokes. Complete that on all six sections of the mouth. Then repeat the same motion, this time starting at the outside edge and moving towards the middle. This will increase blood flow and create a temporary plumping of the area. You should be able to feel a tingle. And remember, more pressure isn’t better, this is a gentle (but effective) move. 

When you’re done, leave the oil on if you have some time to let it soak in. Otherwise, give the lips a wipe with a warm, damp cloth and add some gloss!

Invest In A Humidifier

Finally, make sure your lips stay hydrated by keeping your environment moist. Placing a humidifier in your bedroom while you sleep is an easy way to bring moisture to your skin overnight. If you suffer from dry skin generally across your body, this little machine could make a huge difference. 

Want to make your lips look plumper and feel softer? Visit your nearest Eminence Organics Spa Partner and add a lip treatment to a facial for an extra special boost! 

This article was originally written in April 2017.