Wedding-Ready Lips: Expert Tips to Avoid Dryness and Cracks
With the excitement of a wedding on the horizon, it’s understandable that you’d want to feel your best and most confident on your big day and that’s why focusing on your health, wellness, and skincare leading up to the big day is so important. One area many couples overlook? Their lips. Your lips are not only one of your most expressive facial features, they are also front-and-center in wedding photos. Regardless of if you’re sporting lip color or keeping things au naturale, smooth, hydrated lips are the final piece of the puzzle. Unfortunately, that polished surface can be disrupted by chapped lips, which also lead to flaky, peeling skin, irritation, discomfort, and pain in the spectrum from slight dryness up to sharp burning and bleeding.
Few people escape the curse of chapped lips, and it’s no wonder. Your lips have thinner skin, and are more often exposed to harsh conditions than other areas of your face. It’s also virtually devoid of oil glands, so it dries up to 10 times faster. Cold weather, dry air, and wind are among the biggest contributors to lip chapping, explains board-certified dermatologist Dr. Lydia Tran. On the other hand, extended exposure to the sun can also suck moisture from lips as the sunburn sets in.
In addition to environment factors, there are personal habits that will contribute, such as constant lip licking, applying drying lip products and not drinking enough water. Luckily, you can have soft, healthy lips by the time you say “I do.” We asked the experts to share their best tips for treating and preventing chapped lips ahead of your special day.
How to Fix Chapped Lips Before Your Wedding
If your wedding is coming up and your lips are flaking or even painful, don’t panic. These aesthetician-approved tips will get your weddings hands feeling soft and comfortable again, just in time for your ceremony.
Apply a Nourishing Lip Balm
Combat dryness with a hydrating lip balm, applied a few times daily, including at bedtime. One of the most effective remedies, according to Dr. Tran, is petroleum jelly, which helps lock in moisture longer than wax-based products. Balms containing natural ingredients such as beeswax or shea butter are another good choice to soften your lips without further irritation.
Gently Exfoliate
A day or two prior to the wedding, use a scrub to exfoliate and exfoliate your lips to remove dead skin and even its surface. Dr. Tran recommends using a soft toothbrush and a mild lip scrub. If you’re feeling crafty, then make your own lip exfoliator at home, says makeup artist Elina West, owner of Elina West Beauty Studio. “I would mix sugar with lanolin, which is very gentle, and it’s really going to exfoliate.”
Try an Overnight Treatment
The day before your wedding, put on a thick lip mask or petroleum jelly and wear it through the night. “This leaves the lips deeply hydrated and refreshed by the morning,” Dr. Tran says.
Talk to Your Makeup Artist
If your lips are still feeling dry on the wedding day, make sure to tell your makeup artist. West recommends beginning with a hydrating balm, and then layering lipstick or gloss over top to achieve a plumper, more supple look that will take you through your vows and beyond.
Stay Hydrated
One of the easiest things we can do to keep our skin healthy is to ensure that we’re drinking enough water. Have great hydration in the weeks leading up to it (and especially on the big day). Experts advise sipping anywhere from 9 to 13 cups of water a day to keep your skin, and lips, looking its best.
How to Stop Chapped Lips Before Your Wedding
If your lips are feeling fine at the moment, well and good! Here’s how you can keep them in good condition and prevent any dryness or cracking before the party.
Don’t Lick Your Lips
Your lips may feel dry, and it’s tempting to lick them, but saliva won’t do the trick. “The act of licking your lips takes away natural oils, which leaves them even more susceptible to dryness,” Dr. Tran says. Rather, have a lip balm on your person and continue applying throughout the evening.
Create a Lip Care Routine
Just as with a skin-care routine, it pays to be proactive about lip care. Dr. Tran recommends wearing lip balm throughout the day and reapplying often to maintain moisture and keep your lips protected.
Avoid Irritating Ingredients
“Lip balms are not all kept equal. Some contain elements that can irritate sensitive skin and exacerbate increased dryness. (As a rule of thumb, the American Association of Dermatology recommends steering clear of any sort of product that contains camphor, menthol, eucalyptus, salicylic acid and artificial fragrances or flavors.) Opt instead for balms that contain castor seed oil, ceramides, shea butter, or white petrolatum — and look for hypoallergenic, fragrance-free ones if you’re uncertain.
Use SPF on Your Lips
Sun exposure can severely dehydrate your lips. Dr. Tran notes that it’s important to use a lip balm with SPF, particularly if you’ll be outside on your wedding day. Use it consistently and beneath lip color as added protection.
Sleep With a Humidifier
If you’re sleeping in a dry atmosphere — or even one that’s air-conditioned, like the bedroom you created inside a tent in your backyard — a humidifier can keep some moisture in the air, and thus help your lips avoid getting dry. Both Dr. Tran and West suggest running a humidifier in your room in the week leading up to the wedding — and even in your dressing suite on the day of.
Eat for Lip Health
Your food intake can affect the health of your skin, including your lips. Dr. Tran recommends getting omega-3 fatty acids from your diet in foods such as salmon, walnuts and chia seeds. These good fats also keep skin’s moisture barrier in fine fettle. A balanced diet packed with essential nutrients will also keep your energy levels up during your wedding celebrations.
Follow these professional tips on the best lip care and they’ll be smooth, plump and photo ready on the special day. Your lips will be ready whether you're sharing a first kiss or smiling for the camera throughout your special day (or night).
