Veena Look, I’m going to be honest. My lips were cracked in winter, and I did not feel like smiling in photographs. Then I discovered a basic routine and used the things in my kitchen. That is what works for winter lip care, even before going out and buying an expensive product.
Why Your Lips Betray You in Winter.
Your lips have no oil glands. That is to say that when the wind is cold in the winter and indoor heat is used, your lips cannot shield themselves like the other body parts. It also taught me that lesson painfully when, after the second day on a ski trip, my lips were as coarse as sandpaper.
The kicker? Drying your tongue out even more by licking your lips. Saliva dries off fast and leaves your lips drier, like dripping gasoline on a flame.
My Evening Routine That Changed My Life.
Use of extra virgin coconut oil.
This is my secret: before bed, extra virgin coconut oil. I began at the beginning of last December, and in three days my lips had ceased peeling.
Why coconut oil works:
- Locks in moisture overnight
- Natural anti-inflammatory properties.
- Does not bother tender skin.
I have a small jar that I have in my nightstand. It is just a small portion of something I massage on my lips before going to bed. No 10‑step routine. Just coconut oil and sleep.
Sugar-Honey Scrub that I Use 3 Times a Week.
My Exact Recipe
The dead skin accumulates rapidly during winter. This is the reason I am taking a sugar-honey scrub on Wednesday and Sunday.
What you need:
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon honey
How I do it:
- Combine it in a small bowl in equal quantities of mix.
- Apply in circular motions on lips for 30 seconds.
- Rinse with lukewarm water.
- Blot paper and rub coconut oil.
The sugar sheds off, and honey attracts moisture. It is similar to a spa treatment, but the prices are approximately ₹40.
What to Slap On During the Day
The Non‑Negotiables
I store a petroleum-jelly lube in my jacket pocket. The petroleum jelly is not sitting but preserves the moisture.
Look for balms with:
- Shea butter
- Cocoa butter
- Dimethicone
- Zero fragrance or menthol
That menthol tingly feeling? That is aggravation, not medicine. Do not keep to products containing camphor or fragrances; they will spoil you.
Hydration Hacks That Will, in Fact, Matter.
Beyond Drinking Water
Sure, drink water. However, this altered the situation with me: Running a humidifier at night: game changer. It puts a humidifying effect on air such that your lips do not dry up during your sleep. I received a simple one at [?]2,500 and felt the soft lips in seven days.
Added foods: leafy greens, carrots, nuts, and salmon. They are full of vitamins B3 and B6 and omega fatty acids that assist the skin cells in regenerating quicker.
My Complete Weekly Routine
| Day | Morning | Night |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Balm + SPF lip protection | Coconut oil |
| Tuesday | Balm + SPF | Coconut oil |
| Wednesday | Balm + SPF | Sugar-honey scrub → Coconut oil |
| Thursday | Balm + SPF | Coconut oil |
| Friday | Balm + SPF | Coconut oil |
| Saturday | Balm + SPF | Coconut oil |
| Sunday | Balm + SPF | Sugar-honey scrub → Coconut oil |
What I Avoid Like the Plague
The Lip Killers
Matte lipsticks: They will dry your lips quicker than you can rephrase chapped. Keep them until summer or leave them in winter.
Outdated lip products: Check expiry dates. Expired balms may have bacteria, which is worse still.
Hot showers: The steam is superb, but it deprives moisture. I was also taught to have a shower that is neither hot nor cold.
In the Time Your Lips Are Already Cracked.
In case you have no experience and are making painful cracks, my emergency protocol is
The 3‑Day Rescue Plan
- Nights 1-3: a thick base of petroleum jelly at bed.
- Morning: Gentle aloe vera gel
- During the day: Apply balm every 2 hours.
Aloe vera soothes the irritated skin, and petroleum jelly cures the cracks. I have tried this method, which has made me go through 72 hours with soft lips and then bloody lips.
The Bottom Line
Care of the lips during winter does not have to be complex or costly. At night, coconut oil, a sugar-honey scrub in the middle of the week, and a good balm in the daytime—that is all I do. No fancy things and treatments.
The key? Consistency In winters I have done so, and my lips will not crack up anymore. Not even in the coldest of cold.
Your lips will thank you. Trust me on this.
Also read: How to Make your Glossy Lipstick Look Matte?
