I'm brushing my lips! A simple way to take care of the lips

I remember when my colleague laughed at me for brushing my lips too when I'm brushing my teeth.  She won't believe me when I said that I read from an article (I think it's from Reader's Digest) that regular exfoliation is good for the lips and one of the easiest and probably the cheapest way to do it is by brushing with a soft toothbrush.

photo from http://www.clker.com

Did you know that lips has no oil or sweat glands?  Maybe it's one of the reason behind the chop lips.  We eat and drink with it, lick and bite it, put make-up/lipstick on it so just like any part of our body, we should also pay attention to our lips to make it healthy.

Here are some ways and tips on how to  make the lips soft + kissable.

photo from http://thewanderlustdiary.wordpress.com

1.  Exfoliate
Regular exfoliation is good for the lips as it removes not just the pollution buildup but also the dead skin cells allowing new skin cells to emerge.  There are many lip scrubs out there that can be bought but if you are on a budget, just mildly brush your wet lips with a soft toothbrush or a washcloth.
Simple exfoliation can make your lips younger and pinker.

2.  Moisturize

photo from http://www.nataliedee.com

Just like our face, always moisturize the lips as it has no sweat glands that will provide natural moisture to it.  The best friend of the lips would probably the lip balm.
Choose a lip balm that are beeswax, petroleum jelly or paraffin base.  Apply fist it first before lipstick to lock-in the moisture.  I usually have "triple layer of lipstick":  lip balm, lipstick/tinted lip balm, then lip balm again.  This trick not only moisturize my lips but also help the color stay longer.
Oh by the way, to protect your lips from overexposure to sunrise, choose a lip balm that has an spf or sunscreen on it.  Nighttime is not an excuse to not moisturize the lips.  Apply a moisturizing cream or, like me, lip balm before bedtime and wake up with a more softer lips.

3.  Proper Practice

phot from http://www.dragoart.com

Sudden dry lips?  Don't lick it!  Many of us are guilty of this crime.  Licking will only make your lips drier as the saliva is too harsh for it.  Instead, dampen dry lips with water then apply a lip balm or a petroleum jelly.
Crack lips?  Then don't share your lipstick or kiss anyone with a sore or infection on the mouth or face.  It may sound selfish but viruses, bacteria and other infection-carrier particles easily enters crack  lips.

Simple steps and practice will keep your lips healthy.  It will only take a fraction of your time so what's stopping you?

Thanks for reading.  Till then.  Bye!

sources:
health.howstuffworks.com
www.dailyglow.com
arya de guzman's brain and experience : )