Ah the magic of winter! One minute Jack Frost is nipping at your nose, then the next he’s splitting your lip and chapping your chops. (Thanks, mate)
I don’t know about you but the weather wreaks havoc on my skin at this time of year, particularly my lips. They feel sore, they feel dry, they look like crispy bacon. For a whole season, matte lipsticks are pretty much off limits.
But does it have to be that way? Do we have to suffer with crispy lips every winter?
No! It’s time to reclaim your gob, gals! Tell Jack Frost to suck it, cause I’m going to tell you all the ways you can protect your pout from the cold, wind and rain. Here’s how to combat crispy bacon lips once and for all!
Use or create an oil based lip scrub
Lip exfoliators buff away all the dead skin that is currently on your lips and are a great place to start. I have a couple of Lush Cosmetics lip scrubs but you can make your own budget version with items you probably have around the house. Coconut oil and sugar will do if you’re on a budget, but I like to add jojoba oil as it’s the closest thing to your skin’s natural sebum.
Avoid petroleum jelly
‘I keep putting Vaseline on but it’s not working‘. Girl. Honey. Babe. Are you ok? I don’t want to alarm you, but Vaseline is the devil.
These type of balms put a protective layer over your lip, which in theory sounds great. However, they don’t actually penetrate the lip with moisture. So basically, if you suffer from SCBLS (Seasonal Crispy Bacon Lip Syndrome) you are essentially covering the bacon with grease which dries it out more!
Invest in Lush – Honey Trap Balm
This lipbalm is literally the holy grail for me. I buy it every year to get through winter. Don’t come at me with that Nivea shit.
Stay hydrated
Right, this is an annoying one because water does not cure all complexion issues. I know you’re sick of seeing this tip for everything but just hear me out. Your lips are the first to dry out when you’re feeling dehydrated. It’s the tell tale sign of all thirsty bitches – when you’re dehydrated it’s written all over your face.
In winter we tend to drink more warm drinks like tea and coffee in a bid to fend off the cold. These drinks are classed as diuretics and actually make you more dehydrated in the long run. For hydration, nothing beats plain ol’ water.
‘But plastic water bottles get cold and I want to feel cosy!‘ I hear you cry. If that’s the case, I suggest you swap your cup of tea for a warm cordial instead. My favourite cordial to serve warm is Ribena, but don’t tell anyone else that because Mancunians usually go for Vimto and I might get kicked out of the city if they discover my secret.
Step your moisturiser up a notch
Crispy bacon lips could be just the tip of the ice-berg. Perhaps they are a warning sign of skin that’s in desperate need of a thick gloopy moisturiser?
I hate recommending moisturisers because it’s the one product that is truly personal. Everyone has their own preference. However, you might need to find something that’s just a little more moisturising than what you already have for winter. This is particularly important if you’re spending time outdoors in the cold, walking to work or school.
I suggest sticking to a brand you know and love, but looking at other moisturisers from the same collection. Most brands have a range spanning from ‘dry skin’ to ‘normal skin’ to ‘greasy skin’. Which definitely doesn’t help because HELLO! Wtf is normal skin?
I digress.
Your local beauty counter assistant will let you know which moisteriser is the more intense version to the one you already have and if you’re feeling confident you can always ask for a little sample pot to take home. (You’ve got this gal, get that freebie).
Try a natural lipstick
I love liquid lipsticks, but they’re not exactly known for their natural origins. That’s why I give my lips a break by using natural lipsticks from Burt’s Bees. They are full of goodness like candelilla wax and moringa oleifera seed oil, which feed your lips whilst displaying beautiful pigment.
Keep an eye our for shea butter, honey and jojoba oil when you’re purchasing winter lipsticks. These key ingredients will keep your lips smooth all season.
So there you have it gals, the ultimate guide to ensuring your lips don’t look like crispy bacon during winter. Now go forth and find someone to smooch under the mistletoe with your super smooth pout.
This time of year plays havoc with my skin so this is super helpful thank you. I have been reading about how bad vaseline is for you too, so thanks for the alternative suggestion! 🙂
Love this! I always feel so dry and gross during winter, I shall keep these tips in mind!
I didn’t know about vaseline until a couple of years ago! I NEED to moisture way more than I do. I need to put this into my day/night routine x
I must be really lucky as I don’t tend to have issues with my lips at this time of the year. But I do like to use lip scrubs and overnight lip masks x
Author
Oooo Rhian! I’d be interested in hearing about what lip masks you recommend.
My lips always have a funny moment in the winter – I’m a big fan of Burts Bees too.
Lol you always have the best blog post titles I swear . My lips always look like crispy bacon and I am a vegetarian! What a travesty that is!
Author
Isn’t it ironic! I’m veggie too but it appears I just can’t escape that bacon life.
My lips always get dry in winter as the cold air cracks them really quickly. I always buy a chap stick and forget to use it!
My lips get very dry. I think i will try that honey balm from Lush that you recommended
Thanks for the tips, staying hydrated is totally number one for me. Though using lip balm is good too.
My lips always get really dry during the winter. I remember slathering them with Vaseline for years until I realised it wasn’t doing them any good! I always try to stay hydrated now too
I have some Fanta fruit twist lip seal that always does the trick for me but then my lips go more lightly fried bacon rather than full blown crispy. I just get bad dry skin on my eyebrows and around my nose x
Author
Is that the Lip smacker one? Wow that brings back memories! Where did you manage to find that?
Yep. I have already entered crispy bacon stage. Off to make some lip scrubs to start me on the road to recovery! Oh and to drink more water x
Author
Don’t worry Tanya, It’s not too late. We can get through this together lol.
I can swear on Burt’s Bees balms as well, they are brilliant and always make my lips smooth. The worst I had it was after being on planes and inside airport for over 30 hours. I couldn’t even smile when I finished my journey. That’s when Blistex saved me 🙂
Author
Joanna, I hear you! Travelling makes my lips go funny too. I think it’s the recycled air when you’re on the plane. When I went to Thailand they were pretty bad cause it was two 7 hour flights.
That’s why we never use Vaseline! Great tips and thankfully scrub and huda lipsticks have kept my mummy pout looking nice 🙂
I really struggle with my lips they are like sandpaper, some great tips here I need to keep mine hydrated a lot more
Oh my! I didn’t know that Vaseline makes things worst on your lips. All this time, I thought it’s super helpful. Good thing, you’ve pointed this out. Thank you!
My lips feel so dry at the moment. I haven’t consider a lip exfoliator before, so thank you for the tip!
I have to agree staying hydrated is important. I don’t drink as much water as I should at the moment and my lips have been the first to show signs of this.
I get dry lips and the only thing that works for me is carmex. The cold weather is the culprit.
These are all fantastic tips. I was suffering from super dry lips last week, so I dug out my trusty elf lip exfoliator and eos lip balm and they were back to normal within a couple of days 🙂
Louise x
I’m struggling this year more than I ever have previously. I will definitely be ditching my Vaseline after reading this and getting myself some Burts Bees lippies
Haha bacon lips. I only use burts bees and since ditching the Vaseline my lips are so much better.
I just went and dug out my Honey Trap lip balm I knew I had in the drawer after reading this! Also order a lip colour from Burts Bees. Thanks so much for the tips.
Author
Oooo Jessi, welcome to the ‘My lips are like pillows’ club! No more crispy bacon for us gal!
I am not usually one to moisturise, but in the Winter it is something I try to do, daily! The weather has such an effect on our skin!
My lips get really dry in winter and these tips seem so useful. I can’t live without hydrating lip balms and sugary lip scrubs.
Hahah mine too! Although wow, I use Vaseline on my lips constantly as I thought that was the best thing – clearly not!!
My lips always used to look like this. I actually live in a warmer climate and that has helped them sooooo much. These are great tips.
Thanks for your advises. This truly helps, not only for winter also during summer here in our country. Since humid cracks our lips and we need so much moisturizer to protect our skin.
Honestly, this weather just draws out all the moisture not just from lips but body too. It is so important to moisturise to help keep our skin healthy.
Fab tips here. I use a great lip balm that does help my lips massively. My lips get really dry this season.
I cannot imagine using vaseline for painful lips. Although I did use it when working out a lot on other sensitve areas that helped. I always prefer lip balms to vaseline though.
My lips dry up during the colder months too and I usually reach out for over the counter lip balms. they clearly don’t help much unless I reapply every now and then. Your tips helped me get the root cause of dry lips.
Thanks for sharing.
The weather definitely affects our son including our lips. I think these are great ways to take care of that concern. I always have a lip balm in my purse!
Thank you so much for this post. You know I use to think Vaseline was the go-to for chapped and dry lips. Now I know different. Quite an educative post.