Soft Lips Year-Round: A Simple Lip-Care Routine

Lips are one of the first places to show when you're dehydrated, cold, stressed or just not sleeping well. They crack in winter, peel after a beach day and feel tight after a long flight. The fix isn't complicated, but it does help to understand why lips are so needy in the first place.

Why lips dry out so easily

The skin on your lips is very different from the skin on the rest of your face:

• It's thinner. Lip skin has far fewer layers, which is why it looks pink and why it loses moisture faster.
• It has no oil glands. The rest of your face makes its own oil. Your lips can't, so they rely on you.
• It has very little natural sun protection. Lips have little melanin, so they're more vulnerable to UV damage.
• It's always exposed. To wind, cold, sun, heating, air conditioning, food and drinks.

Add a few habits most of us have, like licking our lips (saliva evaporates and leaves them drier) and breathing through our mouth at night, and you've got the perfect recipe for chapping.

Step 1: Hydrate from within

Drinking water won't magically fix cracked lips, but being dehydrated definitely makes them worse. Keep a water bottle nearby, especially if you drink a lot of coffee or alcohol, or exercise often.

In winter or in dry climates, a humidifier in your bedroom can make a real difference, especially if you tend to wake up with dry lips.

Step 2: Stop doing the things that make it worse

• Don't lick your lips. It feels like relief for a second, then makes things drier. Keep a balm in your pocket so you have something better to reach for.
• Don't pick or peel. It's tempting, we know. Pulling off flakes can leave raw, sore patches and even cause bleeding.
• Watch for irritants. Some people react to menthol, camphor, strong flavours, cinnamon, or fragrance in lip products and toothpaste. If your lips seem to get worse when you use a product, switch to something simpler.
• Be careful with long-wear lipsticks. Matte, transfer-proof formulas can be very drying. Wear a balm underneath.

Step 3: Exfoliate gently, and not too often

If you've got flaky bits, a gentle exfoliation once or twice a week helps. Skip harsh scrubs. Instead:

1. Apply a thick layer of lip butter and leave it on for a few minutes to soften the skin.
2. Gently rub your lips with a soft, damp washcloth or a soft toothbrush in small circles.
3. Wipe away and reapply balm straight away.

Don't exfoliate lips that are cracked, bleeding or very sore. Let them heal first.

Step 4: Butter at night

Night is when your lips have the best chance to recover, since you're not eating, drinking or talking. Before bed, apply a generous layer of a rich lip butter. Don't rub it in completely. Leave a visible layer.

Our lip butters are made for this. Each one has 25 mg CBD in a creamy cocoa seed butter base with nourishing oils, and they melt in without feeling waxy. Pick your flavour:

• Naked Cookie: warm and comforting.
• Cherry on Top: sweet and fruity.
• Mint Condition: fresh and cooling. If your lips are very cracked or sensitive, a non-mint option may feel gentler.

They're small enough to keep one in every bag, your car and your nightstand, which is honestly the secret to using lip balm consistently.

Step 5: Gloss (and moisture) during the day

During the day, keep reapplying balm whenever your lips feel tight, especially after eating or drinking. If you like a bit of shine or colour, a nourishing gloss can do double duty.

Our Cherry Dipped Cone Lip Gloss is a vegan-friendly sheer cherry tint with 15 mg CBD per tube. One coat for a flush, two for a juicier finish. For really dry days, put a thin layer of lip butter on first and gloss over the top.

Want both? Our Glow and Gloss Duo pairs the gloss with Zen X10 body lotion.

Step 6: Protect from sun and wind

Sun is one of the biggest causes of dry, damaged lips, and lips can burn just like the rest of your skin. When you're outside for any length of time, especially at the beach, on the slopes or on a sunny walk, use a lip product with SPF 30 or higher and reapply regularly. Our lip butters and gloss don't contain sunscreen, so on high-sun days, layer an SPF lip balm on top or swap to one.

In cold, windy weather, a thick layer of butter acts as a barrier. A scarf over your mouth helps too.

A simple routine, all together

Morning: lip butter after brushing your teeth. SPF lip balm if you'll be outdoors.

Through the day: reapply balm or gloss after eating and drinking, and whenever lips feel tight. Drink water.

Night: a thick layer of lip butter before bed. Humidifier if the air is dry.

Once or twice a week: gentle exfoliation.

When it's more than dry lips

See a doctor or dermatologist if:

• Your lips stay cracked or sore for more than two or three weeks, despite good care.
• The corners of your mouth are cracked and painful. This can be caused by infection or a vitamin deficiency.
• Your lips are swollen, itchy or blistering, which could be an allergic reaction.
• You notice a sore, scaly patch or lump that doesn't heal.

Small habit, big difference

Soft lips aren't about expensive products. They're about consistency: a balm you actually like, kept everywhere you might need it. Browse our full bath and body collection, or pick a lip butter and keep it by your bed tonight.

P.S. Joining the Peach Club? New members get a code for money off our lip butters. You'll find the sign-up at the bottom of every page.