Your lips can get sunburned too. The source of discomfort and other inconveniences, the sun’s rays have negative effects on our lips. We give you some tips to know how to protect your lips from the sun and how to take care of them in summer or winter in the mountains.
What Is The Effect Of The Sun On Our Lips?
The lips are also subject to the sun’s influence: they are among the most exposed areas of the body. When they are attacked too much by the sun’s rays, our lips can present redness and cracks. As they produce almost no melanin, they do not tan and are less protected against UV rays. Melanin is a pigment that serves to protect the skin from UV rays.
In addition, unlike the rest of the skin, the lips do not have sebaceous glands or sweat glands. These glands help the skin to stay hydrated by forming a hydrolipidic film. In the case of the lips, their absence explains why they tend to dry out quickly and then crack under the effect of the sun. Other factors play on the dehydration of the lips.
As the skin of the lips is very thin, it is less resistant, and it regenerates less quickly than the rest of the skin, the lips are more likely to dry out from the aggressions of the sun’s rays. When our lips get sunburned and dry out, they may show redness, slight puffiness, tightness, or discomfort. You can follow these few instructions to avoid reaching these stages of dryness and soothe and repair your lips.
How To Protect Yourself From The Sun’s Rays
The first advice is to avoid going out during the hottest hours of the day (between noon and 4pm). Remember to protect your lips from the sun by putting them in the shade if you go out during these hours. So wear a wide-brimmed hat or cap. These two accessories will protect them from UV rays. Stay hydrated throughout the day. Drinking 1.5 to 2L per day also contributes to the hydration of the tissues and lips. The third tip is to moisturize your lips well.
Use sticks and lip balms. Use them frequently, and your lips can stay well hydrated. If they are damaged, you can use a moisturizing mask you apply in the evening. It will deeply nourish your lips. As a last tip, we suggest you rest your lips as much as possible by avoiding any stress caused by biting the lips or moistening the tongue. Also, keep small peeling skins: removing them adds stress.
What Are The Lip Balms To Choose From In The Summer?
A lip balm for the summer is adequate if it protects, nourishes, and moisturizes the thin skin of your lips. Lipsticks with a sun protection factor can be a solution to protect your lips from the effects of the sun in summer and winter (in the mountains). The protection factor is an indicator showing protection against UV rays. It is also called the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) or Solar Protection Factor (FPS). The higher it is, the more it protects against the effects of the sun’s rays. Choose the protection index according to the fragility of your lips.
Sun protection balms are effective thanks to their sun filters. These can be based on mineral or chemical filters. Mineral screens (mica, silica, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) reflect UV like a mirror. Chemical filters, on the other hand, absorb UV rays. To optimize the protective effect of sunscreen lipsticks, generously use the balm and cover the entire surface of the lips.
If you do not have any nearby, we advise you to avoid putting sunscreen on your lips for the body or the face. These creams were not designed for this use: you could ingest unsuitable ingredients, even at low doses. Do not hesitate to reuse lip balm during the day: the protective film of the latter tends to leave when you speak, drink, swim, or dry yourself.
In summary, do not hesitate to equip yourself well to protect your lips from the sun. Equip yourself with a hat or cap and a protective balm. Specially designed to protect, moisturize and nourish, lip balms will help reduce the risk of dryness and sunburn. These tips apply in summer at the beach and winter in the mountains.
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