Tips for Dry Lips

As it would appear that summer is pretty much over in the UK I am starting to think about autumn and winter (jumpers at the ready!). One of the things which I tend to suffer from in the colder months is dry lips, so here are my tips for keeping your lips lovely and healthy.

Exfoliate!

I know it might sound a bit weird to exfoliate your lips but honestly this is a great way to get rid of any dry skin and make them feel lovely and soft. You can buy lip exfoliators, my favourite is LUSH Sweet Lips, which is vanilla and chocolate flavour.  Sadly, I think they have discontinued that particular flavour but they do still have bubblegum, popcorn and mint flavoured lip scrubs. The little pots contain large sugar crystals which buff away the dry skin and essential oils which soften and provide the flavours which mean you can then lick it off your lips. I have found these really useful to carry around in my handbag (especially in the winter months) for when my lips need an extra bit of TLC.

If you would rather not go to the trouble of buying some lip scrub, you can use your toothbrush instead. Simply buff your lips with the toothbrush if they are feeling a little dry and it will remove and dead skin, although obviously that doesn't have the added bonus of tasting nice or essential oils.

Choose Wisely

There are a number of lip products out there which don't actually help your lips (or even make them worse!). So it's worth making sure that you pick one which is going to protect your lips and keep them in good condition. You can't go wrong with good old petroleum jelly if you have sensitive skin and I am a big fan of Vaseline's Rosey Lips because it lightly tints your lips as well. I also like Body Shop Vitamin E Lip Care SPF 15 and Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Original Ultra Moisturizing Lip Balm SPF15 because, as you all know, I love a good SPF (see here for my blog on moisturisers with SPF). Or if you want a really good quality lip balm and are willing to splash out a little more, I can really recommend Molton Brown Protecting Vitamin Lip Saver. I use this most nights before I go to bed and every morning my lips feel much better, the only thing I would say is that it does coat your lips in a similar feeling substance to petroleum jelly which can feel a bit weird when you're going to sleep but it's worth it!

As you can see, these are all very well-loved!!

Drink More Water

I'm sure you've been told many times that if you've got dry skin anywhere then you should drink more water but it's especially noticeable with your lips. If I'm a bit dehydrated my lips are the first to show the effects and to recover afterwards. I'm really bad at making sure I drink enough water during the day, so have taken to keeping a glass by the sink in my bathroom so that it reminds me everyday to drink first thing, then that's one glass out of the way and it sets me up for the day.

Hope these tips have helped! Do you have any lip-care favourites which you can't live without?

Much love,

Sasha Monday x

Emergency Skin Saviours!

Okay, so when I was a teenager I had really bad skin which I was really self-conscious of, especially since red spots are super obvious on pale skin. I really struggled with my skin for years but fortunately it cleared up as I neared my twenties, although I still get the odd breakout now and then. One of the things that having bad skin teaches you is exactly which products work in a crisis and which ones don't, so here are the products I turn to when my skin needs a bit of TLC.

Cleansing Oil

If you have bad skin the last thing you would think of doing is putting oil on it but honestly it could be exactly what your skin needs. If your skin is dry it can produce excess oil in an attempt to compensate and this can cause you to break out. Using a cleansing oil can help rebalance your skin and it doubles as a great make-up remover. I currently use L'Oreal Paris Skin Perfection Cleansing Oil because my skin is much better now and at £7.99 it's well worth having in your skincare routine. However, back when my skin was really bad I invested in Dermalogica Precleanse which at £10.95 for 30ml is much more pricey but I couldn't fault the results. It has a lovely fresh smell and it helps to get rid of nasties by prepping your skin and allowing your cleanser to be much more effective.

Tea Tree Oil

A very simple but really effective way to get rid of a spot quickly is to put a dab of Tea Tree Oil on it before you go to sleep (the smell is maybe a bit too strong to use it during the day). The oil dries the spot making it smaller and eventually getting rid of it. Seriously great stuff and you can find it in most drugstores. If you're suddenly caught without your Tea Tree Oil then you can use regular toothpaste  (again only use at night!), I know it sounds a bit weird but it also dries out spots, although not as effectively as Tea Tree Oil.

Mask Treatments

My go-to mask no matter the problem is Dead Sea Spa Magik Delicate Boosting Mask. I still use this if my skin feels a little dull or if I'm starting to break out and it's just fantastic, I'm yet to find a mask that beats this one. My skin feels gloriously soft after using it, it has a lovely creamy texture and it smells like a fresh seaside morning. The only quibble I would have is that the mask doesn't dry when it is on your face, so I tend to end up smudging it off on other things when I put one on, but otherwise I would highly recommend it!

One thing I will say is, if you have bad skin I know just how horrible it is to look in the mirror, only see your imperfections and want to cover them up with makeup. I made that mistake and it can just make things worse, so try to resist piling on the makeup everyday and, trust me, it's not as bad as you think it is. Chin up, it will get better.

So those are my skin saviours. What products do you reach for when you have a skin emergency?

Much love,

Sasha Monday x

Moisturisers with SPF

As anyone with fair skin knows, SPF is an essential part of our skincare routine, but really it doesn't matter whether you burn easily or not, it is a good idea to protect your skin from the sun (especially at this time of year). I don't know about you, but I have always hated the feel and smell of sun cream so if I can find an alternative I am all over it! Quite a lot of moisturisers have an SPF in them now so I am going to talk you through some of my favourites.

On a Budget?

For me there are two contenders for this particular category as it depends on what you're looking for. The first is Simple Kind to Skin Protecting Light Moisturiser SPF 15, what you see is what you get, a basic moisturiser with a low SPF, it tends to be my go-to in winter when the sun isn't as strong and at £6.99 in Boots (plus they have a 3 for 2 offer on at the moment) it's very affordable. The second is The Body Shop Vitamin C Daily Moisturiser SPF 30, which at £13 is twice the price but also twice the SPF… Tricky. I tend to use this one more in the summer because of the high SPF but also because I find it brightens my skin and has a slightly lighter texture than Simple's version making it more pleasant in the heat.

The Tinted Moisturiser

I have already discussed NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser in my Summer Favourites post but it is worth adding it here as it is SPF 30 and is taking over as my daytime moisturiser at the moment. Although it is a little pricey at £29 it's well worth it for the colour match and effect on your skin as it acts a little like a BB cream and improves your skin over time, what's not to love?

Body Moisturiser

Again I have two which I tend to use depending on the season and the strength of the sun. The first (and easily my favourite) is Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula SPF 15 Body Lotion, which happily is also on offer at Boots for £2.86 at the moment (normally £4.29). It is only due to the low SPF that this is my winter moisturiser, if the SPF was higher I would use this all year round and be a really happy bunny. I adore the chocolate smell, it makes my skin feel wonderfully soft and it also helps with stretch-marks and scars! Palmer's, if you ever read this, a higher SPF moisturiser would be amazing. As it is, during the summer months I am forced to use Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Protective Sun Lotion SPF 50. I'm aware that it is technically a sun cream and I'm cheating a bit by including it in this list but it manages to avoid the nasty smell by masking it with coconut and it does act as a good moisturiser. At £15 it's about the same price as an average sun cream but it smells better and doesn't add an extra-white tint to your skin.

I'm currently on the hunt for a new moisturiser for my evening routine. Any suggestions?

Much love,

Sasha Monday x