It's important not to overexfoliate. Don't exfoliate more than twice a week. Start with once a week so you avoid irritating your lips. Also, be careful not to scrub too hard or use harsh ingredients to prevent irritating wounds on your lips.
We recommend exfoliating your lips 1-2 times per week.
If your lips are particularly dry or chapped, you can increase the frequency to 3-4 times per week. Just make sure to give your lips a break in between sessions to avoid further irritation.
How long do you leave lip scrub on? To get the most out of your lip scrub you don't want to apply it and take it off right away. You will want to wait between 1-2 minutes before wiping it off, so your lips will be completely softened, smooth, and all the dead cells will be removed.
Long-term, frequent lip-scrubbing can cause micro-tears on the skin's surface, leading to frequent dry, chapped lips. Essentially, when a person scrubs their lips, they further irritate the skin, which prolongs the presence of dead skin and cracks on the lips, leading to a vicious cycle.
For some, immediately after use, the dead skin that is ripped away can cause redness, irritation, or bleeding. Long-term, these abrasives can cause damage through micro-tearing which prolongs your suffering with dry, chapped lips.
In order to heal dry, chapped lips, you need to repair that barrier, not scrub it off. When you use a scrub, you're removing the protective outer layer of the lips, leaving them even more compromised."
Gently exfoliate by rubbing your lips together. After around 30 seconds, check your lips. If your lips look and feel better than before, wash off any remaining scrub with water. Voilà—you're on your way to soft, smooth, and hydrated lips!
Lip scrub is an exfoliating product designed to help release dead skin cells clinging to your lips. The biggest reason why someone might want to do this is because dead cells are not capable of absorbing moisturizer/lip balm and passing that moisture down into deeper layers of skin.
Just-exfoliated lips need to be hydrated and protected, so the next step after rinsing off your lip scrub is to moisturize. Because many lip balms contain petroleum, which is a barrier, you need to use a product that actually restores hydration first. The same moisturizer you use for your face may suffice.
Wet your lip with water to soften and then gently rub the swab ingredients over your lips in small circles. Wipe off any excess exfoliator with a clean tissue or soft cloth, then follow up with a moisturizing lip balm or lipstick.
First, wet lips (wetting them prevents abrasive friction). Then, apply your store-bought lip scrub or homemade mixture directly onto damp lips. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) advises using small, circular finger motions for about 30 seconds before rinsing off with lukewarm water².
The best times to use a lip scrub are at night or before applying lipstick. At night, you can clear away those dead skin cells and use a lip mask for deep moisturizing benefits. When you wake your lips will be supple, smooth, and ready for makeup.
Using a lip scrub is a safe, natural way to plump your lips. Exfoliating your lips also removes dead skin cells and makes your lips smoother (ahem: extra kissable). Keep hydrated.
Over-Exfoliating
It's easy to use a lip scrub multiple times a week, however, we recommend only using a lip scrub 1 to 2 times per week to avoid over-exfoliating your lips. This can cause more harm by scrubbing too many dead skin layers off your lips and leaving your lips overly sensitive and irritated.
Our top pick is the French Girl Rose Lip Polish, which earned perfect scores from our testers. For something more budget-friendly, we recommend the ultra-hydrating ChapStick Natural Lip Scrub.
If you have chapped lips or dry skin around lips, use Aquaphor Healing Ointment® as your dry lips treatment to relieve dryness and soothe dry cracked lips. It also adds a little extra shine.
Moisturize your lips.
An effective and simple way to do this after exfoliation is to apply a hydrating lip balm or lotion. This step is not only important for keeping your lips smooth and soft, but also to reduce your risk of getting chapped lips.
After scrubbing lips, it's important to follow up with a repairing lip balm⁵. Pure petroleum jelly seals in moisture to soothe, soften, and rehydrate skin's outer layer, and facilitates sealing in moisture.
B vitamins
Chapped lips are a common symptom of deficiencies, especially in folate (vitamin B9), riboflavin (vitamin B2), and vitamins B6 and B12 ( 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ).
Once a week is enough if you don't have extremely dry lips. Store your lip scrub in the fridge if you want it to last longer.
Answer: Yes, exfoliating your lips with a sugar scrub not only clears them from unwanted dead skin and impurities but it can also lighten them.