Days are shorter and nippier. There’s that mottled afternoon light we so look forward to. And while we’re superfans of Mother Nature and all her seasons, the colder months do tend to wreak havoc with our skin. Especially our lips.
Our lips don't contain oil glands like the rest of our skin does, making them extra prone to drying out. A little whip of cool, dry air generally leads to involuntary lip licking - a combination results in a classic case of chapped, flaky smackers. Most people then tend to reach for their trusty petrolatum-based chapstick and wonder why it feels like no matter how much they lather on, their lips seem to feel even worse.
It’s not in your head.
Most popular drugstore chapsticks are predominantly petroleum jelly based. Petrolatum lip products are marketed as the ideal way to “seal in moisture and create a protective barrier”, when in reality this harsh chemical concoction dries out skin instead of hydrating it.
Here’s why you should use petroleum products for your car and not for your lip care:
- Includes chemicals like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Need we say more?
- Does not assist with retaining or absorbing moisture
- Creates a thick layer on your lips, that doesn’t allow skin to “breathe”
- Also look out for chapsticks that contain humectants like hyaluronic acid/glycerin as they too can make lips worse by drying them out even more! Yikes.
So, what’s the solution? A naturally nourishing balm of course! Balms are created to soothe and heal lips, instead of simply adding a superficial layer or sheen to them. Our Aya balm has been designed to protect and calm skin and is amazing for lips that need some TLC. Only rich, raw ingredients and no nasties - our little pot of gold will see you through cooler months and raw, red lips.
Some other ways to prevent chap season:
- Hydrate!
- Don’t lick ‘em
- Avoid allergens
- Breathe through your nose
And seeing as we can also look forward to the longest day of winter on June 21st - we’re gonna need all the help we can get protecting our kissers from sunup to sundown.
Happy winter Solstice AND Youth Day, Aya Family. Here’s to making good choices for ourselves and our bodies.