Enter, the holy grail of lip care: Here, we’ve rounded up every single expert tip for how to get soft lips (finally!)—tried and tested. My baby-smooth pout and I can personally attest to each and every pointer: In terms of hydrating ingredients to swipe on, look for emollients that build up the skin barrier, such as fatty acids, butters, and oils. Humectants are great, but you might not want to use them as your sole moisturizer: “Lip balms that contain only humectant ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid and glycerin, can actually make lips more dry because they attract moisture, and if the air is very low in humidity, then they can pull moisture out of the skin, and then the moisture evaporates away,” board-certified dermatologist Hadley King, M.D., told mbg about healing lip cracks. So look for a lip balm that contains hydration-enhancing lip balms as well as thicker lipids to offer that much needed protection. We love options that include shea butter, hyaluronic acid, antioxidant-rich oils (like moringa and sunflower seed), vitamin E, and vegan waxes. To help your body enhance its natural collagen production (aka, what literally holds the skin together and keeps it supple), research points to hydrolyzed collagen supplements.* Studies show that these collagen peptides are able to support skin elasticity, hydration, and dermal collagen density2.* “Any alcohol ingredient will also be drying to the lips. And salicylic acid can be irritating in a lip balm. It is sometimes added as an exfoliant—to help remove dry flaky skin from your lips, but the lips are sensitive, and repeated use will likely lead to irritation,” she continues. “Lip balms designed to plump the lips often contain cinnamon oil or peppermint oil, and these ingredients can also cause irritation.” Same goes for makeup: Make sure your lipsticks, stains, and glosses don’t sneak in any drying players. Licking your lips is also not as harmless as you may think: Unless there’s an occlusive on top to trap in the water, it can dry out on the surface and lead to even worse conditions. See, if you’re partial to a wax or oil product, you’re not delivering any moisture—you’re just coating the skin with the occlusive. To really hydrate the lips, layer a water-based hydrator first, then top with your wax or oil-laden pick. It’s a similar logic to your skin care routine: Say, if you use a humectant serum (like hyaluronic acid), you’ll want to apply a moisturizer or oil to keep all that hydration locked inside. As for those humid, warmer months? An SPF lip balm is your best bet: “Protecting your lips from the sun is just as important as protecting your face,” says aesthetic nurse practitioner Shawna Jones, PA-C, about how to keep your lips plump and supple, and many options are laced with moisturizing actives to hydrate and smooth the lips. Stay with us here: “It’s actually pretty easy for most products to transfer onto your lips, especially cleansers,” says board-certified dermatologist Angelo Landriscina, M.D., over TikTok. That’s why he suggests avoiding the area as best you can while using those products or applying a lip balm or thick ointment to your lips prior to starting your entire routine. The oily substance acts as a barrier between your skin and those potentially irritating actives, so even if those ingredients unintentionally make their way to your lips, they won’t act as potent.
