How To Exfoliate Your Lips For a Plump & Sexy Pout

Well hello hello.

It’s winter & let me tell you, it’s getting DRY around here. Anyone else feel like a shriveled up raisin? If you’re like me, you need to put some extra elbow grease into keeping your skin hydrated, exfoliated, & overall looking healthy & dewy this time of year.

Your winter beauty routine needs a little more exfoliating & A LOT more hydration. And in that routine, your lips should NOT be ignored. No one should have dry, crusty, cracking lips. And kissing them? No thx.

There are so many reasons you should be exfoliating your lips & keeping them hydrated. You’ll feel good, your lipstick looks better & lasts longer. Plus soft, plump lips are sexy & making out is way more fun. You don’t want to be caught giving a BJ with crusty lips. And this tip isn’t just for women. So you better believe I’ve manipulated Michael into keeping his lips on point as well ( while making him think it was all his idea ).

Something missing in the beauty conversation right now is that you need to exfoliate your lips to keep them in tip top shape. Lips are so much hotter when they are soft & smooth.

Compared to the rest of your face & body, lips need a little extra help when it comes to retaining moisture because they have poor barrier function. This is why it’s really common to get dry & chapped lips, especially during those colder months of the year. So, let’s get into how to exfoliate your lips to make your pout look & feel healthier and restore some of that softness & smoothness that makes lips so appealing!

How To Exfoliate Your Lips

♡ Get Those Lips Nice & Clean

First things first, be sure to get those lips nice & clean! Just like when you’re exfoliating your face or body, you want to be sure to remove all the gunk & impurities before using an exfoliating scrub. A quick & easy way to get those lips ready for exfoliation is to simply wash your face with your preferred face-wash. Make sure to wash your lips so any impurities from the day are cleaned away.

♡ Grab Your Exfoliator

So now you exfoliate. You can use a lip scrub, an exfoliation tool with cleanser, or even gently brush your lips. Whatever works best for you. Gently apply your exfoliator to your lips & rub in a circular motion to remove all those dead skin cells that contribute to dry & flakey skin. Exfoliate for about 1 minute & then rinse with lukewarm water. If you’re not sure which exfoliators to choose, here are some of my favorite exfoliators for lips below:

♡ Don’t Over-Exfoliate

For pretty pink lips, it’s important that you don’t over-exfoliate. Here are some tips to keep in mind to help you avoid over-exfoliation:

+ Always be gentle while exfoliating. We’re going for smooth & plump, not raw & bleeding.

+ Only exfoliate your lips 1-3 times per week depending on your exfoliator & skin-care routine.

+ Don’t rub-in the exfoliant for too long. 1 to 2 minutes is plenty.

+ Find the right exfoliant for you – one that’s not too rough & leaves your lips feeling plump & smooth.

♡ Rehydrate Your Lips

I can not stress this enough you guys, you have got to rehydrate your lips after exfoliating! It is soooo important to replenish the moisture in your lips in order to keep them feeling soft & smooth. Lips are one of the most sensitive parts of your body & that’s why they need to be moisturized & protected. This is THE MOST important step. You need to hydrate & seal in moisture after exfoliation.

Here you can use chapstick, a hydrating serum, whatever you prefer. You probably know by now that I’m a huge fan of the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask. It smells divine & makes your lips so plump & juicy.

Anyway, the main thing is you want it to be thick & long lasting. Shea butter & coconut oil are amazing for lip hydration & are the main ingredients in lots of hydrating lip balms. For extra points, rehydrate your lips with a moisturizing lip balm that contains SPF. This will give your lips the protection they deserve long after exfoliation. Aaaannd if you’re exfoliating your lips at night, you can use this real deal lip mask and wake up with the softest, most hydrated, plumped to perfection lips. You probably know by now that I’m a huge fan of the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask. It smells divine & makes your lips so plump & juicy. Kopari Coconut Balm is another ride or die you should check out.

TSC approved, super efficient, won’t break the bank, & best rated lip scrubs:

♡ Fresh Sugar Lip Polish

Jojoba oil is known for being a great addition to any skin care routine & is also one of the main ingredients in this awesome brown sugar lip polish. The brown sugar crystals gently exfoliate your lips and the jojoba oil & shea butter leave your lips feeling as soft as ever. You can pick up this lip scrub for $18 at Ulta.

♡ Burt’s Bees Conditioning Lip Scrub with Honey Crystals

For those of you with sensitive lips, try out this Burt’s Bees lip scrub made with honey crystals. The honey crystals are smaller & less abrasive than the crystals used in most other lip scrubs. This scrub smells delicious & is made with castor seed oil & shea butter to moisturize & nourish your lips while exfoliating. You can pick this up at your local drugstore or on Amazon for only $8.99.

♡ e.l.f Cosmetics Lip Scrub

If you’re looking for an affordable lip scrub that still gets the job done, this is the one for you. This 100% vegan & cruelty-free lip scrub by e.l.f smooths & conditions lips with gentle exfoliators. It has jojoba oil, shea butter, and avocado oil for moisturization and it’s only $4 bucks at Ulta. All the perks at half the price.

♡ The Lip Scrub by Sara Happ

Sara Happ – THE lip expert – is the creator of this lip scrub. There are four different options. However you know I love a pink moment so Pink Grapefruit is definitely my favorite. This scrub is vegan, cruelty-free & paraben-free & is such a good one to keep in your makeup bag. It even has some caramel in it that helps leave your lips tasting sweet & looking even sweeter. You can pick up this lip scrub for $18.

It’s time for hottie, fully exfoliated, soft to the touch lips!

There you have it. All the tips & tricks you need for making your lips plump & delicious. Say goodbye crusty, flaking lips. Just remember to take time to find the right lip scrub for you & don’t over-do it.

And BTW, after you’ve upped your lip exfoliation game, learn how to contour your lips for a more plumped, pouty lip look.

Smooch, smooch.

x, lauryn

+ for a quick DIY lip scrub check out holistic beauty tips &and tricks.

++ learn how to contour lips for a plump, pouty lip.