How to use a lip scrub for smooth lips

How to apply a lip scrub

These steps apply general skin exfoliation guidance to lips, rather than giving a product specific lip scrub routine.1

1. 1Check your lips first. Do not exfoliate open cracks, wounds or sunburned skin.
2. 2Apply the scrub gently with small circular motions. General exfoliation guidance suggests about 30 seconds; do not increase pressure to remove stubborn flakes.
3. 3Rinse well with lukewarm water, not hot water.
4. 4Wash your hands before applying a nonirritating lip balm, and moisturize immediately after exfoliating.

How often should you scrub your lips?

There is no universal exfoliation schedule: frequency depends on skin sensitivity and the method. More aggressive exfoliation needs less frequent use. Do not make repeated scrubbing your response to recurring flakes; too much exfoliation causes redness and irritation.1

Mechanical scrubs can be too irritating for dry or sensitive skin. Retinol, prescription retinoid creams and benzoyl peroxide can increase sensitivity or peeling, making exfoliation more irritating. Oral retinoids such as isotretinoin can also cause dry lips.14

What should you put on afterward?

Apply a nonirritating lip balm several times a day and before bed. For very dry, cracked lips, use a thick ointment such as white petroleum jelly, which seals in water longer than waxes or oils. Choose fragrance free products. While lips are chapped, avoid menthol, camphor, eucalyptus, salicylic acid and cinnamon, citrus, mint or peppermint flavors.2

Before going outdoors, apply a nonirritating lip balm with SPF 30 or higher containing zinc oxide or titanium oxide. Reapply every two hours outdoors. Stop licking, biting or picking your lips: saliva leaves lips drier as it evaporates, and picking or biting interferes with healing.2

Can a lip scrub make lips softer?

Removing surface flakes can smooth the surface, but moisturizing can improve roughness without exfoliation, which leaves the scrub with a less impressive job description. In a trial involving 66 adults with dry lip concerns, both daily petroleum gel and a particular herbal lip moisturizer reduced roughness and perceived dryness by day 28. Neither routine included a scrub.5

Can you use a lip scrub for dark lips?

Do not treat a scrub as a lip lightening treatment. Aggressive exfoliation can increase pigmentation, particularly in darker skin. Lip darkening can also follow an irritant or allergic reaction to a lip product. If darkening comes with burning, itching or swelling, stop the irritating product and seek assessment. For pigmentation caused by contact cheilitis, meaning lip inflammation from contact with a substance, avoiding the trigger prevents further attacks. Color can take 12 months to fade and need not disappear completely.16

Can you use a lip scrub for smokers' lips?

Smoking does not turn exfoliation into a treatment for lip discoloration. Tobacco use is a leading risk factor for lip cancer, so quitting and sun protection matter more than scrubbing. Have a persistent sore, lump, unusual colored patch or thickened area checked by a doctor or dentist rather than trying to scrub it away.7

When should you stop or get help?

Stop any lip product that burns, stings or feels uncomfortable. With regular nonirritating lip care, chapped lips should noticeably improve in two to three weeks; see a dermatologist if they do not. Hot, painful, swollen lips need medical assessment because they can signal infection. Painful cracks, crusting or oozing at the mouth corners also deserve attention: these can occur with angular cheilitis, an inflammatory condition affecting those corners.234