The skin on your lips is the most sensitive and fragile part of your body. Their high sensitivity is due to the high congestion of nerve endings found within. This is why kissing is a pleasurable activity and the lips become painful in the cold winter season.

The lips do not contain any sebaceous glands. This is why they are poorly moisturized and lose all sheen and allure in the cold weather. They further tend to become dry, cracked and sore in the chilly climate.

Here are some tips to take care of your lips and prevent them from getting cracked and chapped.

Keep Your Lips Well Moisturized

Since lips do not have any sebaceous glands, they are unable to keep themselves moisturized on their own. Therefore, you need to provide them with necessary nutrients and keep them well moisturized. Use a good quality lip balm that contains intensive moisturizing ingredients like shea butter or other nourishing oils. You can also look for lip balms that contain hyaluronic acid, a great humectant that helps to lock in the moisture. Lip balms provide hygienic as well as healing effects. It nourishes the lips, moisturizes them and protects it from the chilly winds and the cold weather. Moreover, lip balmsact as a natural gloss and improve the elasticity of the lips.

Avoid Lip Make-Up

During the winter months, it is best to wear lip make-up as little as possible. This is because lipsticks often contain harsh coloring agents that seep into the sores and cause excessive lip dryness. If you have to apply lipstick, make sure you apply a protective coating of lip balm beneath the lipstick. Even thick layers of lip glosses serve to dry the lips in the cold winter months. A good idea here is to use tinted lip balms.

Avoid Long Lasting Lipsticks

Long lasting lipsticks are a rage in the beauty circuits because of their ability to stay longer on the lips without getting smudged or erased. However, they do not contain any moisturizers and therefore make your lips even drier. In addition, they contain certain components and coloring agents that clog the skin pores and lead to dehydrated and suffocated skin. Therefore, avoid using long lasting lipsticks in the winter months. Also remove the lip colors before going to bed every night.

Check the Ingredients

It is very important to check through the ingredients list of the lip balms and other lip care products that you use to make sure you aren't using anything that is drying your lips. Avoid products that contain glycerin, petrochemicals, alcohol and menthol. This is because they can dry the skin and make it vulnerable to cracking and chapping.

Eat a Good Diet

What you put inside your body shows on the outside as well. Therefore, it is very important to follow a balanced diet and make sure your diet consists of nourishing foods. Avoid fatty, spicy foods and alcohol. Make sure you drink at least 1.5-2 liters of water every day and include lots of oatmeal, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet.

Don't Lick Your Lips

When the lips become very dry, is it a natural habit to lick them in order to moisturize them. However, the habit of licking the lips actually makes them drier. This is because as the moisture evaporates, the lips become even drier and begin to chap. Moreover, you also tend to transfer bacteria on to the lips. Therefore, no matter how tempting it may seem, don't lick your lips ever. Instead keep a lip balm handy and apply it as and when required.