Skincare Snippets 2018-03: Oil on my Lips!

Apr 3

Apr 3 Skincare Snippets 2018-03: Oil on my Lips!

Mid-2017, I called a trend that didn't quite make it - lip oils. I loved the April Skin Magic Oil Tint as something that left a long-lasting stain and an even longer-lasting lip plumpness.

Why Are My Lips So DRY?!

I am a dry person. That is fact and not hidden. I have a very colorful vocabulary in describing my dryness. From my hair, to my face, to my bodily skin... and of course, my lips are also definitely dry.

The lips are a super strange facial feature. For something so close and in constant contact with saliva, it still dries out. Unless of course, you were born with those constantly-wet lips, in which case, SCREW YOU!

Our idea of moisture is a delicate balance of water (hydration) and oil (moisture.) That's why first-generation skincare routines consisted of water-in-oil emulsions, which Koreans have improved by expanding to water-then-oil multi-step routines.

Facial skin is thin, lip skin, moreso. Being most exposed to the sun, pollution and elements, they dry out quickly. Saliva is especially bad, because when it evaporates it pulls out some of your own moisture.

Lip Balms vs Lip Oils

Lip balms are often made with petroleum or wax bases. These leave a distinct film on top of your skin that prevents moisture from leaking out of your lips. They are not bad for you, but they do not absorb into the skin and the constant movement of the lips mean that you have to keep reapplying lip balms.

Lip oils do absorb into the skin. I think that's their best feature, and that's why my lips look plump and inflated when I apply lip oils. Without lip oils my lips' natural state is one of crumpled dryness. Lip balms do improve the texture, but lip oils are kind of like instant botox!

An Oil-Based Lip Routine

Ellana Minerals Edible Lip Scrub in Watermelon Mint

I used Ellana Minerals Edible Lip Scrub (PHP 399) ages ago. I have a review of Strawberry Vanilla here, but my current is Watermelon Mint. I kind of forgot how good they were, and it was funny to me because I'd recently been seeing Ellana promoting them as lipstick removers and lip primers. In my mind, I was saying Oh here we go again, brands claiming that they can do all. But In my review I actually state, even without realizing why, that Ellana Lip Scrubs are so good as matte lippie primers :))

These scrubs are coconut oil-based sugar scrubs, and it's really fascinating how nice my lips look after scrubbing with them. It's not just the absence of loose skin, but the extra slight plump that makes it look really nice and ready to face the ravages of a matte lipstick.

Before lip oil routine. Yah excuse my shit skin lol.

When I'm not wearing matte lipstick, I like lip oils. My April Skin Magic Tint has already developed a rancid taste, so in the 50% Althea Clearance Sale, I got the Levre Lip Oil in Raspberry (PHP 458). Haven't tried it much yet, and the super thick feel gives me cause for concern. The last time I wore it, I didn't need to retouch my lips (in terms of moisture) for a whole day! It wasn't the most comfortable thing, but I am keeping myself open to a fully oil lip routine now!

Ellana is available at ellanacosmetics.com. Levre is available at ph.althea.kr*

*The link to Althea contains my invite code, where I earn rebates along with my invitee on their first purchase.