Page 15 - Demo

yeast as well as bacteria overgrowth, and it just worsens the condition,” she said. When it comes to the role of nutrition
and hydration in keeping lips looking plump and healthy, Dr Yip explains that “drinking adequate water is important but if the lip is really dry, drinking water on its own isn’t going to restore the moisture”.
“It’s a bit of a myth to say that if you drink enough water then your skin overall will be hydrated,” Dr Yip said. “So, the best way to hydrate the lips, as well as the skin, is to apply a topical moisturiser that gets directly on top of that surface to restore the skin barrier.”
Belinda Hughes, beauty therapist and owner of Belinda Hughes Skin Clinic, adds that while people often focus on hydration, “the bigger thing that we forget in winter is keeping our environment humidified”.
“So, if you’re using heating in the house, maybe [consider buying] a humidifier... you’d be surprised how dry heating can make the air,” she said.
Choosing lips products
Dr Yip recommends opting for lip moisturisers that are fragrance and preservative free, and the greasier, the better when it comes to lip balms and moisturisers.
“Ones that are oil-based... are good,” she said. “Also, think about using one with an SPF, especially when you go outdoors, to protect the lip because when there’s too much sun damage on the lip you can also get flaky and dry lips... in particular, the lower lips gets affected by sun damage.”
Dr Yip adds that “basic, entry level moisturisers with paraffin” are good options to keep lips moisturised, reiterating the importance of choosing lip products that contain SPF – “at least SPF15 because that’ll help to protect against sun damage”.
“There are also lip moisturisers that are enriched with ingredients such as niacinamide, which is anti-inflammatory and it’s soothing – it’s also anti-ageing,” she said.
While she insists that you can’t “overuse lip balm”, Dr Yip recommends avoiding the temptation to smear a moisturiser on the skin surrounding the lips, “so your chin or your face”. She says this may lead to “problems like perioral dermatitis, where you can get spots due to occlusive moisturisers”.
“[These] products are not suitable for your skin... [they can cause] mild acne
outbreaks, for example,” she said. Ms Hughes says she believes that
when it comes to lip products, “the more natural products” the better – “definitely the more natural products with natural butters and oils in them, because they’ve got a better chance of penetrating the lips and softening and moisturising the lips than a petroleum-based product where the product is more likely to just sit on top and easily slide off, which can lead to more dryness”.
“Burt’s Bees is a fantastic lip product,” Ms Hughes said. “They have a whole range of nourishing lip products. They’ve got lip balms with SPF in
them; they’ve got different flavoured lip balms; they’ve got tinted lip balm to give you some colour. So, they’ve got a whole suite of lip [products], which will cover pretty much everyone.”
How often should I apply lip balm?
Dr Yip advises that if lips are prone to drying, “it’s great to use it [lip balm] on a daily basis” and to reapply consistently across the day – “after you brush your teeth or after you’ve eaten or after you wipe your mouth”.
“In this sort of situation [lips prone to drying], you need to replenish the oil seal, and some people [who may be on] certain medications ... [might be] more prone to dryness and they’ll have to reapply once every couple of hours, depending on how dry the lips are,” she said.
“So, constantly there should be a visible thin layer of greasy seal that you can feel or that you can see on the skin, to make sure that you’re maintaining that barrier.”
Ms Hughes agrees that using a “really good quality lip balm” is a good idea to manage dry lips, along with “some sort of lip conditioning treatment at night”. She says this will help “the lips repair and rehydrate overnight [which will] help them protect themselves better through the day”.
The lipstick effect
While some lipsticks, such as the newer matte varieties designed to last the whole day, “tend to be drier on the lips”, Dr Yip says lipsticks can be moisturising.
“The colour pigment in the lipstick is a good physical barrier that adds the additional protection for the skin,” she said.
“Makeup and cosmetics have been shown to help reduce oxidative damage from UV, as well as pollution. But the
WHAT’S TRENDING 13 colour pigment in the lipstick adds an
additional physical barrier to protect the lips from UV damage.”
As for using matte lipsticks, Dr Yip suggests that people who prefer longer lasting lipsticks should “apply a thin layer of moisturiser first, before they put their lipstick on”.
Is it safe to exfoliate lips?
One method people may try to reduce lip flakiness and to remove the dead skin from the lips is exfoliating.
“Scrubs can soften the lips down and take away the layer of dead skin so that the moisturiser can penetrate [the skin] better,” Ms Hughes said, adding that “simply running your dry toothbrush over your lips” can work well, too, to gently exfoliate the lips.
However, Dr Yip advises approaching lip scrubs and exfoliation with caution because “the skin of the lips is actually quite thin and sensitive”.
“Any physical abrasion or trauma might actually cause more problems with lip dermatitis and skin breakage,” she said. “So, you could use a gentle chemical exfoliant on the lips, but I’d be very, very careful with that and it’d have to be done in consultation with a dermatologist.”
Brianne Lowe, 2019 Pharmacy Guild of Australia/Maxigesic Pharmacy Assistant of the Year adds the following tips to help keep lips healthy this winter:
• “Hydrate! It’s super important to drink plenty of water, especially during the winter months.
• We are spoiled for choice in pharmacy when it comes to lip balms. Blistex, Carmex, Chapstick, Nivea, Burts Bees and MooGoo to name a few!
• When selecting a lip balm for your customer ... look for products that will fulfil their needs.
• Before applying lipstick ... prep the skin with a lip balm to lock in the moisture.
• Exfoliation is important but should not be encouraged if lips are red or inflamed.
• SPF is an important factor as well. Sun damaged lips can lead to peeling and pigmentations, as well as melanoma. Just because it’s winter it doesn’t mean the UV isn’t around.”
RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • JUL 2020