Colorado’s high altitude and dry air mean that lips get as parched as skin, and that’s particularly true if you are spending time outdoors skiing or participating in other sports. Michael Moore, who has a makeup and skin-care studio in Cherry Creek North, recommends exfoliating weekly to remove dead skin from the top layer of your lips. “When you exfoliate on a regular basis, your lips can become moister, plumper and look healthier overall.”
1. His recipe for a “sweet” exfoliator: Mix equal parts olive oil, honey and sugar in a bowl to the consistency of a rough paste.
2. Gently rub the exfoliating mixture across the lips using a circular motion for 60-90 seconds. Rinse, and if a little gets in your mouth, it is OK.
3. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Be sure to apply a lip balm right after you exfoliate. Use a product that does not contain petrolatum. Petrolatum will make your lips feel good temporarily. But, in the long run, it can reduce the amount of moisture your lips will naturally produce.
4. The lip balms Moore relies on: Alba Botanica, which sells for about $5 at Vitamin Cottage stores and natural grocers; Simply-Moore LipTreatment Balm, $25, and Sanitas Topical “C,” $48 (a tube will last well over a year, he says).5. Protect your lips. When you are outside, be sure to use a balm that moisturizes and has a sun-protection factor of at least 15.
Have a fashion or beauty issue you’d like us to help you solve? Contact Suzanne S. Brown: sbrown@denverpost.com or call 303-954-1697.
Michael Moore is a Denver-based makeup artist and owner of Simply Moore studio. The business offers cosmetics application and lessons, skin care, waxing and such services as custom-blended makeup. Moore regularly hosts group events and seminars, and is on CW2 each Tuesday at 8:15 a.m.
