Pout Protectors: 10 SPF lip products to shield your smackers
updated the 6 October 2015 à 23:02
Get on the sun-protection bandwagon and bring some SPF to your lips with our top picks.
Sun protection is just as important for your lips as it is for your face. Without proper care, prolonged exposure to the sun can cause redness, burning and dryness to the area. Nothing’s worse than working up a tan on holiday and finding that your swollen lips don’t match your golden-brown skin, or spending the day out in high noon with exposed puckers.
WHY YOU NEED IT
You might think that wearing a pigmented lipstick that masks the lips with colour will protect you from harsh sun rays, but that’s not quite true. The skin on the lips is naturally thinner than the rest of your face and body, hence the need to protect them from sun damage even more. Until you’ve embraced products that have an SPF 15 and above for your lips, they are at a higher risk of skin complications. A higher SPF means better and longer-lasting protection. Also make sure that it’s broad-spectrum to protect against both UVA and UVB rays (ultraviolet radiation waves that are concerns for skin cancer).
WHAT SHOULD BE IN IT
Look for moisturising ingredients in a clear balm if you have dry, chapped lips. Coloured balms might create an obvious settling of product into the crevices of your lips, leaving an unflattering finish. Ingredients such as jojoba, Vitamin E and nourishing oils like almond oil and olive oil on top of SPF 15-30 are great to combat dryness and sun damage.
If you’re blessed with plump, supple lips that don’t require much added moisture, make the SPF rating your highest priority. You can get away with more fusion products such as tinted balms and SPF-infused lip glosses since you don’t have to worry about the colour settling in unwanted areas. Look out for zinc oxide in the ingredients list as it’s the main star in providing that much-needed protection, plus it’s also a primary ingredient in sunscreens.
We’ve rounded up some of the best SPF lip products you need to try for your days out in the sun. They’re great on their own, but also perfect for layering under or over your summer lipstick. It’s time to get that pout shielded!
Nur Syazana H.
