How do you oil your lips?

While lipstick lends a creamy or matte consistency and bold color payoff—and lip gloss creates a sheer, glossy tint—lip oil saturates your pout with a natural flush and moisturizing ingredients. The result is plumped, hydrated lips and a natural hint of gorgeous color. 

"I love lip oils because they not only look beautiful, but also provide skincare benefits. The visual effect of a lip oil is similar to the glasslike finish of gloss, but less viscous and gloopy-looking,” says celebrity makeup artist Bryan Cantor. 

Ahead, we’re diving into the benefits of lip oils and shouting out some of our favorite products to swipe on. 

What’s the Difference Between Lip Gloss and Lip Oil?

Though lip gloss and lip oil are pretty similar, some key differences exist. First, lip gloss  has a thicker, stickier, and tackier finish. When infused with color, it also lends a bit more color payoff thanks to higher concentrations of color pigment within the formula. 

Lip oil, on the other hand, is typically much thinner in consistency, and the color payoff is more sheer. Cantor says, “As opposed to lip glosses, lip oils are actually skincare in disguise and will not only look and feel great while you are wearing them, but will also help to lock moisture into your lips to help them stay hydrated longer after the product wears off.” 

Also, since the foundation of the formula is oil, it helps moisturize and lock in hydration for a plump and juicy pout. Both lip glosses and lip oils are great additions to your makeup collection, but each serves a unique purpose.

The Benefits of Lip Oil 

Not quite sold on the merits of lip oil? Perhaps these benefits might persuade you to add-to-cart.

Seriously Hydrates  

Aimee Carr, makeup artist and founder of Voodoo Makeup, says one of the biggest benefits of lip oils is that they keep lips hydrated and smooth. “It is a great option for those with dry lips to get some moisture,” she says.

Softens & Plumps

Carr says, “Lip oils also serve to keep lips soft and plump, which can help lessen the visibility of fine lines and wrinkles.” 

Nourishing Formula 

The oils utilized in the base of the formula help hydrate, smooth, and plump, but lip oil formulas often pack more goodness into the formula. “Many lip oils are formulated with other skincare ingredients, like hyaluronic acid and vitamin E, to pack even more benefits into a single formula,” notes Cantor. Carr adds that some lip oils also include antioxidants, which help protect from free radical damage.

Long Lasting Shine 

“Lip oils give long lasting shine and hydration to the lip, and can also revitalize the lip alone,” says Carr. “It becomes a treatment and a makeup wrapped into one product. The oils serve to restore the skin's natural balance and offer a layer of defense against the environment.” 

Beautiful & Layerable 

For all the skincare benefits lip oils promise, they also just look beautiful. The extra shine creates a subtle sparkling effect and can create the illusion of fuller lips. Plus, Carr says you can layer lip oils over balms or lipsticks if you want that shiny finish and locked-in moisture. 

Lip Oils to Try 

If you’re curious to try lip oils for yourself, start with these picks recommended by makeup artists. 

• Fenty Cherry Treat Conditioning + Strengthening Lip Oil ($24; Sephora) Cantor says this one’s perfect for anyone who loves the thick consistency of gloss but wants the benefits and silkiness of a lip oil. He says, “It’s thicker than other oils I’ve tried, yet still smooth and not at all sticky. It’s also formulated with jojoba seed and rosehip fruit oils along with antioxidants. 
• Dior Addict Lip Glow Color-Awakening Lip Oil ($40; Sephora): Carr says she’s obsessed with this lip oil and calls it a major show stopper. “ It comes in a range of color options and has a great applicator. It is not sticky but has a high shine effect.” 
• Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Lip Oil Crystal Elixir ($40; Sephora): A slew of nourishing ingredients join forces in this lip oil, which is one of Cantor’s favorites. “It contains eight powerful ingredients that combine to reduce the appearance of lip lines while moisturizing for up to 24 hours,” he says. “This silky lip oil is also infused with five different crystals to create a truly unique shine.” 
• ILIA’s Balmy Gloss Tinted Lip Oil ($26; Sephora): Both Cantor and Carr sing the praises of this lip oil. It’s “cushiony and smooth in texture,” Cantor says, and Carr notes that the “hyaluronic acid gives a plump look while moisturizing at the same time.” 
• Hourglass Cosmetic Nº 28 Lip Treatment Oil ($54; Ulta): For a serious splurge, try this gorgeous lip oil from Hourglass Cosmetics. Carr says, “It’s a great treatment full of essential oils and vitamins that are beneficial to the lips. It works to condition lips and protect them.” 
  

Are you tired of permanently suffering from chapped, dry lips?

If yes, then read on, this post is about some really easy tricks to implement which have a big curative impact (no, it’s not Lab.ello lip balm!).

But before I talk about those, let’s check first one of the main offenders that cause dry lips in the first place.
Though there are various reasons why lips dry out, the main reason is the own saliva.

Surprised? Well, you’re not alone.

Many people mistakenly think this happens only because lips lack the sebaceous glands that provide sebum (natural oil made of fats) to the skin naturally.

Unfortunately, this is false, because our lips have their own kind of sebaceous glands, called the ectopic sebaceous glands.

And although those glands are continuously providing the necessary sebum that simultaneously waterproofs and moisturizes them, to keep the lips constantly moisturized, those glands need some external help depending on many surrounding factors.

People then often grab some industrial (read: chemical) lip balm or tend to lick their lips as a quick and temporary fix.

The only problem with the later “quick fix” is that human saliva contains two natural digestive enzymes (Maltase & Amylase) that strip away the lips’ moisture as well as the thin protective skin film and hence increase their dryness, especially when the saliva dries on them.

That being said, here’s our quick guide of 7 homemade recipes using Argan oil in combination with other natural ingredients that proved high efficacy in solving the annoying issue of dry and chapped lips.

1. Applying Argan oil directly on the lips:

This is the simplest yet the most powerful way to cure the annoying dilemma of dry lips, hands down.
Gently massage one to two drops of Argan oil into your lips, and do so once before going to bed as well as in the morning. You’ll see a great improvement almost instantly.

2. The almond Argan Oil mix:

We found this recipe to be one of the most efficient ones. First, make a scrub using almond powder, then apply it to wet lips and rub gently.

This will remove dead skin and smooth your lips. After some minutes, rinse your lips with warm water to remove the excess. Then gently massage some Argan oil and sweet almond oil (2 drops each) into the lips.
Make sure you properly distribute the oil to cover the whole lips’ surface.

3. The Argan Honey Mix:

Honey is an easy and simple, yet great fix to restore the moisture your lips deserve. It is truly an effective natural lips balm.

You can mix some honey with 2 to 3 drops of Argan oil and apply it several times a day directly on your lips, without rinsing (nor licking of course )

4. The Aloe Vera Gel / Argan Oil Mix:

One of the most powerful properties of Aloe vera is that it acts as a great transmission delivery carrier for essential oils that boost the natural elastin and collagen production, such as Argan oil.

Furthermore, Aloe vera has an amazing hygroscopic property (it strips water vapor from the air surrounding it).

In order take advantage of this powerful natural property and restore dry, chapped lips, simply apply some Aloe gel to your lips and leave it on for around 30 minutes before massaging one or two drops of Argan oil to lock in the moisture. Repeat two to three times a week.

5. The Argan / Mango Butter Or Oil Mix:

There’s a legitimate argument why mango butter has been used in traditional medicine for hundreds of years. The butter and oil extracted from the kernels of the mango tree (Mangifera indica) are very rich in fatty acids that place them to be outstanding emollients.

Oleic and stearic acids are the main compounds of these fats.

And thanks to their hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties, the two triglycerides (Oleic and stearic acids) are making Mango butter and/or oil an ideal solution for softening the lips, locking the moisture, and waterproofing them.

That being said, mix some drops of mango oil (or a little bit of mango butter) and Argan oil in the palm of your hand then apply the mix to your lips. Repeating this a couple of times per week will tremendously help restore natural moisture to dry and chapped lips.

6. The Argan Oil / Coconut Butter or Oil Mix:

It’s no secret that coconut oil has an interesting list of healing properties especially when it comes to maintaining healthy skin.
Many scientific studies have recently confirmed what natives of the tropical regions knew for hundreds of years: Coconuts are a super healthy food too.

No wonder it has been used not only for its dietary but also for its natural medicinal benefits.

Coconut oil is composed mainly of medium-chain fatty acids and supports the easy absorption of vitamins (i.e. Vitamin E: the antioxidant that helps reduce the formation of free radicals that are damaging skin cells).

Coconut oil seeps easily into the skin, which makes it a perfect ingredient to mix with Argan oil for the purpose of healing, softening, and moisturizing damaged, dry lips.

7. The Cucumber – Argan treatment:

A cucumber consists of 90% water which makes it a perfect H2O transmitter. This is exactly why cucumber slices became sort of a standard treatment included in beauty regimens around the world.
It has been proven to efficiently enhance skin health, i.e. by minimizing the under-eye pouches, restoring lips moisture, and promoting their overall health.

This is due to the significant amount of vitamin C (aka. ascorbic acid) contained therein.

Vitamin C is known to enhance the natural production of collagen, the connective protein that provides structure and resilience to the skin tissue.
Additionally, cucumber is also known to suppress the formation of free radicals through damaging ultraviolet sun radiation thanks to the antioxidant caffeic acid contained therein.

Apply some cucumber slices to the lips for around 30 minutes to moisturize them then gently massage one to two drops of Argan oil to lock in the moisture.

This will enhance lip fullness and protect them against sun damage.