Cynthia L. Herzog 
If your dry lips have you applying lip balm for what feels like the fiftieth time in a day, it’s time to rethink your plan of attack. Although it may seem counterintuitive, an exfoliating lip scrub can help hydrate your lips and smooth out flaky skin, giving you the chance to start fresh. But just like you want to avoid scrubs that are too harsh on your face and body, the best scrubs for dry lips use gentle physical exfoliants to smooth and polish your lips without causing irritation. Fine sugar crystals (like the ones you put in your coffee) are the most common exfoliating ingredient you’ll find in most lip scrubs. You’ll also want to make sure you choose a scrub that contains nourishing ingredients like sweet almond oil, jojoba seed oil and vitamin E – that way your lips won’t feel dry after rubbing all the dead skin. a way.
How to use a lip scrub
To achieve smooth, plump lips, follow these three simple steps:
- Use your ring finger to gently massage a pea-sized amount of lip scrub onto clean, dry lips in a circular motion (and don’t skip the corners).
- Gently wipe off excess product with a tissue or washcloth.
- Apply your favorite lip balm (try a thicker overnight treatment before bed to combat extremely dry lips).
Shop the best scrubs for dry lips
Press? Here are the three best scrubs for dry lips:
1. Best Luxury Lip Scrub for Dry Lips: Sara Happ The Lip Scrub Confetti Cake Tube
2. Best Drugstore Lip Scrub For Dry Lips: elf cosmetics lip scrub
3. Best According to Amazon Reviews: Handmade Heroes Cocolicious Luscious Lip Scrub
1. Writer’s Pick: Best Luxury Lip Scrub for Dry Lips
To my knowledge, Sara Happ’s The Lip Scrub was the first lip scrub on the market, and it’s definitely the first one I’ve tried. While you can’t go wrong with the OG Jar, if you don’t like scooping up granular product with your fingers, the Lip Scrub Confetti Cake Tube makes exfoliating your lips slightly less messy (by plus, it smells like Funfetti cake). Ultra-fine sugar crystals help buff away dry skin without feeling too gritty, and a blend of Sweet Almond Oil, Castor Seed Oil and Vitamin E softens and conditions skin. dry lips.
Relevant notice: “I have a lot of lip scrubs, and this one is by far the most fun. I picked this one up because I was intrigued by the flavor, because come on, who doesn’t love cake with confetti All other lip scrubs [that] I have some in boxes, and I like that this one is in a tube because it seems more hygienic. […] It really does a great job of both exfoliating my lips and leaving them soft afterwards.”
To smell: Confetti Cake Key ingredients: Sucrose, sweet almond oil, castor seed oil, vitamin E Cruelty Free: Yes
2. The least messy lip scrub for dry lips
For an even less messy — and user-friendly — way to exfoliate your dry lips, this elf Cosmetics lip scrub lets you apply your lip scrub right from the bullet, just like a lipstick. Suspended sugar crystals in the formula evenly coat your lips as you sweep the scrub over them, and as you massage the product in, grapeseed oil, avocado oil and shea butter work to restore humidity. Plus, the drugstore lip scrub is under $5 (and comes in several scented options).
Relevant notice: “I’ll start by saying [that] my lips are always dry. I wear lip balm like my life depends on it. Since I started using it once or twice a day, my lips feel so much softer and I don’t have to constantly apply lipstick anymore.”
To smell: Cherry Key ingredients: Sucrose, grape seed oil, avocado oil, shea butter, jojoba seed oil, vitamin E Cruelty Free: Yes
3. A handmade lip scrub that’s a bestseller on Amazon
A traditional lip scrub that you take straight from the jar, this Handmade Heroes Lip Scrub has over 10,000 five-star ratings on Amazon. You will find the usual ingredients in this formula, such as sugar, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil and vitamin E. But the plant-based scrub is also completely free of synthetic chemicals, flavors artificial oils and artificial colors. And if you’re sensitive to added scents, you’ll be happy to know that the coconut scent of this scrub is only due to coconut oil.
Relevant notice: “This scrub is wonderful for exfoliating dry lips, especially in the winter months. I use it at night before I shower and apply a balm afterwards. The results are amazing.”
To smell: Coconut Key ingredients: Sucrose, sweet almond oil, coconut oil, jojoba seed oil, avocado oil, vitamin E Cruelty Free: Yes
4. A luxurious sugar scrub made with Hawaiian botanicals
The Hawaiian Islands and all their botanical ingredients were the inspiration behind this beauty line. Hanalei’s Sugar Lip Scrub uses two island ingredients in its formula: turbinado sugar crystals made from Hawaiian sugar cane to exfoliate and fatty acid-rich kukui nut oil derived from trees Hawaiian kukui to restore hydration. Rounding out the tropical vibes, you’ll also find shea butter and lemon peel oil here, which work to further condition dry lips and provide a citrus scent.
Relevant notice: “I love this product! My lips dry out very easily, so to keep my lipstick looking nice and not feathery and clumping, I need to use some type of lip scrub daily. I’ve used a lot , but each After I’m done, I’m moving on to another brand, trying to find the “perfect” product for my lips. I finally found it!”
To smell: Tropical Key ingredients: Hawaiian sugarcane, jojoba seed oil, shea butter, kukui seed oil, grapeseed oil, vitamin E Cruelty Free: Yes
5. An exfoliating lip brush that you can use alone or with a scrub
You can use this handy tool with your favorite lip scrub or on its own to exfoliate dry lips. This best-selling exfoliating brush gives you smoother lips thanks to its dual-sided textured silicone head (one side has a smaller, bristle-like texture and the other has larger, more spaced-out bristles). Like most traditional lip scrubs, you can use this tool as often as you want, and you can keep it clean by simply rinsing it with mild soap and water.
Relevant notice: “I bought these on a whim because I was tired of having dry lips every morning when I wake up. Oh my goodness, best impulse buy ever! lips on your lips, use this little wand to rub your lips a little, wipe off the lip scrub, rub a little pure coconut oil on your lips until it is just about absorbed, and quickly apply Aquaphor to your lips to seal in the coconut oil. Results? Very plump pink lips. In fact, I got compliments all day after this simple routine (someone even asked me if I had had some filler).”
About the Author:
Marissa DeSantis has worked as a beauty editor for nearly 10 years at print and digital publications such as Bustle Digital Group, Evening Standard, Teen Vogue and InStyle. She’s a firm believer that using a lip scrub is essential before applying matte lipstick (a tip she’s picked up from several makeup artists she’s interviewed over the years).
