You may have wondered about how to care for and protect your lips, so here are answers to some of the most frequently asked lip care questions.

Why should I take care of my lips?

Unlike ordinary skin, lip tissue is mucous membrane. The outer layer of the lip is extremely thin and may not even be present in some people.

As a result, moisture evaporates from the lips much faster than from skin causing lips to dry out easily. This dryness often results in chapping and cracking, and increases the risk of inflammation, infection and burning sensations.

How do I protect my lips from the sun?

You can protect them using a product containing a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or more. Lips need more protection than the rest of the body because they have little or no melanin. Melanin is a natural skin pigment which screens out the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays.

When spending more time outdoors, a lip care product with a higher SPF such as Blistex Ultra Protection with SPF 30+ should be used. It also is important to remember that the sun's harmful rays are always present whether it's summer or winter, sunny or cloudy.

Do lips need to be protected indoors?

Sun damage isn’t the only harm your lips need protection from.
When indoors, your lips can suffer from a lack of moisture in centrally heated or air-conditioned rooms in which the relative humidity is low.

How do I heal already chapped lips?

If your lips get chapped, the sooner you attend to them the faster they‘ll heal. For both seriously dry lips and to relieve the discomfort of cold sores, Blistex recommends using a medicated product, like Blistex Lip Ointment, which contains penetrating ingredients to bring cooling relief to lips and moisturising ingredients to rehydrate lips.

What causes cold sores and can Blistex help?

Cold sores are caused by a form of the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) and may develop when an individual has a cold or fever. They can also can be triggered by sun exposure, emotional distress, intestinal illness and menstruation. Protecting yourself from every source that contributes to the onset of cold sores and fever blisters is impossible, but sufferers can condition their lips with Blistex Lip Ointment to ensure they aren't as vulnerable to the elements.

Lip Ointment – Over or under lipstick?

Lip balm or ointment works best when worn under lipstick, allowing protective ingredients to be in direct contact with the lips. Using moisturising lip care products before lipstick application will also help colour spread more evenly.