Ultraviolet (UV) rays are the most important risk factor when it comes to skin cancer — UV rays are associated with 90 % of all non-melanoma skin cancers says the Skin Cancer Foundation.
Lips are often neglected when it comes to sun protection. They have a very thin layer of skin and contain very little melanin, so they risk getting burned if exposed to sunlight without any protection. Being a particularly delicate area, it therefore requires specific products for sun protection.
Because our lips are constantly exposed to the sun, they’re not only at risk for sunburn, but they can also develop pre-cancerous scaly, non-healing patches.
Symptoms of sunburned lips include: lips that are redder than normal. swollen lips. skin that feels tender to the touch.
It is important to keep lips soft, smooth, hydrated and healthy during the summer to protect them from sun damage. The application of a lip balm and continually drinking water can help facilitate your protection against UV rays. However, do not just apply an SPF lip balm on sunny days — it is important to use the stuff every day, even if its cloudy — UV rays can get through a cloudy sky. Also, make sure to apply and reapply every day at least once every two hours.
Tip 1: If your lips become dry and start to peel, use some sugar and olive oil to exfoliate your skin and remove the accumulated dead skin cells.
Tip 2: Look for a lip product that has a base of beeswax, petroleum jelly, or paraffin. Your lip sunscreen should contain two types of moisturising ingredients, known as humectants (think: hyaluronic acid, glycerine, honey) and emollients (petrolatum, coconut oil, Shea butter. Humectants draw moisture into the top layers of your lips, and emollients lock the moisture into place—without emollients, the moisture will evaporate and your lips will be left drier than they were before.
Tip 3: Skip the lip gloss and use matte lip product instead with an SPF.
Sun Shield Lip Balm by Paola P Make Up
To have soft and hydrated lips even in the sun, Paola P recommends protecting them with the new Sunshield Lip Balm : an emollient lip balm, enriched with olive oil, propolis, jojoba oil and tea tree oil, which protects the lips from UV rays thanks to the addition of protection factor 15.