Did you know lip care is skin care?

Like the rest of your skin, your lips have a stratum corneum (the skin’s outermost layer) — but this protective layer is thinner on lips than on any other skin on your body. Combine that with a lack of oil glands (lips rely on saliva for moisture), absence of melanin (your skin’s natural pigment and protection against UV rays), and you’ve got one sensitive organ.

Your skincare just isn’t complete without lip care. Here are 8 ways to pamper your pout:

1. Brush Your…Lips?

Ensure lips are smooth and flake-free with this “skinsider” tip from makeup artist, aesthetician and good-living guru Jess Arnaudin:Massage Grandma Minnie’s Big Brave Boo Boo Balm liberally over lips. Use a disposable mascara wand or clean toothbrush to polish lips in gentle circular motions to exfoliate chapped areas. Boo-Boo Balm’s monolaurin gives you gentle anti-bacterial protection while the virgin coconut oil brings soothing hydration and barrier repair. Want an even more intensive moisturizing and exfoliating treatment? Check out Jess’ original Healthy, Exfoliating At-Home Lip Mask for VMV!

2. Speak Softly And Carry…A Red Lipstick

Or in the case of our CEO Laura, three. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy’s famous TED Talk led millions to “power pose.” Just adopting stances of confidence and power makes us feel braver and more triumphant, decreasing levels of cortisol (the stress hormone). In a poll of 1,000 women done by the British Heart Foundation, 26% said that red lipstick boosted their confidence. There’s no substitute for internal work but our outsides do improve how we feel inside. Surround yourself with positivity, strike that power pose, swipe on some red lipstick, and take on the world

3. Expand Your Options: Lip-Gloss-a-Pa-Looza

Remember this awesome list of 17 makeup hacks every woman should know by Cosmopolitan.com‘s Cardy Cardelino? Get limitless (oh-so-good-for-you) lip gloss options by mixing Grandma Minnie’s Big Brave Boo Boo Balm with your choice of blush or eyeshadow!

4. Max Out Your Lipstick and Max Out Your Moisture

Everybody Loves a Comeback.Empty leftover or broken lipstick into a pot. Mix in Grandma Minnie’s Big Brave Boo Boo Balm to give new life to your rouge as a virgin coconut oil lip gloss or cheek stain! You save your fave color AND give your lips a healing, moisturizing, reparative treatment at the same time. Tip from our team at VMV Skin-Specialist Boutique in Japan.

5. Your Lips Love a Base, too: Concealed Love No More

You know what loves your lips? Your concealer. Applied around the mouth’s perimeter, your concealer prevents color bleeding. Another trick: dot concealer on your cupid’s bow to make lips look fuller. Finally, use it as a base for lip color. Before lipstick, fill in lips with Skin-The-Bluff Concealer. This gives you a truer lip color and that lasts longer. And, it provides protective layering which can both help prevent contact irritations as well as up your sun protection (more about that on slide 7).

6. Lip Color Can Be Lip Care

We’ll let you in on a little secret. Our lipsticks are actually skincare in really hot outfits. They’re free of known lip-harming culprits like harsh waxes, fragrances, and parabens. AND, did you know they also fight aging with coconut oil, increase skin health with antioxidants, and prevent infection with monolaurin? Date ’em because they’re sexy and interesting. Marry ’em because they’re so good for you.

7. Protect Lips From The Sun

Thin skinned? Lack of melanin? Add, they’re a common site for skin cancer…and you know your pucker needs serious protection. A lip balm with SPF is a great option. But believe it or not, so is lipstick! Because of a concept called “layering,” makeup can actually boost your sun protection. Layering in skincare is similar to how it works in clothing: you’re adding physical barriers, one on top of the other, to protect the skin underneath. With lips, a concealer under lipstick adds a physical barrier of protection. The lipstick itself is another barrier. Add that SPF lip balm — plus a wide-brimmed hat when you’re outdoors — and talk about lip service!

8. Like All Skin, They Can Be Allergic

Chronic chapping? Sores? Dark spots? Your lips can suffer much of the same stuff your other skin can. If you have lip problems, try a 7-Day Skin Fast for your lips. Try a gentler or allergen-free toothpaste, avoid mouthwashes, ask your doctor about peri-oral dermatitis and try a halogen-free diet. Choose gentler lip color without common allergens. If the lip issues are chronic, ask your doctor about a patch test — which turned out to be the saving grace in this one extreme case of lip contact dermatitis!