Forget the perfect lipstick, a beautiful mouth starts with the everyday. MOJEH discovers the latest at-home technique for naturally smooth, luscious lips
Dry, chapped lips are irritating at best, and painful at their worst. Aside from having to have a heavy-duty balm constantly glued to your desk and/or handbag, they make lipstick cakey and glosses, well, less glossy and more patchy. With the heat and dry air posing as a major threat, MOJEH asks skincare expert and founder of FRAME, Sarah Battikha, about the latest lip care trend: lip basting.
MOJEH:What causes dry lips?
Sarah Battikha: Dry lips are multifactorial which means that there are many causes. First of all, dry air would cause dry lips, and people who constantly have hot drinks usually have drier lips too. Of course, a low water intake can be another cause.
M:How can we tackle dry lips before turning to lip basting?
SB:Increasing your water intake as well as consuming fewer hot drinks will definitely help. Another tip which I give not only for lips but also for skin health is to include a humidifier in your bedroom. This makes sure the air is not too dry.
M:What exactly is lip basting?
SB:Lip basting is very similar to skin slugging, but it includes a chemical exfoliant as a first step. It starts from the principle that we exfoliate our skin several times per week so why not our lips? It is important to emphasise the fact that we want to use a chemical exfoliant rather than a physical one which would be too stripping considering that the skin on the lips is extra thin.
Sarah Battikha, founder of FRAME
M:Who is the treatment for?
SB:Literally anyone. People with more sensitive skin might need to apply the chemical exfoliant for less time and then build it up overtime. I suggest Lip Basting to anyone conscious of wrinkles around the lips as they develop much earlier on so it also helps prevent it.
M:Who is it definitely not for?
SB:It is an extra step within a routine so I always say to my clients that there are more important steps if your skincare routine is minimal.
M:How regularly should we be basting?
SB:I usually do lip basting on days that I do chemical exfoliant on my face, so I would say three times per week. As I love my tea in the morning, I have been using a humidifier in my bedroom for quite some time now so I have noticed some huge improvements, however as I love being extra with my routine and the self-care I really enjoy doing it.
M:What products are your personal favourites for lip basting?
SB:My go-to products are Glycolic 10Renew Overnight from Skinceuticals which I let sit on the skin for a minute and then I would use a super thick layer of Laneige Lip Mask. Book a treatment at FRAME Dermatology here
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