Winter is coming, and we all know what that means, dry season. Pucker up cause it’s time to get scrubs-dub-dubbing and care for your crusty and dusty lips. Lip exfoliator is crucial this time of year to help make sure your lips are as smooth and moisturized as possible, just in time for that New Year’s Eve kiss. The first thing to remember when it comes to lips is that lip care is skin care.
What Is A Lip Scrub?
A lip scrub is an exfoliating formula to help lift and sweep away dead skin cells clinging to your lips. We all know what they look and feel like, and to say the least dry lips can be uncomfortable. Therefore, it’s beneficial to use lip scrubs best suited for you and your lips to help ensure you aren’t in any unnecessary discomfort.
| Moisturizes | Exfoliates | Plumps |
| Scrubs bring life back to your lips with great moisturizing ingredients such as Jojoba Oil. | The small sugar particles help to lift and sweep away that pesky unwanted flaky skin. | Creating movement and friction on your lips with the scrubs causes them to pump slightly and appear healthier. |
What Does it Do?
Lip scrubs either have a semi-liquid or another soft-solid base infused with particles rough enough to help exfoliate but gentle enough not to leave any abrasions. These lip-catered scrubs are a type of mechanical exfoliation that physically removes dead skin cells instead of chemically. Hence, you can see the product at work almost instantly.
Lip scrubs are great because they do more than remove that unwanted dead skin. Depending on your chosen product, other elements may be infused into the scrub that helps moisturize and nourish your oh-so-smoochable lips. They will also help soften and smooth the skin, which is ideal for applying lipstick or other lip products. Cracked and dry lips make it much harder for lip products to stick and stay on your lips.
Lip Exfoliator Tips
Don’t Overdo It
It’s important to remember that you are using a physical exfoliant, meaning it’s sweeping away skin cells on the spot. If you overuse lip scrubs, you could do more harm than good by scratching healthy skin cells that are not ready to be removed. It’s also possible to create abrasions and little scratches if you are not gentle enough or exfoliating too often.
Moisturizing Is Key
Even though the lip scrub you use may already have moisturizing ingredients, that doesn’t mean there’s a hall pass to use for not applying a moisturizing agent after you’ve exfoliated. Using something simple like vaseline or store-bought chapstick products is perfect. By moisturizing, you are ensuring you lock in all the excellent ingredient residue left over from your scrub, ensuring the newly exposed skin will stay in good shape.
SPF Protection
Lip care is skin care. It’s just as important to wear SPF on your lips as on your face. Our lips are a susceptible area, and they need to be protected from U.V. rays. There are plenty of lip care products with SPF, perfect for applying after you use your favorite lip scrub.
Zohna Tip
use a moisturizing chapstick with SPF to kill two birds with one stone.
How to Use Lip Scrub
Exfoliating your lips with a good lip scrub is an easy task. However, it’s essential to know how to properly do it to ensure the best results.
- Clean Lips: it’s essential to ensure no leftover lipstick or chapstick on those peckers. We wanna make sure our scrubs have the easiest route to their targets to provide the best results.
- Pat Dry: ensuring sure your lips are dry makes it easier for the scrubs to get to the flaky skin. Many exfoliators are oil based as well, and as all good middle school science, students may remember, oil and water don’t mix.
- Use Gentle Pressure: gather a generous amount of lip exfoliator and gently use circular motions across your lips. It shouldn’t cause any pain; if it does, you are either using the wrong product or too much pressure. Try not to irritate or break the skin, as that would set you back even further on your journey toward the softest and most kissable lips.
- Moisturize: follow up with a layer of your go-to lip balm (preferably with SPF) to protect and restore moisture to your new and improved lips.
Best Lip Scrubs
Sugar Lip Scrub
Almost any lip exfoliator on the market today is made of sugar, which is sweet for many reasons. It’s ultimately the safest and most natural exfoliation method when dealing with a delicate area such as your lips. Sugar is a natural humectant and a natural source of glycolic acid. Both these properties are excellent for lip exfoliators.
| Humectant | Glycolic Acid |
| Pulls moisture from the environment | Penetrates the skin and breaks down skin cells |
| Channels moisture into the skin | Promotes cell turnover |
| Keeps Things Moist | Used for again and sun damage |
Lush Lip Scrub
This gentle yet effective lip scrub combines refined caster sugar and organic jojoba oil to simultaneously exfoliate and hydrate your lips. Lush has up to ten different flavors depending on your preferences, and yes, we said flavors! For the sweet tooths’ out there, you’ll be happy to hear there’s no need to wipe away any access product, as these all-natural ingredients are made to be licked off if you feel the urge.
Each product uses specific food flavoring to make it taste and feel like you are scrubbing various edible items like watermelons or cookie dough on your lips. Not only will this product leave your lips feeling soft and plump, but they’re also made of vegan and self-preserving ingredients, perfect if you want a little snack.
Elf Lip Scrub
This affordable yet effective exfoliator is excellent for nourishing. It helps elevate your poor and suffering lips by gently sweeping away dead skin cells and moisturizing them so they look smoother for longer. With this lipstick-shaped and easy-to-glide-on formula, you’re bound to love this product when you’re in a rush and need a quick touch-up.
This sweet and sugary scented lip exfoliator has great ingredients key to the ideal pout, such as
- Jojoba Oil: to lock in moisture
- Shea Butter: to nourish lips
- Avocado Oil: to moisturize and protect.
Each product is free of phthalates, parabens, nonylphenol ethoxylates, triclosan, triclocarban, hydroquinone, and sulfates. Not to mention, they are also vegan and cruelty-free, which we love.
Burt’s Bees Lip Scrub
For all the natural girlies out there, this 100% natural lip exfoliator is excellent to help leave your lips looking beautiful and restored by using exotic oils and honey crystals that carefully buff and sweep away that flakey skin. Adding this to your beauty routine will help to naturally restore the nutrients to your lips, leaving them as smooth as a baby’s bottom.
Using honey crystals, responsibly sourced beeswax, and exotic oils moisturize and aid your dry pout. You can rest easy knowing that you’re using a product that’s 100% natural and has no harmful chemicals that could hurt you or the environment in the long run.
Zohna Tip
After using the Burt's Bees lip scrub, follow up with their overnight intensive lip treatment to moisturize and cure.
Jeffree Star Lip Scrub
Despite the Jeffery Star controversy, it’s hard to deny that their lip scrub is a great and tasty way to rid your lips of dead skin and to say “hi, how are ya” to your new and improved pouters. Like the Lush lip scrubs, this formula is edible and based on yummy food items like banana splits or orange gummy bears. This sugar-based lip exfoliator makes for a soft yet diligent scrub that quickly and effortlessly leaves behind stunning lips you didn’t know you had under that dead skin.
This product is vegan, 100% cruelty-free, paraben free, and for the celiac queens and kings of the world, it’s gluten-free.
Tree Hut Lip Scrub
If you have been on TikTok recently, there’s a chance you have seen videos of people using Tree Hut body scrub as part of their shower routine. You may not know that they also have a scrub for your lips. This Tree Hut lip exfoliator will leave you with a soft, irresistibly fresh-looking smile. The careful 2- in 1 formula polishes and hydrates the lips.
The scrub is a cocktail of good ingredients and features, such as being
- Gluten-Free
- Moisturizing
- Paraben Free
- Sulfate Free
- Vegan
Sara Happ Lip Scrub
It all began in her kitchen, as founder Sara Happ concocted the perfect lip scrub. Now she sells her lip exfoliator to people all across North America. Her scrubs are ideal for eliminating dull and uneven lip texture and leaving supple and lushes lips. There are four iconic flavors to choose from that are all vegan, cruelty-free, and paraben-free.
According to Sara Happ’s website
- 92% felt their lips looked younger after just one use, with 100% agreeing after 3 weeks.
- 100% felt that dry and flakey lips were instantly revitalized after just one use.
- 97% felt that lips looked plump with hydration after 3 weeks of use.
Brown Sugar Lip Scrub
Many lip exfoliators out there also use brown sugar. Similarly to white sugar, brown sugar is a great exfoliator. It also has anti-bacterial properties such as glycolic acid, which, as we already know, is ideal for lip exfoliating. Some people prefer brown sugar over white because it’s less abrasive on the skin. Brown sugar also undergoes little processing compared to white and is less contaminated with chemicals used for bleaching.
One great brown sugar lip scrub on the market is the Fresh Sugar lip scrub. It targets all skin types and effortlessly removes dead skin cells without causing irritation. It will leave your lips feeling hydrated and confident in your skin.
Clinical Results For Fresh Sugar Lip Scrub
| Percentages | Explanations |
| 100% | Reported healthier-looking lips. |
| 97% | Noticed improved hydration, texture, and smoother lips. |
| 94% | Felt the product made lips feel hydrated and rejuvenated while exfoliating and removing dryness. |
Mac Lip Scrub
The beloved Canadian cosmetics brand, M.A.C., looks out for you and your smoochers with their Lip Scubtious lip exfoliator product. This dermatologist-tested product is excellent for helping combat dry lips while also whisking away dead and peeling skin. M.A.C. recommends using a fingertip to massage a healthy amount of the scrub onto your lips, followed by using a tissue or rinsing off the product.
Zohna Tip
If one of these lip scrubs' prices seems steep for its small size, don't be discouraged; a little goes a long way with lip exfoliators.
Lip Scrubs for Smokers
Consuming nicotine results in shrinkage and narrowing of the lips’ blood vessels, starving the skin of oxygen and nutrients. Without those two key ingredients, it becomes difficult for your lips to remain healthy and plump.
NicoLips Lip Brightening Scrub
NicoLips Lip Scrub is a great way to brighten and restore lips affected by the effects of smoking. This product is composed of walnut to scrub dirt and dead skin cells and Vitamin E to nourish and reduce pigmentation. Together they also heal and moisturize your sugar lips.
Key Features:
- Heals Dark Lips
- Removes Dark Spots
- Hydrates
- Reverse Damage From Smoking
Smokers Delight Lip Scrub
“If you love your herb but not what it does to your lips,” Rayea’s Touch has the perfect product for you. Smokers Delight Lip Scrub is made specifically for people dealing with the issues that follow smoking. It’s produced with all-natural ingredients so you can feel good about what you’re putting on your body. Not only can it be used for your lips, but it can also be used on your body.
The ingredients, such as shea butter, honey, and lemon juice, work together to lighten and brighten while moisturizing and restoring your lips to what they were before your smoking journey.
Lip Scrub for Dark Lips
There are many reasons your lips may darken over time, such as smoking, digestive problems, high consumption of caffeine, excessive sun exposure, or limited water intake. If this is causing you insecurity and you wish to return your lips to their natural pigmentation, there are scrubs suited for your and your lip’s needs.
T.N.W. Lip Scrub
This exfoliator is a blend of natural ingredients beneficial to the overall health of your lips. It will eliminate dull and tanned lips while ensuring they are smooth and full. The gentle walnut granules lift dead skin cells to reveal bright pink lips. T.N.W. Lip Scrub is a double whammy because your lips will be pinker, more voluptuous, and soft.
Choco Mint Lip Scrub
It goes without saying that all these products are unisex and can 100% be used by anyone. However, for the men out there that might want something less on the fruity and colorful side, Mancode’s Choco Mint Lip Scrub is perfect for you. This product helps polish the lips while targeting any discoloration. The chocolate mint flavoring is ideal if you’re looking for something more lowkey than an orange gummy bear or mint manic.
Lip Lightening Scrubs
Omorfee Organic Lip Lightening Scrub
This lip-lightening scrub by Omorfee targets lip discoloration by lightening and brightening with kojic acid. The 100% natural and biodegradable microcrystalline Spruce Wood Cellulose beads infused into its formula is excellent for removing dead cells. Aside from lightening and exfoliating, it also nourishes the area by restoring a healthy moisturization.
ALANA Lemon Lip Scrub
This vitamin C-rich exfoliator will revert your lips to their lushes glow by restoring moisture, exfoliating dryness, and making them bright and pink. ALANA’s lemon lip exfoliator is formulated with sugar, waxes, and butter, your lips will be thanking you, and you’ll be ready to hit the town.
Natural Lip Scrubs
All-natural lip exfoliators might seem hard to come by, especially if you have been DIYing lip scrubs thus far. Most of the products on the market are almost all natural. If you search hard enough, you can find lip exfoliator products that are 100% natural but don’t worry, we’ve done the work for you.
Niche Beauty: 100% Natural Lip Scrub
This natural lip scrub is perfect for my environmentalists out there. It’s packed with great ingredients that cleanse, exfoliate, hydrate, and brighten your sugar lips, such as sugar, cocoa butter, and vitamin C. This sweet little paradise comes in various flavors, such as pineapple, grapefruit, black cherry, watermelon, and peach. With this one, you can rest easy knowing you’re applying only the best ingredients for you and the environment to your skin.
The list of ingredients is both impressive and clean:
- Fair Trade Certified Sugar
- Beeswax
- Jojoba Seed Oil
- Rosemarry Extract
- Vitamin E
Beauty By Earth Organic Lip Scrub
This all-organic lip scrub will show results without using artificial ingredients. Beauty by Earth crafts its lip exfoliator sustainably and takes pride in its care for the environment. Despite being only organic and natural, this product is wondered for your lips and its dryness, leaving them flake-free and refreshed-looking.
F.A.Q.
How Often Should You Use a Lip Scrub?
There are a few factors that go into how often someone should be using a lip scrub. However, it’s recommended to use it only 2-3 times a week.
How Long Do You Leave Lip Scrub on?
When using a lip exfoliator, you should leave it on only for a minute or two before licking or whipping it off because of all the delicious ingredients mixed in.
How Long Does a Lip Scrub Last
It depends on a few factors, such as how much product is in the container when you buy it or how often you apply it. Most products will have an expiration date on the bottle in the form of months. Most lip exfoliators last between 12 to 6 months. Depending on where you store them, like the fridge, they should last a bit longer.
Kiss Dry Lips Goodbye
Clearly, you have plenty of options regarding your lips and their health. It’s important to remember it’s possible to overdo it when scrubbing away your lip’s flaky skin. In time you’ll get your picture-perfect pouters where you want them, and you’ll never be more confident in yourself and your lips. You have nothing to lose except for dry and dull lips, so get out there and get scrubbing (responsibly, of course).
