Vaseline is a staple in many peoples’ homes as it prevent lips from becoming dry and chapped – but one skincare expert has claimed we have been using the lip care product wrong
Everyone wants to keep their lips looking healthy all year long, but that can sometimes be hard without using any lip care products.
Lip balm can help prevent lips from becoming dry and sore, especially when temperatures turn cold. One brand we are all familiar with is Vaseline, with the small tin or bigger pots a staple in many peoples’ homes and handbags. It turns out, though, that we may have been applying Vaseline wrong the entire time. One skincare expert has claimed that we shouldn’t apply lip balm to dry and chapped lips, with it best to moisten them first.
Content creator and skincare expert @skinbyolivera shared a clip on TikTok explaining the best way to apply lip balm, with the video racking up more than 750,000 views. The post is captioned: “The best tip to keep your lips hydrated all winter long!” In the clip, the content creator wets her fingers and rubs some water on her lips before applying Vaseline. In the comments she said: “Do you suffer from dry, chapped winter lips? Always moisten your lips before applying your lip balm. Never apply to a dry lip. The balm will seal in the moisture.” She later added: “It would similarly be good to apply a moisturizer right after soaking to lock in some of the moisture. I’ll save the science for another post.”
The video has so far been liked more than 19,000 times while hundreds have taken to the comments to air their views. “I started doing this with my face moisturizer and it changed EVERYTHING,” one person said. Another commented: “Umm this is gold. Thank you, makes so much sense.” A third added: “I always did this and it’s way better than putting balm on dry lips.”
Others commented to say they can’t wait to try the method. “I do this for my skin but I never realized the same goes for my lips. Thank you,” one said. A second added: “I have very dry chapped and irritated lips even in the summer due to allergies, I just tried this and they immediately feel soothed!”
To get to the bottom of the tip, Tyla spoke to skincare expert and Head of Face the Future clinic Kimberley Hulme. Kimberley said: “The main thing is that Vaseline is petroleum jelly and it is an occlusive that acts as a barrier on the skin, helping to prevent moisture from escaping. If you were to put water on your lips and then apply Vaseline over the top, it would probably just feel hydrating as you’ve got your water and then the barrier of the Vaseline on top.”
She added: “If you do want to use Vaseline and want to protect your lips while you’re outdoors, I would suggest putting a hydrating lip protector on first and then using Vaseline as a barrier to prevent moisture from escaping. Water can’t hydrate from the outside in, only inside out.”
