Do you often try to cover up discoloured lips with lipsticks? If you want to have naturally pink lips that are dewy soft, the good news is that it is very much possible!
There are several home remedies that you can try to make your lips pink permanently. You can also include certain foods in your diet and follow a few skin care rituals to achieve pink lips fast. Keep reading to know how to go about it.
What Expert Says
"Contributing factors like lack of hydration, extreme sun exposure and different allergic reactions can lead to lip discolouration. People who habitually suck their lips or smoke also face the same problem. But few natural ingredients such as honey, rose oil and almond oil can heal the discoloured skin and bring back the naturally pink dewy lips."
Nikita Kolhe, Product Development Executive, SkinKraft
Highlights:
What Causes Dark Lips?
Many people often face lip discolouration at some point in their lives. A wide range of possible reasons are there behind sudden changes in lip colour. People who are chain-smokers are most likely to have dark lips. While naturally pink lips indicate that you are healthy within, other colours such as dark, white or blue suggest that something is wrong with your lips.
Our product development executive, Nikita Kolhe says, "Contributing factors like lack of hydration, extreme sun exposure and different allergic reactions can lead to lip discolouration. People who habitually suck their lips or smoke also face the same problem. But few natural ingredients such as honey, rose oil and almond oil can heal the discoloured skin and bring back the naturally pink dewy lips."
Other reasons behind sudden discolouration are listed below:
1. Blood clots due to any injury
2. Low blood sugar
3. Frostbite
4. Vitamin deficiency
5. Addison’s disease
6. Certain medications such as cytotoxic drugs
7. Pregnancy
How To Make Your Lips Naturally Pink?
1. Use A Sugar Scrub
Scrub the lip skin with a mixture of one teaspoon each of almond oil and honey and two teaspoons of sugar. Scrub gently as the skin on your lips is quite sensitive. The almond oil and honey will give your lips moisture even as the sugar removes the dead skin. Regular usage of this scrub can give you pink lips permanently.
2. Use Beetroot
Grate a small, peeled beetroot and extract its juice. Dab it on your lips using your fingertips and leave it on for 15 minutes. Wash it off later. You can repeat this twice a week to see quicker results. The natural burgundy pigment in beetroot helps in making your lips softer and pink.
3. Use Aloe Vera And Honey
Take one tablespoon of freshly extracted aloe vera gel from a plant and mix it with honey. Apply it on your lips. Leave it for 15 minutes and wash it with water to see instant results. Both aloe Vera and honey add hydration to your lips, thus making it soft and pink.
4. Exfoliate Regularly
All you need to do is wet a napkin or a toothbrush and gently rub your lips with it in gentle movements. This removes dead skin and the dry outer layer of the lips, while also improving blood circulation. At night, always apply coconut oil or a natural lip balm for soft pink lips.
5. Use Sunscreen
A study [1] found that 37% of people who use sunscreen the right way also use it to protect their lips. Opt for a lip balm that has SPF 15 or more. It needs to be applied daily and refreshed frequently. This prevents damage from the sun’s rays.
6. Moisturise Regularly
Keeping your lips moist at all times is a sure shot way to ensure they remain pink. Use aloe vera gel directly from the plant or buy a pure bottled version to soothe and hydrate dry lips.
7. Hydrate Internally
Drinking more water to stay hydrated will prevent dry and chapped skin. It will also keep your lips looking plump and moist, while also keeping discoloration of lips at bay.
8. Essential/Vitamin E Oil
You can take a capsule of Vitamin E [2] and break it open. Apply it directly onto your lips to make them soft and pink. It is a proven aid in regenerating skin cells, boosting circulation and preventing fine lines.
When you choose your lip balm, make sure they have essential oils as ingredients. They would contain natural emollients that can make your lips pink by keeping them moisturised.
9. Go Natural & Avoid Chemicals
If you want pink lips naturally and yours are slightly darker or paler, let go of chemical-laden lipsticks. You can use pomegranate, beetroot or raspberry juice. Dab a little on your lips for a lovely pink hue for a few hours. Plus, they don't make your lips go dry the way long-stay lipsticks do.
10. Prime Your Lips
Before you apply lipstick, it is always a good idea to lightly brush your lips with almond or coconut oil. Wait for a few minutes and then apply lipstick. You can also use lip balm instead. This acts as a protective layer, keeping the lips moisturised and preventing them from drying out due to the lipstick.
What Should You Avoid If You Want Pink Lips?
- Avoid products with a lot of chemicals, especially long-stay lipsticks. Opt for those with natural ingredients. There are several organic options in the market these days. Choose a lip balm too that is made without chemicals.
- Always make it a point to remove make-up before you sleep. Lipstick and gloss must be washed off completely. You can even apply a natural lip balm or oil to moisturise your lips before sleeping.
- To ensure nutrients in your blood reach your lips, you can mix peppermint oil with coconut or almond oil and apply it on them. This improves blood circulation and also keeps lips moisturised.
- Don’t smoke. One of the side effects of smoking is darkening of the lips. Besides, when you pucker up your lips to inhale, you are putting your skin at risk of premature wrinkles and lines around your lips [3]. The smoke can also make your skin age prematurely.
What Should You Eat To Get Pink Lips?
1. Tomato
Tomatoes contain selenium [4], which protects your lips from sun damage. Consume it in raw form as a salad, or you can even mash a little and apply it to your lips if you have been out in the sun for long.
2. Coconut
Whether you drink coconut water, apply coconut oil on your face and lips, eat the white flesh as is, or add to your steamed vegetables or curries -- it will help keep your skin and lips supple and moist. For best results, dab a little on your lips before you sleep.
3. Walnut
Walnuts are a rich source of omega 3 fatty acids, which can maintain the elasticity of your skin because they enhance the production of collagen. Eat them regularly for younger looking skin. You can even make a scrub to slough dead skin off your lips and keep them pink.
4. Curd/Yoghurt
Dairy products like curds and yoghurt contain a protein that keeps the skin firm, preventing the onset of wrinkles. You can eat it as dahi with your meal, blend into a smoothie or use it as a salad dressing. Applying yoghurt on your lips can also prevent pigmentation.
5. Green Tea
With all its other health benefits, green tea is good for your lips too. It contains polyphenols [5], which are antioxidants that prevent sun damage and ageing. You can even use green tea face packs to remove a tan or pigmentation. Rubbing a bag of green tea can also cure dry, chapped lips.
6. Honey
A natural moisturiser, eating a spoonful of honey, applying it on your lips overnight will make your lips pink. Honey contains magnesium and antioxidants that prevent the lips from getting discoloured.
7. Aloe Vera -H3
Aloe vera contains aloesin [6], a flavonoid that is proven to control pigmentation, which in turn keeps your lips pink. You can drink the juice of the aloe vera plant or apply the gel as a moisturiser for your lips.
8. Lemon
If you drink lemon juice with warm water and honey, it detoxes your body giving the skin of your lips a healthy glow. Since it also has bleaching properties, you can apply the juice on your lips or mix with sugar to use it as a scrub.
9. Watermelon
Eating watermelon in summer helps the skin stay hydrated due to its very high water content. Watermelon being 97% water, helps the hydration reach all the cells of your body, thereby giving you moist and pink lips.
10. Beetroot
If you don’t have diabetes, you should eat this vegetable regularly. It has minerals and vitamins that provide your skin with multiple benefits. It prevents ageing and discolouration, lightens your lip skin and keeps it moisturised. Rub a slice on your lips for a natural pink hue.
11. Berries
Consuming strawberries or blueberries can give the skin of your lips the Vitamin C and antioxidants they need. You can even blend a strawberry with olive oil and honey, and scrub the lips with it. It will help your lips get the moisture and the colour.
Are Pink Lips Healthy?
Yes. If your lips are pink, it means that your body and mind are in balance and you are in the ‘pink’ of health. It also implies that the diet you are following and your fitness routine are right for your body and age.
Why Do Lips Turn So Pink All Of A Sudden?
The layer of the skin that is waterproof is known as the stratum corneum [7]. It is very thin on the lips. Hence, the blood vessels, which are present in larger numbers within the lips, are more visible. This makes your lips look pink.
The skin on the lips has a minimum of three and a maximum of five [8] layers of cells, while the skin elsewhere on your body has more than five layers. The tissue of the lips is therefore thinner and the colour from the blood vessels is visible in the lips.
If your lips change colour suddenly and appear more pink than usual, it could imply that there is an allergy or an infection. Usually, lips go pale, or dark depending on the underlying cause.
If you are light skinned, your lips too will be lighter than normal. The blood vessels will be more visible in this case.
Word Of Caution:
The skin of the lips doesn’t contain melanin, the pigment that gives you a tan when you are out in the sun. So if your lips change colour or go dark, the underlying cause needs to be examined.
If a lip balm contains camphor, you should avoid using it especially if you have dry skin. This is because camphor can make the skin of your lips go dry.
Wrapping Up
It is possible to have pink lips permanently with a few corrective measures. All you have to do is use the right moisturizing DIYs, eat antioxidant rich foods and avoid chemical-based lip balms and lipsticks as far as possible. So, all ready for pink lips?
1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15762210/
2. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/health-disease/skin-health/vitamin-E
3. https://dermnetnz.org/topics/smoking-and-its-effects-on-the-skin
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4428712/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2835915/
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18377621/
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