How to Exfoliate Lips

In this lip exfoliation guide, we’ll provide methods to exfoliate while also minimizing the potential for irritation, which trends to bypass, how often you should exfoliate, and our most supportive lip care.

The skin on your lips is much thinner than the rest of your body. It also has no oil glands. This makes it more fragile and prone to water loss, sometimes causing the skin to feel dry or flaky.

Exfoliation can help. It works to smooth out rough patches and prep the lips for ingredient penetration from other products. With proper exfoliation, lips can feel softer and smoother. 

Although exfoliation is a powerful maintenance step for healthy-looking lip skin, overexfoliation can sometimes disrupt the skin barrier instead of supporting it, leading to further irritation and dryness.

Since your lip skin is delicate, try to exfoliate as gently as possible. We recommend using a gentle chemical exfoliant, like polyhydroxy acids (PHAs).

Chemical exfoliants work by breaking the bonds that hold cells together, helping to shed old skin and reveal fresh skin beneath. PHAs have a larger molecular size than other chemical exfoliants, which means they are less likely to penetrate as deeply. This offers a gentler approach for delicate lip skin.

By incorporating a chemical exfoliant into your lip care regimen, you can minimise the potential for irritation while experiencing the benefits exfoliation provides.

It can be difficult to sift through all the lip care advice out there, and even harder to know which trends to adopt and which to ignore. 

Our lab generally recommends avoiding harsh methods that can damage the skin barrier. Trends like toothbrushes, lemon juice, and baking soda can all cause more harm than good, and certain ingredients like menthol, mint, and essential oils may not be suitable for everyone.

One trend that can be effective is the lip basting method. It suggests using a chemical exfoliant, followed by a deeply moisturizing layer to hydrate and support the lipid barrier. However, some chemical exfoliants, like glycolic acid, might be too strong for the delicate skin of the lips. Consider choosing a gentler acid to avoid overexfoliation. If you’re experiencing dryness or discomfort, give your lips time to recover before exfoliating again.

We recommend exfoliating lips1 to 3 times a week. The final number depends on your lip condition and environment. For example, if it’s winter and the air is drier, you might consider exfoliating 1 time per week instead of 2.

Remember: more is not better. If your lips are already dry or irritated, exfoliating can sometimes make it worse. And since lips are more prone to sensitivity, they often need less exfoliation than the skin on your face. Let your lips do the talking and adjust your lip exfoliation routine accordingly.

We recommend following exfoliation with a hydrating and sealing product, like our Squalane + Amino Acids Lip Balm. Since it’s formulated with Squalane, a well-loved hydrating ingredient, it provides immediate and long-lasting hydration to the lips while supporting the skin barrier. This helps promote softer, more nourished, and moisturized lips, making it an ideal post-exfoliation balm.

O. Tip:Squalane + Amino Acids Lip Balm can also be used as an overnight lip mask, to soften your cuticles, or to nourish other areas of your body prone to dryness, like your elbows.

Lip exfoliation is beneficial, but knowing how to exfoliate lips is key. Opt for gentle methods and ingredients that minimize the potential for irritation. Hydrate your lips afterward with a nourishing balm. Most importantly, try not to overexfoliate. If you’re exfoliating more than 3 times a week, you might be overdoing it.