Lately, I have realised that I have been missing something from my beauty routine; lip care.

Short of occasionally dipping into some lip balm, I do very little to look after my lips. However, everyone should pay special attention to this area. The skin in the lips is very fine and fragile, making it susceptible to ageing and dryness. When lips age they become thinner and can dramatically alter the look of the entire face.

By taking care of our puckers we can hold back the ageing process a little bit, as well as look good now. A healthy lip should be pink, smooth, soft and plump.

Achieving this is much like looking after the skin on your face, albeit with gentler products. Every night, make sure that your lips are cleansed, exfoliated and moisturised.

Cleanse – Use a gentle and specific makeup remover to make sure that the lip is clean from lipstick, primers and lip gloss. If you do not wear lip products then you can skip this part. I like Sesha Make-up Remover as it is specially formulated for delicate areas. Removing the day’s cosmetics will allow the skin cells on the lips to regenerate properly and prevent dryness.

Exfoliate – There are two ways you can go about exfoliating the lips. The most popular method is to use a baby toothbrush on the lips, massaging it across the fragile skin in circular motions. I prefer to use a warm, wet muslin cloth. Simply run the cloth under warm water, ring it out and very gently rub the cloth across the lips in small motions. Exfoliating the lips prevents the build up of dead skin cells and, in time, makes dry chapped lips soft and smooth.

Moisturise – It is essential to moisturise the lips as they cannot produce their own moisture through sebum, like the rest of the skin. Apply lip balm throughout the day and always remember to apply a larger amount before bed time. The product will sink in over night, leaving you with hydrated lips in the morning. In addition, don’t let them get parched from the inside. Remember to drink plenty of water for optimum skin health.