PSA: Your Lips Need An Anti-Aging Routine, Too.

Skincare has become a booming industry over the last few years. Many people have developed extensive routines with specialized products meant to address any and every possible skincare need. But retaining youth is one of the main concerns people want their products to focus on. Anti-aging products mainly address skin elasticity, keeping skin plump, and reducing the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

Influencers and experts have shared their tips and advice for maintaining youthful-looking skin. Choosing the right products is important, but so is focusing on the right area. You may already be smoothing your anti-aging skincare into your neck and the back of your hands, but there's one more area you may be neglecting: your lips. This is a delicate area that can be an early indicator of aging. The skin around the lips often loses volume, and thin skin is more susceptible to wrinkles.

But don't worry, if you already have a staple lip balm, there's no reason to give it up. But if you want to focus on your lips' youthfulness, there are a few skincare ingredients and products you can add to your routine.

Keeping your go-to lip balm close by to keep lips hydrated is a great skincare practice. But the ingredients in the lip balm should be beneficial and anti-aging. Hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid can help prevent lips from drying and cracking; and ceramides, peptides, and coconut oil also help to maintain moisture and smooth the lips. Retinol derivatives in a lip balm can tackle fine lines and wrinkles as well as increase collagen, giving the appearance of plump lips without requiring injections.

Beyond a balm, ensuring you regularly and properly exfoliate your lips will also keep them healthy. Exfoliating sloughs off the top layer of skin. Once it's gone, the skin on your lips underneath will be smoother and softer, especially when followed up with a hydrating balm or lip oil. Exfoliating once or twice a week is ideal; start with once a week and work up to twice to avoid over-exfoliating the delicate skin. 

You can make DIY lip scrubs with household ingredients like brown sugar, cinnamon, honey, and olive oil, or purchase one from your favorite skincare brand. Follow up exfoliating with lip masks and overnight treatments. These deliver deep hydration and plumping ingredients for younger-looking lips.

Give the skin around your lips attention in your skincare routine as well. As stated, the skin around the mouth is very delicate, which allows for fine lines and wrinkles to set in easily. Starting anti-aging routines early is the best thing you can do. But there are plenty of products and procedures that can address any current signs of aging you may have.

Serums and creams that have ingredients like peptides and retinol help to prevent lines from setting in and can also boost collagen production that keeps skin plump and youthful. Use ingredients that penetrate to deliver deep hydration, and to prevent dry, flaky skin, which can more easily crease. Vitamin C is an especially good ingredient to have in either a serum or a cream. This antioxidant is ideal for preventing early signs of aging, lightening dark spots, and preventing sun damage.

Take your skincare a step further and try in-office treatments at a dermatologist's office. Microneedling and microneedling with radiofrequency can help smooth out fine lines and boost collagen. Chemical peels help remove the top layers of skin, revealing younger, smoother skin over time. More aggressive procedures like dermabrasion and resurfacing can smooth out deep-set wrinkles, though the recovery time is much longer than with other treatments.