Help for dry lips

Canadian winters wreak havoc on my lips.

On occassion I scrub my lips lightly with a mix of brown sugar and honey to exfoliate them. Sometimes I also slather on lip balm and then brush my lips lightly with my toothbrush.  Don't scrub too vigorously or you may get small irritation bumps around your lips.

I wouldn't suggest medicated lip balms.  They seem soothing at first but just seem to enhance the dryness causing you to apply more and more. 

This is not for everyone but I also use lanolin.  Lanolin is used in a lot of ointments and hair/skincare products, it is my understanding that lanolin contains sheep fat. It is very very thick and yellowish in color and has a distinct odor.  I wouldn't say that it is smelly and you cannot smell it when it is on your lips, it kind of smells like crayon wax.  If you are interested a pharmacist will sell you a large jar of it.  Mine cost 17 dollars and was purchased probably about 5 years ago.  You don't need much so after 5 years my jar is still half full.  You can also put it on very dry elbows and knees as well as feet.  After I give my feet a scrub I slather them in lanolin and then put on socks.

In terms of lip balms Burts Bees chap sticks in the tube seem to be working for me, I especially love the pomegranate kind, however I'm not to keen on the lemon-lime kind in the jar.

Lastly if you are really in a bind and you have no lip balm available rub the natural skin oil that forms on your nose on your lips.  I've done it before...when no one was watching ;-) It works.

Dealing with dry and discoloured elbows and knees

Excessive dryness can cause the skin on elbows and knees to become discloured, dry and cracked.  To combat this try using lemon juice.  You can use freshly squeezed lemon or do as I do and use Real Lemon from the bottle.  Put it on a cotton pad and rub it on the elbows and knees.  Do not rinse it off.

Also be sure to keep elbows and knees well moisturized.  Aveeno  skin lotion and Cetaphil Moisturizing cream or lotion work well for me.  Both can be found in your local drug store, however you will get more for your money if you purchase them at Costco.  Walmart also has its own brand of Aveeno which costs less, I have not tried it though.

If your elbows and knees are extremely dry and are starting to darken you may want to consult your pharmacist or doctor, it could be eczema and you probably will need more than lemon or skin lotion to help clear it up.

When applying hand lotion I always do my elbows as well whether they look dry or not.