The surprising lip plumping side effect of using cinnamon that women in their 40s are raving about

At last I hear you all shout. Spring is here, the birds are singing and the long, dark days of winter are a distant memory. As we all get out and about more there are some skincare or rather lip care tips we should all take notice of and a formula for a sugar, coconut oil and cinnamon lip plumping scrub.

Some surprising facts about lips

The skin on your lips is extremely thin. Lip skin only has 3 to 6 layers of cells where skin on the rest of our bodies have 16! It is for this reason that we need to take care of this delicate skin. It is this thinness that allows the blood vessels to show causing a pink or red hue. Along with this lip skin has more than one million nerve endings and are actually more sensitive than our fingers. Lip skin produces no oil or sweat. As a result we will never get pimples on our lips. However, the lack of oil production results in our lips becoming dry very easily. With all of this in mind it is no surprise to learn that lips need sunscreen. In fact lips need SPF more than our other skin so apply liberally when outdoors and especially when in the sun. Our last surprising fact is that our lips have a unique, identifiable pattern which does not change throughout the life of a person, much like our finger prints. Lip prints can even be used as evidence in the same way that finger prints can! 

Lip care

• Always use a lip specific sun screen especially when in sunny weather
• Use a gentle exfoliator to scrub away dead and dry skin from your lips. A dry toothbrush is a method favoured by some. I find this too harsh and use a home made lip scrub (formulation below)
• In all weather but especially in cold and windy weather use a good lip balm. If you apply SPF allow this to dry first before applying balm
• Resist the urge to pick at chapped lips. This will only harm your delicate lip skin further. Use a scrub if your lips aren't badly chapped and very sore. Otherwise apply balm to soften the chapped skin. Continued balm use will soften any dry patches allowing them to fall away naturally.
• Drink plenty of water to keep hydrated. Dehydration will show on your lips first. 

Super easy DIY lip plumping scrub

For beautifully soft lips it is recommended to use a scrub every so often especially if you suffer from a dreaded bout of dry, flaky lips. This super easy DIY is formulated using ingredients that you probably have in your kitchen already and if you don't they are all readily available from your local shop plus because every ingredient is natural and edible you will know exactly what is going in to your product.

But why cinnamon?

Cinnamon works to irritate the blood vessels in the lips to a very tiny degree. This will cause a slight plumping effect as the cinnamon causes blood to rush towards the surface. The effect is temporary and don't expect to look like Angelina Jolie. However a slight pink hue and plumping effect will be noticed. If you have any intolerance to cinnamon obviously this isn't recommended and you can forego the cinnamon in the formulation below. 

Warning!

Apparently there is a viral tik tok trend of applying cinnamon essential oil directly to lips to gain a plumping effect. Under no circumstances should any essential oil be applied neat to any part of the body let alone the sensitive skin on the lips. The formulation below uses ground cinnamon which you would have on your spice shelf. It is safe once you don't have an intolerance to it.

Ingredients

1 tbsp of coconut oil

1 tbsp of sugar ( I use muscovado sugar as I love its caramel smell and taste. Plus it is less refined than other sugars)

1 tbsp of ground cinnamon

Method

In a clean bowl mix all of the ingredients until a soft paste forms. If your coconut oil is very hard you can warm it a little by putting the bowl into a slightly larger bowl of hot water. The hot water around the smaller bowl will soften the coconut oil enough to allow you to mix it a bit easier. Pop your finished product into a jar or tin. Make in small batches and use liberally. This scrub, if made commercially would have vitamin e (tocopherol) added as an antioxidant. If you have vitamin e capsules you could add the contents of one of these but if you make a small batch it will be okay without. 

Now to apply

To use your new amazing scrub take a small amount and gently apply to your lips and scrub in circular motions. Leave on for 5 to 10 minutes like a lip mask to allow the cinnamon to work. Your lips may tingle but anything other than a tingle would warrant removing the scrub. You may also want to apply over a sink in case of mess!

After a few minutes wipe away gently and apply your favourite lip balm.

Our favourite Lip Balm

Keegan & Co's wonderful nourishing coconut lip + cheek tint is the perfect product to apply after your tasty lip scrub. Using natural oils and butters combined with pink mica and beetroot our lip balm nourishes and adds a beautiful pink shimmer to your lips and cheeks. The perfect balm to add to your lip care routine! Plus because it is multi-functional you can dab a small amount on your cheeks to give a pink, shiny tint.

Nourishing Coconut Lip + Cheek Tint: €6 (10 g lasts 6 to 12 months)

Let us know if you try this formulation for a natural and effective lip scrub. Leave a comment or share an image to our Instagram of Facebook accounts.