Lip Sunscreen: Why Is It Important to Use It?

The skin on the lips is very sensitive. It needs protection from environmental conditions and UV radiation.

Reviewed and approved by the nurse Leidy Mora Molina.

Written by Luz Marina Carpio Hernández

Last update: 05 May, 2023

Taking care of the lips from the damage caused by UVB/UVA rays is perhaps one of the most neglected actions in the facial routine. Believing that this precaution is only for going to the beach is another mistake. Even if the day looks cloudy, lip sunscreen is for daily use; don’t stop using it for any reason.

Just as you take care of the skin of the rest of the body from the sun, cold, and pollution, it’s important to include the lips in the ritual. It’s a delicate area that demands special cosmetics.

Balms require a sun protection factor (SPF) with an appropriate spectrum to withstand high temperatures, wind, light and other weather conditions to which the face is exposed. As recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the application of sunscreen is regular, as it protects against the sun’s two types of ultraviolet radiation.

What is lip sunscreen?

Lip sunscreen protects the skin from environmental aggressions. It achieves its purpose by covering the area with a layer that contains vitamins and nutrients, ideal for moisturizing and beautifying.

The product is basic for everyday use. To ignore it is to give rise to cracks, flaking and chapped lips.

A publication from Clínica Alemana states that such conditions could disappear with simple care, such as moisturizing. Allowing them to advance would bring consequences that require intense treatment.

Also, whenever you use sunscreen on your lips, you halt signs of premature aging. It’s the same as with body skin: exposure to the sun without filters leads to stains, wrinkles, and burns on the lips.

In stick or lotion form, make sure you always have a protective cosmetic on hand against radiation. This is the only way to reduce the aggression of the weather against the skin.

Benefits of using lip sunscreen

It’s clear that the main purpose of lip sunscreens is to protect lips from radiation. Don’t confuse highlighter glosses with sunscreen sticks, as the former will only add color. Without the extra protection, the condition of the lips may worsen.

To make sure that it’s really a protector, check that the label specifies the SPF, and it should preferably be higher than 15. Only with the right product will you get antioxidant, repairing and anti-inflammatory benefits.

They prevent dryness

The cosmetic composition of lip protectors provides nutrition, elasticity and hydration. This reduces tightness and works as a preventive remedy for those with allergies.

They protect against external aggression

The Barcelona College of Pharmacists explains that lips don’t have sweat glands and have very few sebaceous glands, so external agents attack them more easily. Applying balm with SPF shields the outside of the mouth from extreme cold and wind – two specific factors that trigger cracking.

They improve your appearance

It’s true that makeup hides imperfections, such as dry lips. But this condition is preventable with the regular use of lip balm. So, if you decide not to wear makeup, your lips will look soft and smooth.

Soothing properties

Patients with dermatological conditions, such as rashes or cold sores, need to look after the lesions so that the sun doesn’t make them worse. Lip filters soothe the discomfort or burning resulting from both diagnoses.

Recommended ingredients in a good lip sunscreen

The main components of a lip sunscreen are moisturizers and emollients. Among those that moisturize are hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and aloe vera. To moisturize, petrolatum or petroleum jelly, butters, and coconut oil are considered.

If they don’t have these substances, then moisture will evaporate from the lips and they’ll end up drier. Look for cosmetics with formulations rich in mineral oils and with some of the following ingredients:

• Cocoa butter: This provides vitamins A, C and E. It resists contact with water for more than one hour, guarantees intense hydration, and is an antioxidant.
• Apricot kernel oil: This is a maximum-potency moisturizer. It contains vitamin E, nourishes, and contributes to the prevention of lip skin aging.
• Calendula: This is a plant that’s advantageous for soothing sensitive dermis. It also soothes and moisturizes. Combined with wheat germ oil, it provides a better response.
• Shorea butter: This helps reduce water loss. Formulas containing it are less dense. The resin of this plant is soothing, antioxidant, and relieves irritation.

Avoid sunscreens with menthol, camphor or phenol.

Consequences of not using lip sunscreen

If you don’t use lip sunscreen, then the lips are unprotected from agents that damage their condition and luminosity, always having to resort to camouflage with makeup.

In addition, an article published by the National Library of Medicine of the United States highlights the use of the protector in favor of lip health. It goes without saying that carelessness with sun exposure increases the risk of developing lip cancer.