Just like a bad haircut, flaky or dark lips can make or break your look. They’re seemingly obvious and can’t be concealed, no matter how hard you try; 20 dollar lipsticks, store-bought lip balms, you can try them all but eventually the real deal will give way. There could be many reasons why your lips could transition to being dull and dark: too much caffeine, UV rays, unexpected allergies, smoking, caffeine and hormonal imbalances. Once you identify the lifestyle change, you can work on treating your lips, armed with a handful of kitchen ingredients and consistency. Every woman dreams of pink or ruby-red, healthy and plump lips and today we’re going to demonstrate how you can get those without having to spend large amounts of your hard-earned cash.
How to treat chapped lips
When you’ve got chapped, flaky and dry lips, your first instinct would be to grab your lip balm and rub it over your lips in one quick motion. Would we be wrong in saying that sometimes your lips might feel more dry after a few minutes? We may have found you an easier and more long-term solution that will also help you escape this viscous circle.
1. Shea butter, Vaseline, almond oil, coconut oil or cocoa butter are going to be your new best friends. Apply one of any of them through the day and you’ll find your lips to be much softer and healthier than before.
2. Aloe vera has always been pegged as one of India’s best beauty secrets and you know what, it’ll deliver. Apply some aloe vera gel twice a day and in a few days you’ll see your lips getting softer.
3. Vitamin E tablets can work as a great remedy and it doesn’t just help with lips but even your skin and hair in general. Vitamin E capsules are easily available in the market. All you need to do is break the capsules and use the liquid on your lips twice a day, for a few days till your lips are hydrated and in the pink of health.
4. Make your own balm – This might be easier said than done but if none of the store-bought balms suit you, it may be your best alternative. All you need is 2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil, half a tablespoon of shea butter, 1 tablespoon grated beeswax, 10 drops of vitamin E oil and 10 drops of an essential oil.
Method: Place the coconut oil, shea butter and bees wax in a glass dish or mason jar and microwave it for a few seconds till it melts completely. Now, let it cool. Then, mix in the remaining ingredients and let it set. 
Scrub, Scrub & Exfoliate: How to Lighten Dark Lips
Dark lips are something you cannot hide or conceal and once noticed are a real turn off.
1. Make a paste from turmeric powder and milk, leave it on for about two to three minutes and wash it off. Then, apply some lip balm and leave be.
2. Lemon juice is known for its bleaching properties and can work wonders on dark lips. So make a mix of lemon juice, sugar and scrub your lips every alternate day with this. Lemon juice is highly and if you apply too much of it, it can dry out your lips. If you feel that happening to you, then add some glycerin or honey to the mix.
3. Grab some rose water, honey and saffron (if possible). If you don’t have rose water you can take some rose petals, soak them in water for an hour and make a paste out of it. Then, add some honey to it and a few saffron threads. Apply this mix twice a day till your lips starts to regain colour.
How to Get Ruby Red Lips
Who doesn’t love red lips? And they look even better when they’re naturally red.
1. Increase your intake of red fruits like pomegranate, beetroot and carrots. They contain many essential vitamins and minerals and help increase blood circulation. You can also use beetroot paste or carrot pulp (which is the leftover part when you juice carrots) on your lips. It’ll help improve any dark spots or discolouration and make them look healthy and red. You can also take beetroot juice, mix it with lemon and sugar and exfoliate your lips with it.
2. Use naturally red fruits and rub them over your lips till some of the colour rubs off. Then, quickly apply some lip balm over it and there, that should do it.
3. Now that we’ve established that fruits are the best way to bring some colour to your lips, you can make your very own fruit-inspired lip balm. Mash some strawberries and mix it with petroleum jelly. Apply this a few times a day to get soft, red and luscious lips.
4. The ultimate exfoliator: Grab some beetroot and carrots, chop them up and throw them in a blender. Add some drops of water to this and puree till it’s a fine mix. Now, add 2 tablespoon of honey and 2 tablespoons of olive oil to it. Apply this once in the morning and then at night, leave it overnight.
[“source-ndtv”]
