While skin conditions like acne or eczema affect the minority, not the majority, of the population, there is one ailment that we all must deal with: chapped lips. Dry, flaky lips can be caused by dry weather, air travel, too much sun exposure, or a cold, and no one is exempt from the annoying condition.

Regardless of the cause of a case of chapped lips, the treatment has generally been the same for years. Those afflicted reach for lip balm in either a tube or stick, reapplying to try and protect the area until it heals. These traditional conditioning lip products contain wax or petrolatum to create a physical barrier on the lips. This barrier stops moisture from leaving the skin, allowing it to heal and hydrate itself over time.

Chapped lips often have patches of dry, dead skin, and applying layers of lip balm on top of these flaky patches has an unappealing visual effect, and that layer of dead skin is another barrier that blocks healthy, hydrated skin from revealing itself.

To speed lip healing and to improve the appearance of chapped lips, exfoliation is key.

Lip Care

Exfoliation is an important step in any skincare regimen. As skin ages and is impacted by environmental stressors and toxins, its turnover rate slows down, and it needs assistance to remove dead skin cells and reveal healthier, hydrated skin underneath. On thicker skin, such as on the legs, manual scrubs such as sugar scrubs are an ideal product to facilitate physical exfoliation. However, lip skin is thinner and more delicate than leg skin, and requires a more refined approach to exfoliation.

In our Liquid Skincare Library, we feature natural vegan lip products, including a Lip Balm and a Lip Scrub. The Lip Balm creates a hydrating barrier on the lips, and the Lip Scrub incorporates the same hydrating base with the addition of sugar. Sugar is a great natural physical exfoliator, and it dissolves away as it is massaged into the skin. Most lip scrubs on the market use sugar as the primary exfoliator.

However, the rise of the “Skintellectual” consumer (skincare users active on social media who become highly educated on skincare formulations, active ingredients, and more technical aspects of skincare) inspired our Innovation Team to take the idea of an exfoliating lip product into 2019 with a chemical exfoliant instead of a physical one.

Lip Peel

Our Lip Peel features encapsulated Microsponge®, a natural microparticle with 25% by weight of glycolic acid. This state allows for a stable, sustained release of glycolic acid to minimize irritation. Glycolic acid helps to exfoliate the skin, removing the outer layer of dead skin cells and bringing new skin to the surface. The base of this formula is our hydrating Lip Balm, which features a blend of shea butter, jojoba and coconut oil, and candelilla wax. Many lip balms include beeswax and/or petroleum and its derivatives, which are ingredients that we avoid in our formulations when we can. To use, apply a pea-size amount to lips, massaging to burst the beads. Leave on overnight, or wear as a mask for 20 minutes to improve skin texture. To learn more about this and our other lip care products, please contact our Sales team.

Update: This product concept is no longer an active part of the Twincraft Skincare Product Concept Library. While we do not currently stock samples or have sell sheets available for it, it can still serve as a starting point for your brand’s future product development with us. Please contact our Sales Team to learn more about our current capabilities and featured product innovations.