Lip Scrubs
6/12/13

Until about a year ago, I thought I was taking pretty darn good care of my lips. I always make sure that I have SPF on my lips when outdoors, and liberally apply good lip balm at night, well outside my lip line. I've gradually increased the quality of my balms from Dr. Hauschka, to La Mer, to Baume de Rose (which already contains SPF). I began to notice products at stores like Nordstrom specifically designed to exfoliate and "treat" the lips. To be honest, I chalked it up as yet another marketing ploy designed to empty my wallet. But after more thought and product research, it made sense. I spend considerable time exfoliating and treating my face and body, so why not my lips? Lips certainly show signs of aging in various, unflattering ways. Clearly I needed to get on this. 

I checked out products online at every price point, from Macy's to Bergdorfs. Prices ranged from reasonable to ridiculous. If you're like me and in your 30's or early 40's and don't have visible signs of aging, the only products you need bother with are lip scrub and decent lip balm. There aren't a lot of products dedicated to lip exfoliation which made finding the best product rather simple. First there's Bliss, which I immediately passed up because I didn't like the texture. It's creamy and has walnut bits in it which I suppose are meant to exfoliate? Too weird. 

(click photo to enlarge)

Then I saw that Fresh makes a Lip Polish and got all excited. I really like the brand, and use several fresh products. Like all of their best-selling exfoliating products, the Lip Polish utilizes brown sugar crystals to buff away dead skin, and a combination of Shea butter and jojoba oil to provide moisture to freshly polished lips. I use this 3-4 nights a week as the first step in my nightly regimen. I put a tiny amount of the dense yet gentle polish on my index finger and gently rub all over my lips and the surrounding area, particularly above my upper lip. Then I simply wipe the polish off with a warm washcloth. After I complete my nightly skincare regimen, I immediately apply my lip balm to take advantage of my freshly exfoliated lips. I really dig this product, and imagine the jar will last about six months. 

I also tried Sara Happ's 'The Lip Scrub,' which is available in an odd number of flavors and colors. The jar itself is twice the size and a mere $1.50 more than the Fresh product. I purchased the Blood Orange "flavor" and tried it out. I instantly disliked it. The texture is super chunky and application is messy. Even the plastic jar and crafty label feels cheap. Chunks of the lip scrub flew on my chin, in the sink, and I seemed to need about 5x as much product to get some actually ON my lips for more than a second. The instructions also indicate using a generous amount. I'd guess this jar would last 3 months at best. Oh, and I understand the flavors now, because it's seemingly impossible to use this product without much of it ending up in your mouth. The instructions also mention wiping away with a tissue. I used a soaked washcloth and splashed water on my face. The container above on the left is after a mere four uses. I've used the Fresh Lip Polish on the bottom right a couple dozen times. Fail. 

There are quite a few other products targeted at women who already have more advanced signs of aging and are past the preventative stage. They can get quite pricey, like ReVive Perioral Renewal Cream Targeted Line Repair for $115. Others went up to $150 (Sisley). These treatments are intended to help women with set-in vertical wrinkles and aging skin around the immediate lip area. May we never reach this point, ladies. Prevention!

My verdict? Fresh Sugar Lip Polish is a winner. It's exfoliating, moisturizing, and prevents those scary mouth and lip wrinkles. It's easy and it works. I should also mention that my lipsticks have never looked better. Smooth lips and no bleeding. Sweet!

- Fresh Sugar Lip Polish is $22.50 for a 0.6 oz. jar
- Sara Happ 'The Lip Scrub' is $24 for a 1 oz. jar

Both available at Nordstrom.