The Grooming Manual

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How to Treat Sunburned Lips

Man holding surfboard while applying lip balm

Can your lips get sunburned? Bad news - yes they can. Just like the rest of your skin, your lips are susceptible to the sun’s UVA and UVB rays. Too much exposure and you’re in for a nasty pair of sunburned lips.

The sunny summer months are already hard on your skin. Stepping up your men’s grooming game for the season is critical.

You know that prevention is key too. Sunburns - and nasty sun poisoning - are no fun. Imagine the pain, discomfort, and generally miserable experience of a sunburn on your lips. It sucks.

How do you get sunburn on your lips in the first place? How can you prevent it from happening? And - if it’s too late - how to heal sunburned lips?



What do Sunburned Lips Look Like?

Overexposure to the sun’s UVA and UVB rays causes skin damage called sunburn. Skin pigmentation works a lot like natural sun protection. The lighter your skin, the more at risk you are. Gingers, look out - the sun is out to get you.

A mild sunburn will turn your skin pink and cause irritation. A more aggressive burn can cause sunburned lips, blisters and damage to your facial areas. This is what you want to do to avoid lip sunburn.

Don’t forget - a cloudy day does not mean you are safe from a burn. Up to 80% of UV rays can pass through cloud cover.


What to Use for Sunburned Lips?

Possibly the best thing for sunburned lips to ever be created, our Organic Lip Balm is exactly what your delicate tissues need to heal. It's formulated with a natural but hard-working blend of ingredients - including irritation miracle workers beeswax, aloe Vera, olive oil, and Vitamin E. Apply the matte, no-shine balm regularly to deep treat dry and cracked surfaces with moisture that lasts. Our lip balm doesn't just help treat sunburned lips, though. It can also help prevent lip sunburn altogether with broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection. SPF 15 is the highest SPF you'll find in a lip balm, making it the perfect companion for any outdoor activity. Plus, the minty tingle will leave your lips feeling cool and refreshed.


How to Heal Sunburned Lips

Wearing sunscreen whenever you will be outside is the best way to prevent sun damage on lips. It’s easy and cheap. There are no excuses for not applying sunblock… other than laziness. Hopefully, you’re already doing a good job protecting your skin from burns.

Already using face wash for men and taking skincare for men seriously? Why would you turn around and ignore this clear and present danger for your skin?

Now it’s time to upgrade your protection to your lips too. Nobody wants to see cracked, sunburnt lips. That's no way to get attention or admiration from present or potential significant others.

Get serious about skin prevention. Use lip balm for men that includes SPF protection - go with SPF 15 or higher.

Don’t forget to reapply. This is a common mistake that lots of guys make. You’re outside working, playing ball, or relaxing at the beach. You’ve gotten sweaty or been in the water. And you forget to reapply your sunscreen and lip balm for men.

Big mistake.

Sunscreen and lip protection should be reapplied every 2-3 hours to get the best results. If you’ve worked up a sweat or have been swimming, reapply as soon as you’ve dried off. Even sweat-proof and waterproof sunblock should be reapplied. Better safe than sorry.


How to Treat Sunburn Lips

Too late? Already suffering from sunburned lips? Use these tips to ease the pain of lips sunburn and accelerate the recovery process:

  • Stay out of the sun. It’s already damaged your skin - don’t let things get any worse. Limit sun exposure to the absolute minimum possible. If you must be outside, use a hat to keep your face out of the direct sunlight.
  • Drink plenty of water. A sunburn dries out your skin. Stay hydrated to help your body recover faster.
  • Don’t mess with blisters. One of the telltale signs of sunburn on lips is blisters. Resist the urge to push or pop them - that will only make matters worse.
  • Apply petroleum jelly. This will protect your lips and keep them moisturized. Just a little does it.
  • See your dermatologist. If your lips don't improve after a couple days, make an appointment with your dermatologist. They can address any serious problems and help prevent a sunburn from becoming a major issue.

Sunburned lips blisters and cracks are nobody's best friend. Even after taking preventative measures, you may still find yourself struggling to heal that tender skin. If that's the case, we recommend adding a few extra best practices to your regimen:


Cold Compresses

Treating sunburned lips with cold compresses can help bring inflammation down and keep your discomfort to a minimum.


Avoid Lipsticks and Glosses

While natural products like our organic balm might help, it's best to avoid applying other potentially-irritating products to your lips.


OTC Hydrocortisone

Over-the-counter (OTC) hydrocortisone cream is designed to reduce inflammation where applied.


Aloe Vera Gel

Aloe vera gel can help soothe sunburned skin, though it's important to make sure the gel you're using doesn't contain any added fragrances that could be irritating to your lips.


NSAIDs

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or naproxen may be beneficial in reducing pain and swelling.


Combine with These Products to Further Protect You from Sunburn

So, can your lips get sunburnt? Yes. But does that mean they should? Absolutely not. You're in no way defenseless against the harmful rays of the sun - there are plenty of products out there specifically intended to help prevent lip sunburn.

We have suggestions for what to use on sunburned lips, or as a mitigation measure to stop them from happening altogether, below.


Vitamin C Booster

Enriched with all of the good stuff, Vitamin C Booster will support your body's tissue repair process to get that sunburn resolved faster.


Face Moisturizer with SPF 45

Although it's suitable for use on any area of the face, our Face Moisturizer with SPF 45 is particularly helpful when it comes to both preventing and treating sunburn on lips.


Face Moisturizer with SPF 20

A zinc-based, broad-spectrum formula, Face Moisturizer with SPF 20 is effective by design. Its oil-free blend of ingredients will soak deep into your lips to leave no white marks behind and deliver a comprehensive level of protection against the sun.


Education can also be a powerful measure against sunburned lips. We highly recommend learning everything about sun protection you can to find the best strategies for your lifestyle.


Protect Your Skin

Skincare for men is about looking your best. Preventing skin problems - such as sunburn on lips, or age spots of face - should be a major part of your men’s grooming goals.

Be smart about using sunscreen. Keep lip balm for men with SPF 15 on you at all times and apply often. You will stay healthy, look your best, and prevent a bad sun burn on your lips.

Cracked sunburnt lips suck, but they don't have to last forever. Brickell's All-In-One Routine is your best bet for healing this damaged tissue and putting its days of dryness in the past. With 28 of our most powerful products – including face wash, moisturizer, and toner – our kit has everything one could possibly need to achieve long-lasting, healthy skin. Best of all, everything's formulated with natural ingredients that work to heal and restore your body the right way.

Title Tag How to Treat Sunburned Lips Meta Description Can your lips get sunburned? Yes! Here's how to treat sunburned lips. Expert advice for quick relief and recovery. Complete guide to easy sunburned lip care.
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