Winter season is yet to say goodbye, and we are still dealing with chapped lips. Yes, there’s a plethora of lip balms to choose from and you probably have a stack of colourful ones in your beauty cabinet. Some may have worked for you and others may just be sitting in your shelf. Clear it all out, and go natural. Olive oil for lips is something that you ought to try. We already know that olive oil has a long list of health benefits. But it’s also a great way to treat chapped lips.

HealthShots reached out to Dr DM Mahajan, senior consultant, Dermatology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Sarita Vihar, Delhi, to find out about the benefits of olive oil, especially for lips.

Benefits of olive oil for skin

Before we move on to lips, let’s find out how good olive oil is for your skin. Benefits of navel oiling with olive oil includes improving fertility.

Here are some more olive oil benefits for skin

• It has anti-oxidants, vitamin E, and substances like squalene and oleocanthal that may delay ageing and restore skin damage.
• Olive oil is non-toxic, microbially resistant, and allergy-friendly.
• It hydrates skin by retaining moisture. It can eliminate any dry areas and restore your skin’s youthful radiance.
• Olive oil may be able to lessen the effects of UV rays.

Olive oil for lips

If you check out the ingredients of lip balms, you will find many brands using olive oil. Dr Mahajan says you can also directly apply olive oil on your lips to nourish them. It will protect against your lips wearing out or becoming chapped (ways to get rid of chapped lips). So, if your lips feel dry, apply a small amount of olive oil at night. You can also mix olive oil with sugar to to create a natural lip scrub. Sugar will exfoliate your lips, smoothing out the surface and removing any dry or dead skin cells.

Can olive oil make lips pink?

While there are lipsticks and lip glosses to get pink lips, you can go for exfoliation for achieving naturally pink lips. The expert says that lip exfoliation is necessary to remove dead skin cells and renew your skin. The finest method to exfoliate and nurture lips is by using a sugar and olive oil scrub. Use it at least three times a week for 30 seconds each time.

Olive oil vs coconut oil for lips

Coconut oil is a favourite of many, as it guarantees soft skin (how to use coconut oil for skin). But Dr Mahajan says that compared to coconut oil, olive oil has more anti-oxidants. Coconut oil also feels heavier than olive oil, so some women might think that the former is not a great choice for lips. But the things is, numerous fatty acids found in coconut oil aid to maintain soft lips. It is essential for keeping your lips sufficiently moisturised and hydrated throughout the day. So clearly, coconut oil can help to keep your lips from becoming chapped or dry. Just apply some coconut oil on your lips and massage them. It will improve blood circulation and eliminate dead skin and the dry outer layer of your lips.

The fact is that olive oil and coconut oil are both good options for lips due to their hydrating properties. They also reduce pigmentation and that helps to have pink and rejuvenated lips.