A Cheaper Alternative.

After seeing Petrilude's video on his home made lip scrub, I had to give it a go.

A little bit of background;
I have suffered from sore lips since I can remember. When I was younger it was particularly bad, and I remember getting a redness all the way around my mouth every winter, sometimes getting substantially chapped.
After a trip to the doctor, he suggested it was probably a vitamin B deficiency, although not really having a proper diagnosis. I stocked up on all kinds of fruit and began taking vitamins. Whenever my lips start getting sore again, I literally down bottles of fresh orange juice to keep it at bay. It has never got as bad as it used to, but there are still bad times - this has been of recent.
The corners of my mouth imparticular have been particularly sore. I know that I'll never get rid of the 'extended lip' (as I've grown to call it) which came about in a particularly bad chapped spell. But also, my lips have become increasingly chapped recently, which is quite rare. If my lips have ever felt rough, it doesn't take much to get them back to impeccable smoothness, but nothing has solved that recently.
I digress...

The point of the post;
I've heard about the numerous benefits of good old olive oil, and I plan to work through these mini miracles. The first one, is contributing it to your lips.
Recently Lush have launched their own lip scrubs, but I wasn't remotley interested in them, simply because it is quite literally sugar and oil, with numerous chemicals (I imagine), which could be duped for a substantially lower cost, and the different products you buy are going to last a lot longer.
The olive oil and sugar lip scrub has been around for a while, and I'm pretty sure you'll know how to do it, but as I loved the effect so much...
Here is my step by step repeat of Petrilude's tips -

1) Take a small amount of olive oil, and a small amount of sugar. I just used a shot glass and a tea bag bowl (?) to hold them, using the olive oil and sugar that was already at home. It's pretty likely you'll already have the ingredients in your possession.
You need a tiny amount, the above is probably a little excessive, but I've since covered them, so i can reuse at any time.

2) Apply a finger full of oil to your lips, give them a good covering.

Leave this on for a good 10 minutes, it'll allow it to sink into the lips, and loosen up any dead skin that's on there.

3) While you're waiting, you can begin mixing.
Pour a little of the oil into the sugar; enough to make a thick paste.

I just used the opposite end of tweezers to mix, but if you have a mixing spatula to hand, that would work. Just something to bond the two!


4) Once you've created a substantial paste, you're going to apply it to your lips. I suggest doing it over the sink or a tissue to catch any fall out. Same when you're applying the oil as it's likely to drip.


5) Next, take a toothbrush, and buff the mixture over your lips, I used circular motions and continued until the majority of the sugar had fallen off.


6) Wipe any of the remaining mixture off, then apply a tiny amount of oil, as if it were a balm and leave it on.



There you go! I felt as if it had really rejuvenated my lips, making them a lot smoother.
If you're happy buying the ready made Lush alternative, then stick with it. But I personally wouldn't pay the £5 just to get a sweet taste when you can have a similar experience for under £2 (or free if you're still in with the parents!).

I'm currently avoiding my obsessive application of lip balm (particularly Blistex), because, as mentioned in the video, it basically has addictive qualities as your lips are gradually going to stop producing as much moisture. I'm kicking the habit!

If you took the time to read all the background, thankyou! If you have any tips about the problems I get with my lips, I would honestly love to hear them. I just want an easy solution to when they get as sore as they do.
I hope some of you will try this, just as a little pamper to yourself. Another homemade beauty trick gone right!