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Home / How to Avoid Your Lips Getting Black From Smoking

How to Avoid Your Lips Getting Black From Smoking

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Smoking can have many harmful side effects, including making your lips darker over time. To help lighten your lips, it's important to exfoliate them regularly to help remove the damaged and tobacco-stained top layer and stimulate your circulation. After exfoliating, you can use a number of different topical treatments and methods to rehydrate your lips, help restore their natural pigment, and maintain a healthy pinkish hue.

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    Remove dry skin and stimulate your circulation with a cinnamon scrub. First, mix ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) of cinnamon with a drop of lemon juice in a small bowl. Then, scoop the cinnamon scrub onto your fingers and gently rub it across your lips.[1] Depending on how sensitive your lips are, you can exfoliate with the cinnamon scrub for up to 10 minutes to remove dead skin, stimulate circulation, and naturally plump your lips.[2]

    • Instead of lemon juice, you can use a drop of vitamin E oil, which can boost the regeneration and growth of cells in your lips.
    • Lemon juice can help regulate the melanin production in your skin, which will make your lips lighter and pinker.[3]

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    Scrub your lips with a toothbrush and petroleum jelly to hydrate them. Smear a dime-sized amount of petroleum jelly onto the bristles of a soft toothbrush.[4] Rub the bristles on your lips in a circular motion to exfoliate dead skin while stimulating blood flow to your lips.[5] Continue rubbing for 3 to 4 minutes, then rinse your lips with water to remove the jelly.[6]

    • Make sure that you rub your lips gently with the toothbrush bristles so that you don't cause bleeding and irritation.

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    Use sugar, olive oil, and lemon to make an exfoliating paste. Mix 1 teaspoon (5 grams) of sugar, 1 to 2 drops of olive oil, and 1 to 2 drops of lemon juice in a small bowl until it forms a paste. Apply the paste to your lips and scrub it in a circular motion to help brighten your lips and remove damaged skin. After exfoliating for a few minutes, rinse the sugar scrub off with water.[7]

    • Try gently scrubbing the paste on your lips for about 3 to 5 minutes. Then, leave it on for about 10 to 20 more minutes to allow olive oil and lemon juice to soak into your skin and help it heal.[8]
    • Instead of olive oil, you can use honey to help hydrate your lips while you exfoliate.[9]

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    Apply a baking soda scrub to lighten and brighten your lips. First, place 2 teaspoons (10 grams) of baking soda in a small bowl. Stir in just enough water to make a thick paste.[10] Then, massage the paste over your lips to get rid of the smoke-damaged top layer of skin. After exfoliating for about 3 to 5 minutes, rinse the paste off your lips with water.

    • Because baking soda can dry out your lips, apply a lip moisturizer, such as almond oil or petroleum jelly, after exfoliating to rehydrate your lips.

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    Mix honey and lemon to make a natural lip-lightening treatment. Stir about 1⁄4 teaspoon (1.2 mL) of honey with 1⁄2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) of lemon extract in a small bowl. Apply the salve over your lips and leave it on for at least 30 minutes, or overnight. Then, gently wipe of the honey and lemon mixture with a clean cloth.[11]

    • The lemon extract in this salve has astringent properties that can help lighten your lips, while the honey will help moisturize your lips and heal damaged skin.
    • You can apply this treatment as frequently as you want until your lips return to their natural color.

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    Use rose petals, cream, and honey to lighten and moisturize your lips. Using a mortar and pestle, mash 1 to 2 rose petals as much as you can. Add a dime-sized amount of honey and heavy cream to the bowl and stir until it forms a paste. Apply the paste to your lips and leave it on for about 15 to 20 minutes, then wash it off with water and a clean cloth.[12]

    • Rose petals not only lighten the color of your lips, they can also help nourish your lips.
    • For best results, repeats apply this paste to your lips several times per week.

  3. 3

    Try an overnight beetroot salve to stain and lighten your lips. Combine 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of beetroot juice with 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of honey in a small bowl. Using a cotton swab, massage the mixture over your lips until they are completely covered. Leave the mixture on overnight, then rinse it off with water in the morning.[13]

    • Beetroot not only lightens your lips by tinting them, it also helps give them a subtle pink hue.
    • Repeat this process every night for 1 week or as long as needed to return your lips to their lighter, natural color.

  4. 4

    Apply pomegranate juice to help prevent your lips from getting darker. Mix 1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) of melted coconut oil with 2 teaspoons (9.9 mL) of pomegranate juice in a small bowl.[14] Rub the mixture across your lips for about 30 seconds before washing it off with water.[15]

    • Pomegranates not only lighten your lips, they can also prevent the production of melanin, which can make your lips darker.
    • Apply pomegranate juice mixture to your lips once per day for a month or as needed to lighten your lips.

  5. 5

    Spread a mashed red berry mixture over your lips for a natural lightener. Mash 1 strawberry or about 3 raspberries in a small bowl. Then, add just enough honey or aloe vera gel to thicken the mashed berries into a paste and add a moisturizing component. Apply the paste across your lips and leave it on for about 20 minutes. Then, rinse it off with water.[16]

    • In addition to giving your lips a pinkish tint, strawberries and raspberries contain a number of vitamins and minerals that help keep your lips healthy, such as vitamin C.

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  1. 1

    Quit smoking to get rid of smoker's lips and keep your lips healthy. The best way to keep your lips from darkening from smoke is to quit smoking. While quitting can be very difficult and often takes a lot of willpower and support, it can be worth it if you want to keep your lips healthy and pink, as well as improve your overall health.[17]

    • If you currently smoke and want to quit, using a tobacco aid, seeking outside support, or deciding to go cold turkey may be able to help you quit for good.

  2. 2

    Stay hydrated to help limit the effects of smoking. Consuming enough water and other hydrating fluids during the day will help keep your lips hydrated so they'll be able to ward off some of the harmful effects of smoking. When your lips get dehydrated, they're more likely to get chapped, which makes them more susceptible to smoke. By staying hydrated, you'll help prevent your lips from getting darker.[18]

    • The amount of fluids you'll need to drink to stay hydrated varies depending on a number of factors, including your health, how active you are, and where you live. In general though, men need about 15.5 cups (3,700 mL) of fluids, while women need about 11.5 cups (2,700 mL) of fluids to stay adequately hydrated.[19]
    • Fluids include water, other hydrating liquids, and food that has a high water content, such as berries and cucumbers.

  3. 3

    Limit your use of lipstick to avoid darkening your lips more. Like smoking, wearing lipstick consistently can cause your lips to darken over time, especially if they're already damaged from smoke. Therefore, if you're unable to quit smoking, try to avoid wearing lipstick as much as possible to keep your lips from darkening even more.[20]

    • If you do decide to wear lipstick, choose products that contain lightening and moisturizing ingredients, such as jojoba oil, shea butter, and vitamin E.

  4. 4

    Reduce your intake of dark-colored beverages that can leave stains. Dark-colored drinks, such as coffee and dark tea, can leave stains on your lips and, over time, make dark lips from smoking even darker. By reducing how often you consume dark-colored drinks, you can limit their effect on your lips and help keep your lips lighter.[21]

    • There's no exact amount of dark-colored beverages you can drink without making your dark lips worse. Therefore, try to limit your intake as much as possible.

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  • For best results, exfoliate your lips about 3 to 4 times per week until your lips return to their natural color.[22]

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How to Avoid Your Lips Getting Black From Smoking

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Lighten-Dark-Lips-from-Smoking