Battling Blemishes Along The Lip Line

Of all the strange places that blemishes can decide to pop up, pimples on the lip line can be the most painful. And with good reason—your lips are especially sensitive to inflammation and pain because of the thin skin and high number of nerves in the area.

You have plenty of pores on your lip line that are just as prone to clogs as the rest of your face. The use of thick, waxy lip balms can increase the likelihood of breakouts and blackheads on the lip line. But extracting a blockage on the lip line is not for the faint of heart—a simple squeeze can leave your entire lip puffy and red. A word of advice: make sure you know the difference between a pore blockage and a cold sore before you try any treatments. Sure it’s a pimple? Read on for a few tips on how to treat lip acne.

Switch Balms

If you notice little bumps or blackheads on your lip line, your balm or lipstick is likely to blame. Lip balms are often packed with oils and waxes that help soften your lips, but can clog the little pores right round your mouth. If you struggle with breakouts in this area, switch to a thinner balm or a lip serum with a hyaluronic acid base. Concentrate your application toward the center of the lips to prevent the product from bleeding outside of the lip line.

Extend Your Skincare

Most of us don’t give our lips the same attention we show the rest of our face, which can be a mistake if you start noticing breakouts around the mouth. Be sure to thoroughly cleanse your lips at the end of the day to remove balm or lipstick residue. You can also microneedle your lips to boost collagen and encourage cell turnover. Most serums are safe to use on your lips as long as you don’t get the product into your mouth, but I don’t recommend using anti-acne products on this area as they will likely be too harsh. Instead, I especially like using my HA Hydrating Serum on lips to moisturize and prevent the need for heavy balms in the first place.

Exfoliate Regularly

For the longest time, the dry toothbrush trick was the only way we knew how to exfoliate the lips. Now, there are products available to give this tender skin the same thorough exfoliation that you give the rest of your face. I especially like my Hydrating Lip Peel, which uses lactic and glycolic acids to dissolve dry skin cells and battle clogged pores and blackheads on the lip line. Plus, by keeping the area free of lingering dead skin cells, you minimize the likelihood of further breakouts.

Switch Your Toothpaste

Some people are especially sensitive to the sulfates, fluoride, and alcohols in toothpaste. Try switching your toothpaste to a natural, sulfate-free version to prevent breakouts. Or, at the very least, wash your face after you brush to remove any lingering minty residue on your skin.