Why Your Lips Get Flaky (Even in Summer), and What to Do About It

Most of us expect dry, cracked lips in winter. It's more confusing when they peel in the middle of summer. But sun, wind, air conditioning, salt water and pool chlorine are all hard on lips, and lip skin is much thinner than the skin on your face.

Why lips get dry so easily

Lips don't have oil glands the way the rest of your face does, so they can't moisturise themselves. The skin is also thinner and turns over quickly, which means dead skin builds up into those flaky patches that catch on lipstick.

A few habits make it worse:

• Licking your lips. Saliva evaporates fast and takes moisture with it.
• Picking at flakes. It's tempting, but it often pulls away healthy skin too.
• Long-wear matte lipsticks that can be drying over a full day.
• Sun exposure without any SPF on your lips.
• Not drinking enough water on hot days.

Why balm alone doesn't always fix it

Lip balm is great at sealing in moisture. What it doesn't do is shift the layer of dry, dead skin that's already there. So you keep applying balm on top of flakes, and lips still feel rough.

That's where gentle exfoliation comes in.

Exfoliating overnight, the easy way

Our Exfoliating Overnight Lip Mask does the work while you sleep, so there's no scrubbing. It uses LHA, a gentle exfoliating acid, alongside bakuchiol, a plant-based ingredient with retinol-like benefits. Emollients help lock in moisture so lips feel softer and more conditioned by morning.

It's designed to smooth dry, flaky lips, reduce the look of dry skin buildup and leave lips visibly smoother by morning.

How to use it

1. Apply a thin, even layer to clean, dry lips before bed.
2. Leave it on overnight.
3. In the morning, wipe off any excess and follow with your usual lip balm or lipstick.

Use it two to three times a week, or as needed. A mild tingle is normal because of the acid. If irritation continues, stop using it.

Your summer lip routine

Day: lip balm with SPF, reapplied after eating, drinking and swimming.
Night (2 to 3 times a week): Exfoliating Overnight Lip Mask.
Other nights: a simple nourishing balm.

Small effort, big difference. Especially if you're planning on wearing a bold lip to a year-end function or two.