Honey and lemon juice is often mixed together and used as part of a natural lip care regimen. Honey contains several amino acids as well as vitamins and helps to nourish the skin and protect it from damage caused by the elements. Lemon juice is mildly acidic and helps to break down dead skin cells. This allows the dead skin to be removed easily so that the newer unblemished skin below can surface. However, this mixture will not help to give your lips any gloss as a glossy effect can only be achieved through the use of oils that help to give the lips a shine.
There are several home remedies that you can use both to enhance the color as well as the shine of your lips. To enhance the color of your lips, you should exfoliate them on a regular basis. Exfoliation gets rid of the thick dead skin on the surface of your lips and therefore makes your lips softer and smoother. You can make a gentle almond and lemon juice lip scrub. To do this, you can lightly roast and grind a few almonds. Add less than half a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice to the crushed nuts and mix it thoroughly so that you have a slightly coarse but thick mixture. Add a teaspoon of honey to this mixture and use it to scrub your lips very gently. You can apply the scrub and leave it on for a minute or two before you start to massage it into your lips. This will help to get rid of the excess skin without damaging the delicate lower layer of skin on your lips. If you have thickened skin on your lips, it would be advisable to apply petroleum jelly on your lips overnight and then use this scrub in the morning. The petroleum jelly will help to soften the thickened skin and will allow it to be removed easily. After you have finished using the scrub, rinse your lips well with warm water. It is important to rinse your lips well as lemon juice can react with sunlight and cause the darkening of the skin. Once you have rinsed your lips, make sure that you moisturize them. Moisturizing is very important as it ensures that the moisture is trapped within your skin and this prevents your skin from drying. You can mix a drop each of castor oil and olive oil and apply this blend of oils to your lips. Olive oil is easily absorbed by the skin and helps the skin to retain its smooth texture. Castor oil on the other hand is a thick oil that is not easily absorbed by the skin and so it remains on the surface giving your lips a glossy look.
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