How to Build a Complete Lip Care Routine

Lip care is important but often overlooked. The skin on your lips is unique from the rest of your body and therefore requires tailored attention. Not only is it more delicate and vulnerable to environmental stressors like weather and sun damage, but it also lacks the ability to produce its own oil, making it even more prone to damage.

Using our signature Prep, Treat, Seal skincare regimen structure, this guide will help you build a comprehensive lip care routine for smoother, softer, and more resilient lips.

It’s easy to forget that your lips are, in fact, skin. It might feel like a quick coat of lip balm here or there is all they need. But your lip skin requires more support than you might think.

Here’s what makes lip skin so different from the skin on your face and body:

It’s much thinner. While most skin on the body has about 16 cellular layers, lip skin only has up to 5 . This makes it more vulnerable to damage and moisture loss.

It has no oil glands. Sebum contains molecules that act as antioxidants to protect the skin. Since the lips can’t produce their own natural oils, they are more prone to damage from external factors.

It has a very delicate barrier. This can lead to higher trans-epidermal water loss and lower protection from environmental stressors, like cold weather, dry air, UV radiation, or pollution.

These key differences make lip skin more prone to flaking and dehydration. A proactive lip skincare regimen can help. Instead of only applying lip balm as a reactive solution to these common lip skin concerns, we suggest using it as the final step in a layered, 3-phase approach.

Prep, Treat, Seal: How to Build a Supportive Lip Routine.

The Ordinary’s skincare regimen structure contains 3 parts: Prep, Treat, and Seal.

1. Prep: Start with a Clean Base

The Prep phase is all about starting fresh. Cleaning the lips removes any impurities while preparing them for additional treatments. 

We recommend starting your lip routine with a gentle cleanser that also contains hydrating ingredients. Our Squalane Cleanser is an oil-free cleansing balm formulated with squalane, a plant-derived moisturizing agent. It cleans the skin by removing makeup and dirt, which makes it a great option for taking off lip makeup during your nighttime skincare routine.

2. Treat: Exfoliate and Hydrate Your Lips

The Treat stage of your lip routine is where we address specific skin concerns using targeted formulations. Products that promote exfoliation and hydration can help you minimize common lip complications, like dryness and flakiness.

Our PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum is a gentle, chemical-based lip exfoliant that removes dead skin, enhances hydration, supports the skin barrier, and improves lip texture over time.

Remember: lip skin is delicate. Avoid harsh rubbing or too much pressure when applying. Gently dab the product onto your lips with your finger or a soft makeup pad to protect the fragile skin.

3. Seal: End Your Lip Routine with a Highly Moisturizing Lip Balm

After cleansing and exfoliating, the next step is to seal in moisture and support skin hydration. Our Squalane + Amino Acids Lip Balm is formulated to do precisely that, by providing immediate and long-lasting hydration and skin barrier support.

This lightweight balm contains squalane to smooth and soften the lips, and a unique blend of amino acids to help retain and lock in moisture. Use it as the final step in your regimen for long-term lip support, not just a reactive fix when lips start to feel dry.

O. Tip: Squalane + Amino Acids Lip Balm can also be used as an overnight lip mask, to soften your cuticles, or to nourish other areas of your body prone to dryness, like your elbows.

It’s great to care for the skin on your lips, but it’s easy to overdo it. Overexfoliation, for example, can lead to more lip dryness and discomfort. When building your lip care regimen, keep it simple and intentional.

Each of the 3 steps we recommend in our lip care regimen uses a single effective formulation:

1. Cleanse with Squalane Cleanser (Prep).
2. Exfoliate and hydrate with PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum (Treat).
3. Lock in moisture and support the skin barrier with Squalane + Amino Acids Lip Balm (Seal).

We also suggest using the lip balm to support hydration throughout the day.

This streamlined, science-led approach is designed to target dry, flaky lips and proactively support your lips through every season and circumstance.