Yes, You Need To Wear Sunscreen On Your Lips

Experts would agree that it's a skincare sin to step outside without slathering your face, neck, chest and anywhere exposed to direct sunlight without sunscreen. Unprotected skin is at a greater risk of photo damage, premature aging, and skin cancer. Yet one area frequently glossed over is the lips, which deserved equal protection and attention, especially since they are out in the open and exposed to damaging elements all the time.That's why SPF lip products come into play. Today's SPF lip products go beyond the basic lip balm in a stick. You can find everything from sunscreen-packed tinted lip oils to high-shine glosses and moisturizing lipsticks that cater to all your needs. Let's break down the benefits of SPF lip products and some of our favourite formulas. Applying a lip product that contains SPF is helpful to the health of the lips overall. Board-certified dermatologist Marisa Garshick calls lip products formulated with SPF "multitaskers that protect against UV damage while nourishing the lips so that they look healthier and more hydrated." Without proper sun protection, the lips can easily succumb to sun damage, hyperpigmentation, and skin cancer in worse cases. Since the lips are thin and lack melanin (a pigment that acts as a natural sun defense), they have less natural protection from the sun. Failing to wear a lip product with sunscreen daily allows UV rays to infiltrate the lips, leading to dryness, chapped lips, and sunburns. The more sun exposure the lips incur, the higher the risk of sun damage and dark spots that can cause fine lines and wrinkles on and around the lips. Unprotected lips are also at risk for developing actinic cheilitis, or sailor's lip, where the skin is constantly chapped, scaly, and dry.  According to cosmetic chemist, AJ Addae of Sula Labs, SPF lip products provide sun protection and potential antioxidant benefits. "Therefore, they're a great option if your concern is UV-induced photoaging or addressing fine lines and wrinkles of the lips," she explains. In addition to their sun-protecting abilities, most SPF lip products contain humectants that hydrate the lips, like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, glycerin, or emollients such as coconut oil, shea butter, and petrolatum for a softening effect. Addae says that all SPF products, whether for the lips, face, or body, use the same UV filters to achieve UV protection, such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. It's pretty easy to find clear sunscreen products specific to the lips that don't leave behind a white cast. "Still, it is common for SPF lip products to have lower-than-normal sun protection factors," she says. Or you can slather on some of your regular sunscreens too, just make sure it's all natural.

Some Of The Best SPF Lip Products 
Cle de Peau Protective Lip Treatment SPF 25
Elizabeth Arden Eight hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick SPF 15
Aesop Protective Lip Balm SPF 30
Kiehl's Butter Stick Lip Treatment SPF 30