Thanks to the growing trend of glossy lips, consumers are paying more attention to the skin on their lips and seeking out innovative products that can help create and maintain a healthy pout.
“Lip skin-care has been having a moment. KNC Beauty’s lip sheet masks have been a hit on TikTok, being the main subject of the majority of the top posts on the hashtag #lipmask that has over 169 million views,” explains Glossy.
One of the latest trending products to help consumers achieve smooth, healthy lips? Glycolic acid based lip masks. These liquid formulations are painted on the lips and can help heal chapping, exfoliate dry skin, and promote hydration and moisturization, all through the powers of workhorse ingredient glycolic acid.
Gentle exfoliation for the lips
The skin on the lips is even more delicate than the skin on the face, due to a thin corneal layer and almost no hydrolipid film.
However, when faced with chapped or wrinkled looking lips, many consumers reach for grainy manual exfoliators to slough away dead, dry skin. Unfortunately, manual lip scrubs can damage the healthy skin underneath the flakes, and ultimately cause more peeling, dryness, or even tears to the lips.
Instead, lip masks that rely on the gentle chemical exfoliation of glycolic acid are a safer, highly effective option for sloughing off dry, flaky skin and creating the appearance of smoother, plumper lips.
Fast relief for chapped lips
Glycolic acid is a popular ingredient for lip masks because the Alpha Hydroxy Acid can quickly target and heal dry, flaking skin on the lips.
Glycolic acid quickly penetrates the skin barrier and sheds off dead skin from the lips by dissolving the bonds holding dry, flaking skin cells together. Additionally, glycolic acid triggers new skin cells to the surface of the skin, which promotes smoother, healthier lips over the long haul.
By sloughing off flaky skin and spurring new skin cells to the surface of the lips, glycolic acid can help heal chapping and promote a smoother, healthier appearance overall.
The plumping partner
Additionally, glycolic acid is excellent for lip masks, as glycolic acid aids in the production of collagen and hyaluronic acid.
Collagen is the main structural protein found in connective tissues and helps to provide firmness, plumpness, and structure to the lips. Hyaluronic acid, naturally found in the skin, connective tissue, and eyes help to retain water and keep tissues moist, hydrated and lubricated. Both collagen and hyaluronic acid are critical for smooth, healthy, and younger-looking lips.
Recently, a study published in Dermatologic Surgery discovered that epidermal and dermal hyaluronic acid and collagen gene expression all increased in glycolic acid-treated skin as compared to vehicle-treated (non-glycolic-acid-treated) controls.
“Glycolic acid stimulates new collagen growth in the dermis, and it regulates normal pigment production which encourages even skin tone,” Dr. Melanie Palm told Yahoo Lifestyle. “All of these effects have a youthful appearance to the skin and increase skin luminosity.”
For consumers seeking out plumper, firmer looking lips, glycolic acid lip masks are an effective, affordable at-home solution.
Lip masks: trending for 2020
The consumer craze for facial masks has officially staked a claim in new terrority: lip masks with glycolic acid. These innovative, trendy products can offer up a bevy of benefits, including relief from chapping, reduced appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, and a firmer, smoother pucker.
For consumers and formulators alike, lip masks offer an exciting, fun avenue into the burgeoning world of lipcare, one of the hottest segments of the skincare market in 2020.
