Your Lips Are One of the First Areas to Show Signs of Aging—but These Serums Can Help
dermstore.com
When it comes to anti-aging, we tend to focus on the more obvious parts of our faces, like forehead wrinkles, smile lines, and crow's feet around the eyes. But places like your hands and neck, where the skin is also delicate, require similar levels of anti-aging care—though they're often overlooked. More specifically, your lips can be one of the first places to lose collagen and show signs of aging, according to Dendy Engelman, MD, FACSM, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City.
"After age 20, we produce 1 percent less collagen every year," says Dr. Engelman. For most people, the signs of aging around the lips begin to show between 30 and 40, she says, and "many patients find that it is a significant contributor to their perception of aging." Those signs include thinner, more wrinkled lips and fine lines surrounding the mouth.
Shop Anti-Aging Lip Products
But luckily, there are lip products specifically created with anti-aging in mind. Dr. Engelman advises looking for ceramides (for locking in moisture and protecting from environmental aggressors), peptides (the building blocks of collagen), hyaluronic acid, and/or coconut oil in their ingredient lists.
Regardless of which product you choose, Dr. Engelman says the key is hydration, along with "keeping lips nourished and moisturized helps them look fuller, more defined, and consequently, more youthful." Below, read more about some of the best anti-aging lip serums you can buy right now.
Verso Lip Serum
This anti-aging lip product is one of Dr. Engelman's top choices. "My favorite retinol lip serum at the moment is Verso's Lip Serum, which uses a derivative of retinol called Retinol 8 that effectively lessens the appearance of wrinkles in the mouth area over time," she explains. The retinol derivative is more gentle on the lips than the traditional ingredient, but those with sensitive skin should still apply with caution.
Lanolips 101 Ointment Multipurpose Superbalm
Because hydration is key, Dr. Engelman's other top recommendation is Lanolips' 101 Ointment Multipurpose Superbalm. "This lip balm can hold 200 percent its weight in moisture and is formulated with the brand's proprietary lanolin, which is three times purer than medical-grade lanolin," she explains. Regular, and even occasional, use will quickly heal and plump dry, thinning lips.
Revision Skincare YouthFull Lip Replenisher
This is packed with hyaluronic acid and super moisturizing ingredients like vitamin E and shea butter to target multiple signs of aging, including fine lines, and color loss. A very happy customer said, "I am embarrassed to say how many of these tubes I've purchased." The reviewer praised its ability to stay on for hours while plumping, hydrating, and reviving their lips' tone and texture. "My only complaint is that there isn't a punch card because I will be buried in this lip treatment," they said.
PCA SKIN Hyaluronic Acid Lip Booster
PCA's anti-aging lip product does everything a good lip balm does and then some. Once it moisturizes your lips, it makes use of its humectant ingredients to keep that moisture locked in. In addition to the immediate soothing benefits, the booster fills in lips for subtle long-term volume. One reviewer shared that the booster works so well, they forgo other products: "I apply at bedtime and wake up with rosy, hydrated and lots of volume. I wear it throughout the day without lip gloss or lipstick, as my lips look naturally rosy and beautiful."
Clé De Peau Beauté The Lip Serum
Clé De Peau's Lip Serum is another anti-aging lip product making the most of hyaluronic acid's benefits. The product comes with a metal tip that is conducive to massaging the serum into your lips and increasing plumpness. One shopper shared that after finishing their first tube, "I saw firming of the lip outline, no chapping, and a slight fullness coming from moisture retention."
Paula's Choice Anti-Aging Lip Gloss SPF 40
Because an important commandment of anti-aging is to always use sun protection, this lip treatment contains SPF 40. This also has a rare-for-the-product-category sheer pink tint, which shoppers praise for giving their lips a boost of vitality. Many reviewers shared that they are repeat buyers, with one writing, "Normally I wouldn't pay this amount for a lip gloss but my lips were driving me crazy and nothing was helping." They added, "Since using I have had no problems with my lips. I have gone [through] at least four tubes and will be ordering again soon."
StriVectin Double Fix for Lips Plumping & Vertical Line Treatment
StriVectin's double-ended lip serum offering is a two-for-one buy. The plumping treatment is applied directly to the lips to fill in lines and moisturize, while the other end goes on the outline of your lips and surrounding skin to combat adjacent fine lines. Several reviewers have said that the StriVectin serum does what it promises to. One shopper said, "I noticed how it did plump my lips without irritating or burning. I really love this because now I can feel like my lips look more plump than looking small."
