Does Brushing Your Lips with a Toothbrush Have Any Health Benefits?

Lightly brushing your lips with a toothbrush and an exfoliant may be a good way to remove dead skin from your lips. However, it’s important to be gentle when brushing.

The skin on your lips is thin and sensitive. Unlike most other parts of your body, your lips don’t produce oil to keep them moist. It may be tempting to frequently lick your lips when they start to feel dry. Frequently licking your lips can make them irritated.

Over-brushing or over-exfoliating your lips can also make them dry. It may be a good idea to limit brushing your lips to once a week.

How to brush your lips

To brush your lips, all you need is a toothbrush with soft bristles and an exfoliant. You may also want to apply a moisturizer like coconut oil or olive oil after exfoliating.

You can make natural exfoliants using household ingredients like baking soda, oatmeal, coffee grounds, or even toothpaste. The purpose of the exfoliant is to cause gentle friction against your lips to rub off dead skin.

Here’s how you can brush your lips:

1. Wet your lips with warm water.
2. Spread a thin layer of exfoliant onto your lips.
3. Brush your lips gently with your toothbrush in small circles.
4. Wash off the exfoliant with warm water.
5. Apply a moisturizer to your lips.

Stop immediately if you feel any irritation when exfoliating your lips.

Ingredients to avoid

If you’re prone to chapped lips, it isn’t a good idea to use products that contain the ingredients below. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, these ingredients have the potential to further dry your lips:

• salicylic acid
• propyl gallate
• phenol
• octinoxate
• menthol
• lanolin
• perfumes and flavors
• eucalyptus
• camphor

Brushing your lips with toothpaste may be gentler than using other exfoliants. However, it’s a good idea to rinse the toothpaste off after brushing your lips to avoid irritation and dryness.

Toothpaste additives and flavors may cause allergic reactions in some people. Symptoms including peeling lips and sores in the corners of your mouth.

There’s no evidence that brushing your lips will make them permanently bigger. Brushing your lips might cause a temporary increase in blood flow. However, brushing your lips for the purpose of trying to make your lips fuller will likely irritate your skin.

The following habits have the potential to help you maintain healthy-looking lips:

• Stay hydrated.
• Apply vitamin E.
• Use balms containing shea butter, cocoa butter, and coconut oil.
• Apply aloe vera to your lips to promote healing.
• Remove lipstick before bed.
• Use peppermint oil to increase circulation.
• Use a primer before applying lipstick.

You may find that brushing your lips causes irritation and cracked skin. Instead of using a toothbrush to brush your lips, you can also apply a small amount of exfoliant and gently rub your lips with the tip of your finger.

You may also want to avoid exfoliating and stick to products that have the potential to moisturize and soothe chapped lips, such as:

• lemon juice and either castor oil or glycerin
• coconut oil
• cocoa butter
• petroleum jelly
• beeswax

Gently brushing your lips with a toothbrush may help you get rid of dry skin and give your lips a smoother appearance. However, over-exfoliating can irritate the delicate skin over your lip. It’s a good idea to brush your lips no more than once a week to avoid irritation.

You can try adopting the following habits to prevent getting dry lips:

• Avoid licking your lips.
• Avoid lip balms with flavors or scents.
• Use a lip balm with SPF before going out in the sun.
• Protect your lips from cold air by covering them with a scarf.