Old Man Winter has arrived for many of us, and our normally hot lips are getting cold and chapped from the freezing weather. The cold temperatures can cause a multitude of problems for your face, but your lips are especially vulnerable to this change in the climate.

If you’re bundling up and need help with your lips, I’ve got 5 great tips to keep your hot lips hot during the cold Winter months.

1. Be a softy

   I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, it’s so important to exfoliate the dry, dead skin off your lips! You can’t have sexy lips when they’re rough and scaly. You can remove the dry skin by gently rubbing a washcloth, towel, or soft toothbrush over your lips in the shower. You can also use something like Brown Sugar Lip Polish by Fresh. It uses brown sugar along with other natural ingredients to gently buff away dry flakes and also helps to nourish and moisturize your lips.

2. Sleep tight

   Sleep with your lip moisturizer at night will make a major difference in how your lips look and feel in the morning. It helps to replace the moisture lost during the day as well as prevent chapping, cracking and peeling. Any lip moisturizer will do, even if it’s just Carmex or Chapstick, just as long as you have something on your lips! Trust me, you won’t regret adding this to your bedtime routine.

3. Treat it

   There are many lip treatment creams that will give you immediate and long term results that can help to reduce fine lines and wrinkles around the lips as well as firm, smooth and hydrate. These are usually applied before your lip color and/or before bed. Clinique’s All About Lips is a really great one. It’s light weight and you can feel it working right away.

4. Keep them wet

   You need to make sure you’re drinking your water! A lot of people don’t realize how much dehydration effects not only your skin, especially your lips. It’s always important to make sure you’re drinking enough water, but during the cold season when you’re out in the harsh elements and running your heating devices more, you really should make it a top priority. You’ll feel better and look better.

5. Balm it up

   You really should keep something on your lips all the time to keep them protected. During the day, if you’re not wearing lipstick or a gloss, try using a tinted lip balm to add moisture and protect as well as add a little color. I love the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Lip Tints with SPF 15 because they’re super hydrating and lightweight with just a hint of color (Plum is my favorite!). It’s nice to wear just around the house, or sometimes if I’m running out to the store or something, I’ll throw a gloss on top of it.

The key to having hot lips (in Winter any other season) is to maintain them. Find and keep up a good lip care routine before your lips turn into a dry, cracked, chapped and ouchy mess.

Now that you know how to keep those hot lips of yours kissably soft, you can go out there and show the world. Or just stay at home and show that someone special… just don’t forget your lip balm!