Lip Plumpers Can Trigger Pre-Mature Aging — Try This Instead

Lip plumpers work one of two ways: By creating a temporary, localized inflammatory response—or by pulling in water. Which one's better? We dove in.

Kass

Jun 23, 2023 - 21:02

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Lip Plumpers Can Trigger Pre-Mature Aging — Try This Instead

mbg Beauty Director

By Alexandra Engler

mbg Beauty Director

Alexandra Engler is the beauty director at mindbodygreen and host of the beauty podcast Clean Beauty School. Previously, she's held beauty roles at Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and Allure.com.

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June 23, 2023

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Do you want fuller, more supple lips? Since you’ve found yourself on this article, I’m going to assume you do. There are a few routes to take in the pursuit of a voluminous pout. The most buzzy is filler, where derms inject hyaluronic acid into the lip area creating a semi-permanent fuller pout. But not everyone wants to (or has access to) that route, and instead rely on at-home options such as topical products.

Lip plumping products typically fall into one of two categories—those that use hyaluronic acid and humectants, and those that rely on boosting circulation in the area. So which type is more effective, better for your skin, and ultimately, worth your money? That’s what we’re here to discuss.

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What are “tingly” lip plumpers?

At the risk of sounding pedantic, “tingly” lip plumpers isn’t the official, scientific term for what I’m talking about here. However, I really don’t have a better way to describe this very specific type of lip plumpers that works by, well, making your lips tingly!

These rely on ingredients like cinnamon essential oil, peppermint essential oil, capsaicin, phenol, and camphor that create a mild inflammatory response—or in the case of capsaicin, a histamine response. This localized irritation can temporarily cause the lips to appear fuller, as it increases circulation to the area. Essentially, these ingredients cause lips to swell.

Lots of folks like them because they provide an instant gratification—the ingredients work fairly quickly to give you volume.

What are hyaluronic acid lip plumpers?

The humectant is a very popular skin care ingredient, and is often used in facial serums, body lotions, and yes lip balms.

“Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring type of sugar that is produced by the body and found in the highest concentrations in our skin, connective tissue, and eyes,” says board-certified dermatologist Jennifer Chwalek, M.D. tells us about HA. “It functions to retain water, keep our tissues well lubricated, and our skin looking firm and youthful. It also helps to speed up wound healing by regulating inflammation levels and blood vessel formation, and can increase collagen production, which is another way it can help our skin as we age.”

Hyaluronic acid lip plumpers work by attracting and holding water in the epidermis, which creates a temporary flooding effect. Full with water, the lip area appears more voluminous.

It is a fairly large molecule, however, so many products either use smaller versions (such as sodium hyaluronate), or will include multiple molecular weights to target various layers of the epidermis.

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Which one is better?

For the health of your skin, hyaluronic acid lip products are the far better choice. The body makes hyaluronic acid naturally so these topical products work with the skin to create that supple, plump appearance. Not to mention, it comes with loads of hydration—HA can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water 1.

So should you get rid of your “tingly” lip plumpers? A localized, minor irritation won’t fundamentally damage your skin or body. However, using these products regularly means that the area is consistently inflamed. Chronic inflammation can break down collagen, elastin, and the skin barrier—leading to sagging, fine lines, and dehydration. So using them on occasion is fine, but using them daily may lead to premature aging.

The takeaway

Check out our favorite lip plumpers here—you’ll see a good mix of both, should you want to use a temporary lip plumper every-so-often. However, we highly recommend having a daily HA balm or treatment to keep lips hydrated and full long-term