Despite diligently wearing sunscreen daily (on my face and body and reapplying every two hours), I’ll be the first to admit that I often forget SPF protection on my lips. Many SPF lip balms have a weird, unctuous texture that doesn’t sit nicely under my favourite lip stains and lip glosses, while plenty taste bitter. Regardless, skipping SPF on your lips might not be the best idea: “The skin on your lips differs from that of the rest of your body,” explains consultant dermatologist Dr Derrick Phillips. “It’s thin, sensitive and prone to loss of moisture. Your lips are also constantly exposed to UV radiation from the sun, which over time causes further thinning, redness, pigmentation and increases the risk of developing skin cancer.”
