The Harmattan is a cold-dry and dusty trade wind, blowing over the West African subcontinent.

This northeasterly wind blows from the Sahara Desert into the Gulf of Guinea between the end of November and the middle of March. The name comes from or is related to an Akan cognate.

If you buy all kind of creams to protect your skin from drying then what about protecting your dry, chapped lips in the harmattan months? Here are some tips and tricks that actually work for healing chapped lips and give you the perfect look.

Dehydration is one of the leading causes of dry lips. Your lips know when to tell you that you are thirsty! Drinking plenty of water is just as important for your body as it is your pout! This will stop dryness and cracking and make your lips appear fuller and healthier.

Balm It Up- Everyone should have a go-to lip balm. Make sure you use one without a bunch of chemicals. These can actually irritate the skin more. Look for balms that are natural with ingredients such as Shea, almond, coconut, cocoa butter and olive oil.

No Licking- Licking your lips does nothing but offer you a temporary sense of relief, but really the saliva will dry out your lips. As an alternative, you can wear a bad tasting lip balm and can try chewing gum or sucking on a hard piece of candy to stop licking your lips.

Just like your face, a good exfoliation of the lips is needed every now and then. The scrub will remove dry and dead skin, leaving you with soft and supple lips. Try the Cinnamon Sugar Lip Scrub.

Eat Veggies- Lips often get dry because the pH levels in your body are off balance. Eating fruits and vegetables will help restore this and remove the toxins in your body that are making your lips chap. Smoothies are always a yummy option to achieve this! Oh and one more thing, lay off the spicy and salty foods. They do nothing but further irritate your lips and cause inflammation.

I hope these tips help you to enjoy this festive season and after.