But before I talk about those, let’s check first one of the main offenders that cause dry lips in the first place.

Though there are various reasons why lips dry out, the main reason is the own saliva.

Surprised? Well, you’re not alone.

Many people mistakenly think this happens only because lips lack the sebaceous glands (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebaceous_glands) that provide sebum (natural oil made of fats) to the skin naturally.

Unfortunately this is false, because our lips have their own kind of sebaceous glands, called the ectopic sebaceous glands.

And although those glands are continuously providing the necessary sebum that simultaneously waterproofs and moisturizes them, to keep the lips constantly moisturized, those glands need some external help depending on many surrounding factors.

People then often grab some industrial (read: chemical) lip balm or tend to lick their lips as a quick and temporary fix.

The only problem with the later “quick fix” is that human saliva contains two natural digestive enzymes (Maltase & Amylase) that strip away the lips’ moisture as well as the thin protective skin film and hence increase their dryness, especially when the saliva dries on them.

That being said, here’s our quick guide of 7 home-made recipes using Argan oil in combination with other natural ingredients that proved high efficacy on solving the annoying issue of dry and chapped lips.

1.Applying Argan Oil Directly On The Lips
This is the simplest yet the most powerful way to cure the annoying dilemma of dry lips, hands down.

Gently massage one to two drops of Argan oil into your lips, and do so once before going to bed as well as in the morning. You’ll see a great improvement almost instantly.

2.The Almond Argan Oil Mix:
We found this recipe to be one of the most efficient ones. First make a scrub using almond powder, then apply it to wet lips and rub gently.

This will remove dead skin and smooth your lips. After some minutes, rinse your lips with warm water to remove the excess. Then gently massage some Argan oil and sweet almond oil (2 drops each) into the lips.

Make sure you properly distribute the oil to cover the whole lips’ surface.

3.The Argan Honey Mix:
Honey is an easy and simple, yet great fix to restore the moisture your lips deserve. It is truly an effective natural lips balm.

You can mix some honey with 2 to 3 drops of Argan oil and apply it several times a day directly on your lips, without rinsing (nor licking of course ;)).

4.The Aloe Vera Gel / Argan Oil Mix
One of the most powerful properties of Aloe vera is that it acts as a great transmission delivery carrier for essential oils that boost the natural elastin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elastin) and collagen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collagen) production, such as Argan oil.

Furthermore, Aloe vera has an amazing hygroscopic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygroscopic) property (it strips water vapor from the air surrounding it).

In order take advantage of this powerful natural property and restore dry, chapped lips, simply apply some Aloe gel to your lips and leave it on for around 30 minutes before massaging one or two drops of Argan oil to lock in the moisture. Repeat two to three times a week.

5.The Argan / Mango Butter Or Oil Mix
There’s a legitimate argument why mango butter has been used in traditional medicine for hundreds of years. The butter and oil extracted from the kernels of the mango tree (Mangifera indica) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangifera_indica) are very rich in fatty acids that places them to be outstanding emollients.

Oleic and stearic acids are the main compounds of these fats.

And thanks to their hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties, the two triglycerides (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triglycerides) (Oleic and stearic acids) are making Mango butter and / or oil an ideal solution for softening the lips, locking the moisture and waterproofing them.

That being said, mix some drops of mango oil (or a little bit of mango butter) and Argan oil in the palm of your hand then apply the mix to your lips. Repeating this a couple times per week,  will tremendously help restore natural moisture to dry and chapped lips.

6.The Argan Oil / Coconut Butter or Oil Mix
It’s no secret that coconut oil has an interesting list of healing properties especially when it comes to maintaining healthy skin.

Many scientific studies have recently confirmed what natives of the tropical regions knew since hundreds of years: Coconuts are a super healthy food too.

No wonder it has been used not only for its dietary but also for its natural medicinal benefits.

Coconut oil is composed mainly of medium-chain fatty acids (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Medium-chain_fatty_acids&redirect=no) and supports the easy absorption of vitamins (i.e. Vitamin E: the antioxidant that helps reduce the formation of free radicals that are damaging skin cells).

Coconut oil seeps easily into the skin, which makes it a perfect ingredient to mix with Argan oil for the purpose of healing, softening and moisturizing damaged, dry lips.

7.The Cucumber – Argan treatment
Cucumber consists of 90% water which makes it a perfect H2O transmitter. This is exactly why cucumber slices became sort of a standard treatment included in beauty regimens around the world.

It has been proven to efficiently enhance skin health, i.e. by minimizing the under-eye pouches, restoring lips moisture and promoting their overall health.

This is due to the significant amount of vitamin C (aka. ascorbic acid) contained therein.

Vitamin C is known to enhance natural production of collagen, the connective protein that provides structure and resilience to the skin tissue.

Additionally, cucumber is also known to suppress the formation of free radicals through the damaging ultraviolet sun radiation thanks to the antioxidant caffeic acid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeic_acid)contained therein.

Apply some cucumber slices to the lips for around 30 minutes to moisturize them then gently massage one to two drops of Argan oil to lock in the moisture.

This will enhance lip fullness and protect them against sun damage.