How to Lighten Dark Lips

Preventing Lip Darkening

Moisturize your lips. Dry, damaged lips can have a dark appearance. Use a good quality lip balm. Check the ingredients to make sure that it has both a moisturizer, such as shea butter or cocoa butter, and a binding agent, such as beeswax. Good moisturizing ingredients to look for include shea butter, cocoa butter, and almond oil. Shea butter has been used since ancient times and is known for its antioxidant and moisturizing properties. Cocoa butter is often used to reduce discoloration from scarring. Almond oil is considered one of the best oils to improve the health and appearance of skin.

Use sunblock. Protect your lips from the sun as you protect the rest of your skin. Lips don't tan but they can burn and become dry which will make them appear darker. Make sure your lip balm has sun blocking material of SPF 20 or greater. Use lipsticks with sun block of SPF 20 also.

Quit smoking, if you do. Smoking can discolor lips, as tobacco, nicotine, and tar can all darken lips. Additionally, heat from cigarettes may cause you to produce more melanin (which protects skin from the sun) and darken your lips. Quitting is hard. Talk to your doctor about medications that can help you quit, as well as gum or patches.

Massaging and Exfoliating

Massage your lips. Massages can increase blood flow and brighten your lips. Massage your lips with almond oil every night before bed to deeply moisturize. Alternatively, massage your lips with ice cubes to moisturize and make them appear fuller and pink.

Exfoliate your lips. There are several ways to exfoliate your lips. You might choose to use an exfoliating scrub, or you could buff them with a toothbrush. Make a sugar scrub by combining a tablespoon of white or brown sugar with just enough honey or olive oil to make a paste. Rub the mixture vigorously over your lips. After a minute wipe off with a damp washcloth. Alternatively, use a dry, soft-bristled toothbrush to buff away the dry skin. Apply light pressure to the toothbrush and work the bristles in a circular motion. Follow with a soothing lip balm. Repeat twice a week. If irritation happens, reduce the number of times per week or rub more gently.

Use a pomegranate lip scrub. Pomegranates can make your lips pinker. Crush 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of pomegranate seeds, and then mix the powder with milk to create a paste. Rub the paste onto your lips, then rinse it off after 2-3 minutes. Repeat as desired. Discontinue if irritation occurs.

Lightening with Food

Use lemon juice. Lemon juice is well-known for its ability to lighten skin. Rub a few drops of lemon juice on your lips before bed each night. Rinse off in the morning with warm water. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice. As an alternative, you can mix lemon and honey together, then apply it to your lips at night to subtlety lighten your lips.

Massage on a baking soda paste. Baking soda can also lighten your skin. Plus, you probably already have it in your kitchen! Mix just enough water into your baking soda to create a paste, then massage the paste into your lips. Finally, rinse it away. Apply a moisturizing balm after you rinse. In addition to lightening your skin, the paste also exfoliates your lips.

Use potatoes. Potatoes have been used to lighten skin, including reducing the appearance of scars. Rub a slice of potato on your lips before bed, without rinsing afterwards. Wash your lips with warm water in the morning. Potatoes contain "catecholase," a naturally occurring enzyme that is best known for reducing skin darkness.

Use beet root juice for pink lips. Although it won't lighten your lips, beet juice can provide your lips with a pink stain that might improve their look, depending on your preferences. To get the look, apply 2-3 drops of beet root juice to your lips everyday, and don't wash it off. As an alternative, you can create a paste with beet root powder and water. Apply the paste to your lips. After 10 minutes, wipe away the paste. Repeat as desired to maintain the look.

Use a pomegranate lip stain. You can mix pomegranate with other fruit juices to create a lip stain. To make a stain, grind 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of pomegranate seeds. Mix the ground seeds into equal parts beet root and carrot juice. Rub the mixture on your lips, leaving it on as a stain. Alternatively, you could use a mixture of cranberry and grape juice to stain your lips a ruby-red color. Repeat as desired to maintain the look.