Anyone who loves wearing a matte lipstick knows the pitfalls of applying it over chapped lips. While we’re familiar with body scrubs, how to use a lip scrub isn’t always obvious, which is why we sometimes pick at flakey skin or rub the area with a wet flannel.

And yet, both approaches are too aggressive for our lips. The skin here is more fragile than you may think because it’s thinner than elsewhere on the body. Compared to the rest of your face, for example, which boasts up to 16 layers of skin, our lips only have 3 to 5 layers.

Our lips also don’t have any oil-producing sebaceous glands, which means they are unable to naturally hydrate themselves. This is especially evident during the winter months when lips are more prone to chapping. Not to mention, sun damage and frequent licking can easily dry them out, too.

Lip scrubs can help as they they are designed to gently buff away rough skin. Much like a body scrub, they are typically powered by finely-milled sugar granules, “which are suspended in a nourishing oil to moisturise and give your skin more slip,” says makeup artist Zoe Taylor, who always carries a lip scrub in her kit bag.

What are the benefits of using a lip scrub?

There are several benefits to using a lip scrub. Cracked lips are like a road with bumpy potholes; a lip scrub can help to create a smooth base for your lipstick. It also improves the efficacy of your lip balm or oil as the hydrating ingredients are able to penetrate more deeply if there’s nothing nitty gritty in the way.

Then there are the massage movements you use to apply a lip scrub, which boost blood flow to the area, imparting a rosy pink hue to pale lips and making them look plumper. Applied a long-lasting lipstick? A lip scrub is non-negotiable for helping to remove any stubborn pigment for a squeaky clean surface.