How To Get Pink Lips With Natural Remedies?

Do your lips look faded and discoloured? Lipsticks can be a good cover-up but they are not a permanent solution.

Lip discoloration is a common problem with various causes such as suntan, smoking, chemical lip colours, medical conditions, medicine side effects and nutrition deficiencies. However, the condition is not permanent, and in most cases can be reversed with carefully planned Ayurvedic and home remedies.

Read on to know which herbs and foods can help you get beautiful pink lips in no time.

Our Ayurvedic Doctor Says:

“Lips are so richly supplied by blood, that it truly reflects your internal health.

Shrivelled, dark lips devoid of moisture and colour generally reflect weak Pitta, Kapha doshas and Rakta (blood).”

Dr. Zeel Gandhi, Chief Ayurvedic Doctor, Vedix

How To Get Pink Lips Naturally?

“Lips are so richly supplied by blood, that it truly reflects your internal health. Shrivelled, dark lips devoid of moisture and colour generally reflect weak Pitta, Kapha doshas and Rakta (blood). Kapha gives lips plumpness and volume, Pitta gives it colour and radiance while balanced Vata ensures they do not dry and crack,” says Dr. Zeel Gandhi, Chief Ayurvedic Doctor at Vedix.

1. Exfoliate Your Lips With Natural Scrubs

A. Masoor Dal With Mustard Oil

How And When To Use

Soak the masoor overnight and blend it into a coarse paste. Add 2 tablespoons of mustard oil and gently exfoliate your lips with it. Leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes and wipe off with a moist cotton ball. Exfoliate daily or 3 times a week for best results.

How It Works

Both masoor and mustard oil have skin lightening properties that help remove tan and prevent your lips from darkening. Further, the presence of Vitamin E and the oil’s warm nature nourishes dry lips, balances Vata dosha and keeps them soft, moisturized and naturally pink.

B. Gram Flour With Milk

How And When To Use

Beat 3-4 tablespoons of gram flour and 2 tablespoons of milk to make a paste. Apply this on your lips and massage gently. Leave it on till the paste dries and wash off. Use 3 to 4 times a week.

How It Works

While milk softens the dead skin on your lips, gram flour’s exfoliating action helps to remove the dead skin and reveal healthy new skin.

C. Sugar/ Apricot/ Orange Peel/ Coffee /With Honey

How And When To Use

Add a few teaspoons of honey to any of the above ingredients in powdered form, to make a natural scrub for your lips. Gently exfoliate daily or as often as you require, to get soft, pink lips naturally.

How It Works

Sugar and apricot are good skin polishers that gently slough off dead skin from your lips. Orange peel contains citric acid which has a mild bleaching action on darkened lips. Caffeic acid present in coffee is a powerful antioxidant that boosts collagen production and ensures quick healing for damaged lips.

2. Always Stay Hydrated

How Much Water A Day

According to research, around 2.7 litres of water for women and 3.7 litres for men is required to meet one’s daily water intake.

How It Works

Proper hydration not only ensures smooth running of your body systems, it directly affects your skin and lip health. Drinking adequate water guarantees your lips stay pink and moisturized.

3. Turmeric Pack On Your Lips

How And When To Use

Blend raw turmeric with a few spoons of milk to make a herbal pack for your lips. Apply and leave it on for 20 minutes before washing off. This pack is safe for daily use.

How It Works

Curcumin in turmeric is an anti-inflammatory compound that prevents dryness-related swelling and helps to heal chapped lips. Further turmeric’s antiseptic properties keep lip infections away and its skin-lightening abilities reduce pigmentation of lips.

4. Aloe Vera Gel On Your Lips

How And When To Use

Directly extracted aloe vera gel can be applied 2 to 3 times a day. You can leave it on and allow your lips to absorb the gel without washing it off.

How It Works

Aloin in aloe vera is a natural depigmenting element that removes tan and dark patches from your lips. Further aloe’s moisture retention abilities keep your lips soft and moisturized for long hours.

5. Use Natural Lip Balms

How And When To Use

There are many herbal lip balms that contain natural ingredients such as beeswax, fruit and herb extracts. Apply these twice daily or whenever your lips feel dry.

How It Works

Lip balms containing beeswax act as a natural humectant that prevents transepidermal water loss from your lips. Fruit extracts on the other hand nourish your lips with essential nutrients and antioxidants, making them supple and pink.

6. Strawberry And Raspberry Lip Pack

How And When To Use

Crush the berries and apply on your lips. You may even add some cream or shea butter to the pack. Leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes and wash off. You can apply daily or at least 3 to 4 times a week for naturally pink lips.

How It Works

Strawberries are packed with Vitamin C that prevents lip damage from environmental factors. Vitamin C also helps lighten pigmentation on your lips. Raspberry too has antioxidants but is also known for its ability to reverse sun damage on your lips. Both the berries contain alpha hydroxy acids that remove dead skin from your lips, giving them a smooth texture.

7. Red Sandalwood, Yashtimadhu, Saffron And Milk Herbal Lip Pack

How And When To Use

Soak saffron in milk for an hour. Mix red sandalwood and yashtimadhu powder and add the saffron and milk to prepare a paste. Apply this herbal lepa on your lips and let it sit for 15 minutes before washing off. Use it daily as part of your morning lip care routine for depigmented, pink lips.

How It Works

All the above Ayurvedic herbs are known for their ‘Varnya’ (skin brightening) properties. Further, antioxidants in red sandalwood initiate healing and its cooling nature soothe your lips. Safranal in saffron, phytochemicals in sandalwood [1]and glabridin in yashtimadhu are natural antibacterial compounds that help fight various lip infections and inflammations thus making your lips healthy and pink.

8. Lemon/ Potato/ Onion Juice On Lips

How And When To Use

Squeeze a lemon or cut a slice of potato or onion and rub it on your lips. Wash off after 30 minutes. Apply it 2 to 3 times a day.

How It Works

Citric acid in lemon, and natural enzymes in onion and potato contribute to brightening your lips, giving them a natural pink hue.

9. Beetroot Juice For Your Lips

How And When To Use

Blend a beetroot in a juicer and apply the freshly extracted juice on your lips. You can add a few drops of olive or sesame oil or even a spoon of yogurt for smooth pink lips. Store the juice in a cool place and apply it 2 times a day.

How It Works

Beetroot contains betalains (red pigments) that naturally make your lips pink. It is also packed with antioxidants like Vitamin C and other skin-friendly nutrients that fight lip pigmentation, dead skin and environmental damages.

10. Remove Dark Patches On Lips With Mint Paste

How And When To Use

Crush 6 to 7 mint leaves and add a spoon of honey or 2 drops of olive oil to it. Apply on your lips and leave it on for 15 minutes before washing off. For heavily pigmented lips, add a few drops of lemon juice to the mixture.

How It Works

Salicylic acid in mint leaves helps remove dead cells and dark patches on your lips, thus restoring its natural pink colour. The herb is also packed with antioxidants and phytochemicals that give a boost of health to your lips. Mint leaves are especially useful for removing hyperpigmentation caused by tobacco smoke.

Important Note:

Mint leaves are great for removing pigmentation, but do not use them if your lips are chapped as mint may irritate dry, chapped [2] lips.

11. Almond / Sunflower/ Vitamin E Oil Overnight Treatment

How And When To Use

Almond, sunflower and vitamin E essential oils can all be used as an overnight treatment for chapped lips. You can directly apply almond or sunflower oil on your lips everyday before bedtime to visibly reduce dry, dead skin on your lips. To use vitamin E essential oil, dilute with a carrier oil and apply on your lips.

How It Works

All the above-mentioned oils are rich sources of Vitamin E, an essential antioxidant that improves skin immunity, promotes healing, restores sun-damaged lips and boosts new cell growth. Vitamin E is also used in a number of cleansing products for its ability to unclog pores and remove dead skin cells thus revealing natural pink lips.

12. Massage Your Lips With Musta Oil

How And When To Use

Musta oil can be directly used or mixed with a carrier oil and applied on your lips daily till the pigmentation marks disappear. Wash off after 20 minutes and repeat 2 times a day.

How It Works

According to Ayurvedic medicine, Musta or nut grass oil removes harmful ama toxins which upset the ‘Bhrajaka Pitta’ and cause changes in your lip colour. This action of musta enhances the natural pink tone of your lips. The herbal oil also nourishes your lips and softens them in a very short time.

13. Moisturize With Castor Seed Oil

How And When To Use

Massage a few drops of castor oil on your lips twice in the morning and before bedtime. Leave it on for 15 minutes and wash off with lukewarm water.

How It Works

The fatty acids in castor seed oil such as ricinoleic acid have special antibacterial and skin healing properties that keep various lip problems at bay. Castor oil is also used to correct dark spots and uneven tones on your lips. Applying castor oil daily on your lips increases new cell growth rate, making your lips healthy and pink naturally.

14. Soften Your Lips With Hemp Seed Oil

How And When To Use

Apply a generous amount of hemp seed oil on your dry, chapped lips twice daily to get soft pink lips naturally. You can either leave it on as a lip moisturizer or wash off after 20 minutes.

How It Works

Hemp seed oil is light in nature and makes for a perfect lip balm that hydrates, prevents dry skin, lip irritations and burning sensations. The omega acids and phytochemicals in hemp seed oil prevent free radical damage and skin ageing and give you youthful, pink lips naturally.

15. Apply Shea Butter

How And When To Use

Shea butter is safe on the skin and can be applied as many times a day as needed.

How It Works

This natural fat extracted from shea nuts provides excellent protection for your lips and prevents cheilitis (chapped lips). It improves your skin’s ability to retain moisture, keeping your lips hydrated, soft and pink. Loaded with essential fatty acids such linoleic, oleic acids, it improves your skin’s immunity and ability to protect your lips from weather changes and sun exposure.

Vedix Tip: Applying ghee or mustard oil on chapped lips allows them to heal quickly and stay uninfected.

Lip Care Tips For Pink Lips

Topical remedies for lips are an excellent way to cure damaged lips and bring back their natural pink tone. However, it needs to be coupled with healthy practices which prevent lip damage in the first place. Follow the below-mentioned lip care tips to get beautiful, pink lips naturally.

1. Keep your lips moisturized at all times. Opt for herbal lip balms, oils, beeswax or petroleum jelly, which are devoid of artificial colours and fragrances.

2. Apply sunscreen or use lip balms with a minimum SPF30 whenever you step outside.

3. Refrain from licking, peeling or biting your lips [3]. Licking is one of the main causes of cheilitis or chapped lips.

4. Avoid smoking or chewing tobacco to prevent lip-darkening.

5. Drink adequate amounts of water to stay hydrated.

6. Avoid spicy foods that irritate the skin on your lips.

“Bark of walnut, when used for brushing, can make the lips look pink. Regular massage and exercising of facial muscles can prevent the lips from sagging and thinning”, says Dr. Zeel.

Foods To Eat To Get Pink Lips Naturally

1. Omega 3 Fatty Acids

These nutrients serve a variety of purposes in keeping your skin and lips healthy. Including omega 3 fatty acids in your food ensures better UV ray protection, hydration and improved skin immunity.

• Flax seeds, salmon, tuna, chia seeds, fish oils.

2. Vitamin C

This is an essential antioxidant [4] that helps fight various lip infections. Foods containing Vitamin C also help regulate melanin synthesis, which prevents lip-darkening from sun exposure and hyperpigmentation. Another important function of Vitamin C is to aid new cell growth and increase the production of collagen and elastin, which keeps your lips healthy and plump.

• Indian gooseberry, citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, peppers.

3. Vitamin E

Vitamin E is considered an anti-ageing nutrient. Consuming Vitamin E protects your lips from free radical damage, thus keeping them pink, young and healthy.

• Seafoods, sunflower oil, almonds and other nuts and seeds, wheat germ oil.

4. Vitamin B Complex

Vitamin B reduces skin inflammation and is effective for people whose lips are affected by dermatitis and cheilitis. It also fosters healthy cell growth and ensures quick healing of infections.

• Liver, meat, milk, tuna, mackerel, shellfish, eggs, dark green vegetables.

5. Zinc

Zinc has amazing healing powers, making it an ingredient in various skin ointments. Conditions such as chapped lips, contact dermatitis on lips and microbial infections are better treated with a diet that is rich in zinc.

• Meat, legumes, shellfish, whole grains, dairy products, nuts and seeds.

6. Hydrating Foods

Foods that have a high water content help to replenish your daily water intake. These keep your lips hydrated and naturally pink.

• Watermelons, cucumbers, apples, celery, tomatoes, bottle gourd, banana stem.

7. Flavonoids

These polyphenols derived from plants are powerful antioxidants that fight inflammation, skin ageing, cell death, carcinogens and sun damage. They also provide strong protection against a number of viral and bacterial lip diseases thus ensuring you have natural pink lips.

• Green tea, berries, onion, dark chocolate, parsley.

8. Amino Acids

Amino acids are considered a prime nutrient for achieving pink lips. These help heal skin damage, protect your lips from sun damage, improve moisture retention in your skin cells and strengthen your skin barrier function.

• Eggs, turkey, mushrooms, cheese, quinoa.

“Fruits rich in vitamins and iron will ensure your lips stay plump and hydrated. Pomegranates work really well in restoring lip colour. Manjishtha when consumed daily can help redden lips”, adds Dr. Zeel.

The Last Word

Pink lips are an asset and you are obviously willing to go that extra mile to achieve them. According to Ayurveda, a healthy lifestyle, a nutrient-rich diet and dosha balancing lip care are all it takes to get healthy pink lips. If you are unsure about why your lips are darkening or getting dry too frequently, consult your Ayurvedic doctor for a detailed analysis of your skin type and Prakriti. This will allow you to choose the right lip remedies to turn your dark lips pink naturally.

Know Your Dosha Now