Plump Your Lips Naturally

Want Angelina Jolie lips without having to hit up the plastic surgeon for painful collagen or Juvederm injections? It's possible, and you don't even have to shell out the $20 or more for a top-of-the-line lip gloss from the department store. Some don't even plump very well anyway. So why not take things into your own hands and give yourself a little lip service? There are a few ways to create the illusion of larger lips. Plumping lip glosses use a variety of agents to irritate the delicate and thin skin that covers your lips, much like a bee sting irritates the skin around it. There is a risk of that delicate skin peeling or sores developing, so manufacturers also add soothing ingredients. The irritant in lip plumpers vary - from capsaicin, the substance found in hot peppers, to cinnamon oil, wintergreen oil and ginger. Soothing ingredients also vary but often include waxes and oils, such as avocado, grapeseed, jojoba and almond, or glycerine. These oils are all usually available at health food stores or online, but be sure to invest in "food grade" oils - they will be on your lips and likely to be ingested, after all.