It’s Poppin’: The 411 On Lip Plumping Gloss

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These type of glosses and balms "create a 'plump' effect by swelling the lips by irritating them with certain ingredients," according to Dr. Erum Ilyas. He gave us the breakdown on how it works, explaining that "the thin skin of the lips is very susceptible to irritation and will swell temporarily in response."

Essentially, they are creating what is referred to as an irritant contact dermatitis to the lips. While these type of irritants work on anyone, the thickness of the skin on one's lips might "require" more layers of application or a more "aggressive" product. The irritants that cause this contact dermatitis vary. Ilyas lists a few of the ingredients (menthol, camphor, and/or caffeine) that may be found in these products due to their ability to vasodilate (or widen the blood vessels of) the skin. However, cinnamon, peppermint, capsaicin, or cayenne pepper (from chili peppers) are more commonly used to achieve the irritation that results in swelling.

Baddest in the Game

According to Dr. Anthony Youn, these are some of the most popular brands on the market: Sexy Mother Pucker, Too Faced Lip Injection, and HA5 Smooth and Plump System.

Note:

I picked up Sexy Mother Pucker Pillow Plump's "Nude in Town" from Target. Almost as instantly as promised, it began to "buzz, tingle, and zing." Not five minutes later, my lips were far more visible in my peripheral view than ever before. The biggest turn off for me was that the product color was my least favorite as it showed up as that bubble gum color that I rarely enjoy in my lip color, but is seemingly trendy in the beauty world.

Quality Over Quantity

There are some products where you know that if you spend more money, you'll get the best quality, while others don't matter so much. And I'm not sure that this is true, I just hold it as the truth since this is what my mother keeps telling me about jeans. Nonetheless, Dr. Youn says that the price of plumpers doesn't really make a difference in how effective it is. You can buy fire products at a wide range of prices.

However, if you're a budgetnista, both doctors that we spoke with said this is absolutely something that you can cook up in the kitchen. Dr. Ilyas recommends a simple recipe that involves "melting your favorite balm, mixing in ¼ tsp of cinnamon oil or cayenne pepper, letting it cool in the container then applying it to your lips." He adds, "You can do this with any lip balm, gloss or lipstick if you need a little color in your product." However, Dr. Youn says in addition to the aforementioned ingredients, you can also use chili powder or peppermint oil.

Youn explains that by adding "a drop or two of peppermint oil" into your lip gloss you will create a "gentle irritation" similar to the effect created with store-bought plumpers. As someone who is still traumatized by the effects of Tennessee hot chicken, here's one piece of advice I've duly noted and you should too whether you like spicy food or not: "If you DIY it" be sure "not put a lot of the irritating substance on your lips all at once. Putting a bunch of cayenne pepper powder on your lips will definitely plump them up, but will also burn like crazy!"

Use It and Lose It 

While there are minimal health risks involved with using lip plumpers, Ilyas warns against overusing this enhancement method on a daily basis. He says, "The more frequently you use them, the more likely you will start to suffer from severely chapped lips." Not to mention, "After the swelling subsides from irritation, the thin skin on the lips that was inflamed tends to shed or peel like Elmer's school glue stuck to your skin. The lips can start to feel raw and crack or bleed easily."

Essentially, this is not a permanent solution for creating more voluminous lips, but a temporary solution to be used sparingly.

Other options include those lip plumping devices, which ultimately work by suctioning your lips. There are also serums and of course, lip fillers injections, which have pricier upfront costs.