Look after your Lips, your Teeth and your Smile!Our lips are most important. They are an integral part of our smile and smiling goes a very long way towards the attainment of beauty. They are also a part of the body that we use every day and as such are not easy to disguise or hide. Do not pass your tongue over your lips; for, besides being against the rules of polite society, the dampness thus produced is not good for them. The Ladies Dressing Room – Baroness Staffe 1893 
The Baroness is correct, the politeness aside, it is not good to allow moisture to dry on the lips, it has the effect of drying them out. The heater in the car, the central heating in our homes and in the office and the magnetically charged field emanated by a computer screen can all draw moisture from our lips. One would think that lipstick would counteract this and be a good thing, but unfortunately many lipsticks are made using mineral oils and petroleum derivatives, which ultimately only add to the drying effect. The lips and the area immediately surrounding should be treated as gently and carefully as you would your eyes. Do not smear your face mask quite so close, this is one area you do not want to dry out. Buy a lip balm that is not vaseline-based or make your own. Do not worry too much about the shape of your lips, a smile is a smile and a twinkle in the eyes always draws attention away from the rest of the features. Be sure to attend a dentist regularly and keep your teeth sparkling clean. Of course misaligned teeth that cause pain or are likely to impede speech or eating should be remedied without a thought but it is not necessary to subject yourself to painful procedures for straightening teeth that are only slightly misaligned. Likewise the current trend for super white teeth, which do not look quite natural, is to be fought against. We are all different and our teeth are coloured to match the pallet of the rest of our features. The individuality of your smile is all part and parcel of the package that is called ‘you’. A quick glance at many of the teenage role models of today (pop stars and tv icons) will very soon establish the blandness (not to mention plasticity) which conformity brings.
The tongue is often the first place a doctor will look in the diagnosis of illness. This important part of our anatomy though belonging inside the body will often be on display during the course of normal conversation. It is therefore very important that you attend to your health when seeking to change the appearance of the tongue. The latest thing (in a long line of latest things) is the attention being given to cleaning the tongue. It is not necessary to buy a special tooth brush with which to do this. Although you should change your toothbrush regularly it is perfectly adequate to pass the bristles over your tongue while in the process of cleaning your teeth. If you are in any way concerned by the appearance of your tongue you should seek medical advice. There is also a growing trend towards the piercing of one’s tongue. I can hardly complain about piercings in general since I do have one myself and three of my four children have piercings... the remaining one being content to stick to tattoos! This is purely a matter of choice. I would think that the ability to make oneself understood clearly is of prime importance. The popularity of the tongue piercing trend, as with so many other modern fashions, is more focussed on superficial looks than an expression of who you are. But like all of these trends, it will have it's day and eventually pass by. Just be sure that you do not leave yourself with any lasting long-term damage once it does.
Easy to make Lip BalmIngredients14g Beeswax 10g Cocoa Butter 25ml Vegetable oil (the choice is yours) Method Melt all the ingredients together in a double boiler or bain marie* and then pour into previously sterilised pots and leave to cool. If you are using organic unrefined cocoa butter your finished balm will smell a little like chocolate. The refined version does not smell. Flavours can be added such as vanilla essence (but beware vanilla can turn the mixture a dark shade of brown), or lemon or orange essence. Take a look at the flavourings available in the cake decorating section of the supermarket. A few drops are all that is required. This particular formula for lip balm has been tested at minus 45 degrees in a Kazhakstani winter and found to work exceptionally well. * It is very dangerous to heat bees wax in a pot directly over the source of heat - although bees wax has a high melting point, when it gets too hot it will burst into flames. A bain marie or double boiler is the answer. Place a pan of hot water onto the stove or cooker top and then put a smaller pan or bowl into the hot water. You place your ingredients into the bowl or pot and bring the water in the lower pan to a gentle simmer. Watch the pots carefully to make sure the pan does not boil dry and also to ensure that you do not overheat the ingredients in the top pan or bowl. The Teeth
We are so accustomed to toothpaste these days it would seem unthinkable to use anything else but many people are slowly waking up to the fact that convenience can often have a downside. Using a tooth powder is a little more fuss and bother than a ready mixed toothpaste but it can be infinitely better since you know exactly what is in it. The knack to keeping your teeth and gums healthy is not in the toothpaste that you use, but in the regular and thorough cleaning of the teeth. All that is needed is a slightly abrasive substance to remove tartar and plaque from the teeth and thorough attention to cleaning each and every tooth. Combine this with the daily use of dental floss and the type of tooth cleaner you use becomes totally immaterial. This is one of those things that you have to try before you can decide if it is for you or not. But it's worth having a go!
A modern Tooth Powder Ingredients 2 Tablespoons Bicarbonate of Soda 1 Tablespoon Finely ground Sea Salt 1 Tablespoon powdered lemon or orange peel (unwaxed). Method The cleaned rind of lemon or orange (organic is best) peel should be chopped as small as possible in an electric blender. Leave the chopped rind to dry for a few days in the airing cupboard or other warm place and then reduce to a fine powder by blitzing once again in the blender. Combine all the dry ingredients and keep in a jar in the bathroom. To use: Wet the toothbrush and then dip into the powder and brush the teeth as you normally would. Rinse the mouth when finished.
How our teeth fare in adult life can often be traced back to what we ate as children, and how well we adhered to good dental hygiene. My children all have much better teeth than I have. This is due in part to their diet and in part to the modern addition of fluoride in the drinking water. They certainly did not clean their teeth any more frequently or any more carefully than I did as a child. The main culprit in the demise of mine was most definitely sugary drinks and sweets. All I can say is that habits formed when young are likely to continue unchanged well into adulthood and a routine of careful attention to the teeth should be started when very young. For the rest of us there is nothing for it but to do the best we can. Regular check ups at the dentist are absolutely vital for the continued preservation of the teeth and a thorough cleaning by a hygienist will complement your own daily routine. On the question of white teeth. Very few of us have truly white teeth and many of us have teeth that are naturally of a yellow shade. It can be quite disheartening to pay very special attention to our teeth only to find that we still do not have the gleaming tombstones that one sees in the toothpaste adverts. A quick chat with the dentist should put you straight. It may be quite normal for your teeth to be of a yellow shade and provided they are healthy and sound you should not worry overly about the colour.
More recipes for the lips here
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