Do Lip Plumpers Really Work?

In this article:
What’s in your lip plumper?
How do lip plumpers work?
Which ingredients plump lips naturally?
Lip plumping tips and tricks

There’s no shortage of lip products offering to help those who want a plump pout. A host of lip plumpers claim to instantly boost lip volume without the need for tweakments or cosmetic procedures.

These plumping products seem like a quick, easy fix and are certainly less expensive than a procedure or lip filler, but many of these products actually present more risks than benefits, lest we mention: their results are temporary.

So, do lip plumpers really work? As usual, it’s all about the ingredients, assessing the risks and keeping the cosmetic claims rooted in reality. We’re exploring lip plumpers below with the help of a dermatologist so you can decide what’s best for your pout.

What’s in your lip plumper?

Many popular lip plumpers contain ingredients like capsaicin (which gives chili peppers their heat), menthol or potent menthol derivatives, camphor, cinnamon, mint, and ginger oils (1). If you use a lip product with one or more of these ingredients, you might indeed see fuller lips short-term, but that isn’t because your lip’s volume is increasing – it's your lips telling you they’re in trouble!

It’s so tempting to try a lip plumping gloss or lip plumping balm that promises instant results, and often in fun colours as well. Who wouldn’t want a quick fix for a special occasion or a night out? But it’s important to remember lip plumping products are temporary and you must pay close attention to ingredients, which can wreak havoc on your pout if you’re not careful.

How do lip plumpers work?

Here’s a surprising fact: most lip-plumping beauty products do “work” to a certain extent, but the method in which they plump isn’t doing your lips any favours, leading to lip plumping gloss side effects.

The reason many of these lip plumpers work is that they encourage vasodilation, which is the widening of blood vessels to allow more blood to flow through them, making them appear larger (2). Unfortunately, this process also indicates that the skin on your lips is having a negative reaction. Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Corey L. Hartman also notes, “The result is unpredictable once the blood starts to flow, so you never really know exactly how plump the lips will become.”

All the ingredients mentioned above are sensitising, and any numbing, cooling, burning or tingling sensation you feel means your lips are irritated (3). The temporary, plumped look is often appealing, but the routine irritation can damage the delicate skin on the lips, eventually leading to thinning—the exact opposite of what you want (4).

Which ingredients plump lips naturally?

Are there any alternatives if you want to skip out on the irritating, over-the-counter lip plumping options, but still want to achieve fuller lips without injections?

Thankfully, the answer is yes - there are ingredients that can make a visible difference in the fullness and texture of lips with consistent use. The best lip plumper is one that treats the delicate skin on lips with care while supplying it with research-proven ingredients to improve its overall health, creating a pillowy appearance in the process.

Hyaluronic acid for lip plumping

Humectants such as hyaluronic acid and sodium hyaluronate can work with plant sugars such as glucomannan to plump lips by keeping water that would normally evaporate at the surface within lips. Hyaluronic acid is well known for its ability to attract and hold on to moisture, keeping lips hydrated and plumped (5).

In addition to making lips appear fuller, hyaluronic acid’s ability to restore firmness and pliability to lips helps lessen the appearance of wrinkles on the thin skin there. A topical hyaluronic acid lip plumping gloss or balm can go a long way to making lips appear youthful and full!

Peptide lip plumpers

Another category of ingredients to investigate when considering lip plumpers is peptides. Messenger peptides such as palmitoyl tripeptide-1 and signal peptides like palmitoyl tripeptide-38 can get lips back to a fuller state over time by helping to revive underlying substances that provide support (6).

A peptide lip balm or peptide lip gloss will not only restore suppleness and improve the look of fine lines, but also result in cushioned, fuller-looking lips. With these products, “the key is to enhance the delicate and specialised skin of the lips so that they appear plumper because they are better hydrated and moisturised,” says Dr. Hartman.

@paulaschoice Reasons to 💓 our Pro-Collagen Peptide Gloss Balm: 💓Plumps & smooths lips 🧬Packed with peptides 😘Non-irritating 👄Sheer pink tint 💕Subtle vanilla scent Shop at PaulasChoice.com, @sephora + @sephoracanada #Paulaschoice #peptideliptreatment #Lipbalm #NewAtSephora ♬ Pink is my favorite color - Anne (Missy’s Version)

Other top lip plumping and conditioning ingredients

Anything you can do to restore lips' moisture and improve skin barrier function will make your pout look smoother, juicier and fuller. Here are some other proven, great ingredients to consider when looking for an over-the-counter lip plumper:

• Squalane, which works like skin’s own oil to prevent moisture loss and restore suppleness.
• Plant butters, including cocoa and shea butters, loaded with skin-restoring antioxidants that can help prevent pro-ageing damage are also source of plumping fatty acids.
• Glycerine, a humectant like hyaluronic acid that fortifies skin’s moisture barrier.

Lip plumping tips and tricks

Achieving fuller lips is also possible with some tried-and-true makeup tips:

• Line your lips slightly outside the natural lip line (don’t go overboard) with a liner that’s close to your natural lip colour.
• The shade of your lip colour impacts the appearance of lip fullness: Very dark shades tend to make lips look smaller, while more neutral or lighter pink and rose-toned colours make them seem larger.
• Dab a bit of lip gloss on the center of your bottom lip; the light-reflecting properties of gloss make lips appear fuller.
• Taking good care of your lips also helps. Using a luxurious lip balm loaded with beneficial ingredients can smooth lips and diminish the appearance of lines, leading to a plumper appearance. During the day, use a lip balm with SPF to protect lips against skin-thinning sun damage.

If you want fuller lips that last longer, there’s no question that lip injections from a cosmetic dermatologist are also an option (7). This procedure adds volume and shape to lips, and the results can last up to a year. Consult a professional, like your dermatologist, if this is the route you wish to take.

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References for this information:

1. Molecules, July 2016, page 844
2. Contact Dermatitis, September 2016, pages 333–344
3. Cosmetics, February 2017, ePublication
4. Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprology, January-February 2009, pages 10-19
5. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, April 2017, pages 366-371
6. Current Protein and Peptide Science, October 2021, pages 716-728
7. Dental Clinics of North America, July 2022, pages 431-442