When I describe plump lips, your mind probably pulls up images of instagram models and celebrities–one of whom is likely Kylie Jenner. While Kylie may have brought ideas of over-lining with lipstick and lip filler to the attention of various social media users, full and plump lips have been a standard of beauty in various cultures since long before she came to the stage. So for ages, folks have been determining ways to acquire the ever-coveted perfect pout.
In the modern day, we have a few ways of approaching this voluptuous lip venture. Filler is one tried and true method. It lasts the longest out of all of the options, and it will have the most noticeable effect. Over-lining is another option. This one is a little more accessible and it involves using lip liner to outline just outside the margins of your lips to create the illusion of volume.
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I remember growing up in the era of the “Kylie Jenner lip challenge” where young girls were using shot glasses and suction to create swollen lips. I won’t get into the absurdity of this trend and the dangers of drawing large volumes of blood to one area of your face… and thankfully a safer, less odd, intervention came about: lip plumpers.
When I was researching lip plumpers to try to get to the bottom of whether or not they’re a worthwhile investment, there was no shortage of lists for where to get the Top 10 Plumpers, or the Best Plumpers of the Year. Lip plumping products have always had quite the appeal and I totally get it! I myself have indulged in my fair share of glosses that ranged from a cool minty tingle to a fiery hot burn.
The science was unclear to me, but I was never concerned. I thought: what better way to get a perfect pout for a quick buck? It definitely felt like some change was happening, like my lips were undergoing their transformation from caterpillar to… slightly chubbier caterpillar.
I’m a little bit of a glutton for punishment, so I figured the worse it hurt, the more the plumper was working. But now I’m not so sure. I did a little more of a deep dive to understand what’s really going on with these products. What are the mechanisms behind their marketing claims? Do they actually work? Let’s break it down.
The Science Behind Spicy Lip Plumpers
What I gathered from my quest for knowledge is that lip plumpers often operate in one of two ways: they either stimulate blood flow to the lips, or attract and lock in moisture and hydration. The way you can determine which of the two is happening for you is to consult the ingredients on the tube.
The spicier ingredients are what lead to the increased blood flow response. When I say spicy, I mean it literally, as Capsaicin–a component of chili peppers–is a common ingredient in this mode of plumping. Things like ginger, cinnamon, peppermint, and menthol can also promote vasodilation.
This is a fancy, science term for when your veins expand, thereby sending gushes of blood all throughout your body. When applied to plumpers, this means a small volume of blood rushes up to your lips. This is also why the stronger ingredients leave your lips feeling like they’re throbbing. It’s your blood cells dancing around!
This technique is familiar to me as my lip plumpers tend to fall within the vasodilation category. But some of the newer plumpers currently taking the market (and TikTok) by storm are the ones that use cool molecules that do some cool stuff.
Do newer lip plumpers work better?
One great compound is hyaluronic acid (HA). HA is a pretty great ingredient which is interestingly used in a lot of fillers, including lip filler. It works to plump lips by locking water molecules in the skin it’s applied to. HA is impressive because it can hold 1000x its own weight in water, and over time, this will boost the volume of your lips.
Polypeptides are another great ingredient being incorporated into lip plumpers. Polypeptides are proteins that can contribute to an array of outcomes. Tripeptide, specifically, is helpful in boosting collagen, fibronectin, and elastin production. These are all binding agents within the skin, which leave it looking healthier and more radiant for a better look overall.
HA and tripeptides are the big two, but some other noteworthy mentions include Glycerin which, similar to HA, is a moisture locker, and botanical oils and butters which hydrate the lips. Bear in mind that with this method of plumping, patience is a virtue. It will take time for your body to respond to the ingredients, and consistent use of the product is required for consistent results.
Lip Filler vs. Lip Plumper: Which is Right for You?
Although I love the immediate gratification of the hot sauce gloss, I find the hydration component to be especially alluring for these newer methods. I’ll admit that my spicy glosses often leave my lips feeling dry and raw by the end of the day. This is a predictable side effect of the irritants used in the ingredients. Turns out the more they burn, the worse the outcome is for your lips.
All in all, lip plumpers can be pretty cool. They can be a good way to determine if a fuller lip look is right for you and a fun way to play around with short term, subtle outcomes. If you’re not feeling it, you can simply stop applying it. And if you love it, you can achieve an even more transformative result (or an understated version if that’s your jam) with lip filler that will last 6 to 12 months or longer.
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With filler, you get the added bonus of being able to wear any lip look you want without losing any volume. And when you wake up in the morning, you still have that little something extra going on. Getting the treatment with a highly skilled injector allows you to tailor the result to exactly the look you want with strategic little increases in volume in all the right places.
Essentially, filler gives you the option to create and maintain a totally customized, no-fuss result that you can always count on, while lip plumpers allow for temporary play. No matter what works best for you, take care of that pucker!
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