As you age, the color of your lips also becomes duller and duller. “The mucosal part of your lip is thinner compared to the rest of your skin because it has fewer layers and contains many capillaries, or small blood vessels,” says board-certified dermatologist Marisa Garczyk, MD, FAAD, when explaining lip anatomy. “Combined, this explains the color of the lips.”

As we age, our skin becomes drier. This applies to the skin of the whole body, but especially the lips. “With age, the lips become thinner and [face] increased moisture loss, which can change the overall appearance and color, as dry skin on the lips can make them dull,” says Harshyk.

Keeping your lips moisturized isn’t just good for skin health, it can help keep your lips looking bright. Look for options that combine emollients (eg, castor oil, moringa seed oil, sunflower oil), moisturizers (eg, hyaluronic acid), and occlusive agents (eg, oils and waxes).