While 91 percent of women choose to perform at least one preventative health and wellness measure in the morning to kick-off their day (e.g., taking a vitamin, exercising and applying an anti-aging facial product), only half apply lip balm to protect their lips from dryness and sun damage according to a national poll released by Blistex.

“One way to ensure ‘good-for-you grooming’ is to protect the pout,” says Charles Zugerman, associate professor of clinical dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University. “It’s no secret that lips are often forgotten, leaving the body susceptible to infection when they become chapped or cracked. Incorporating an all-weather, all-season lip balm into morning routines ensures daily protection and prevents damaging effects to the lips.”

Survey highlights from the Blistex Grooming Routine Survey include:

* Lips lose out in sun protection. While almost three-quarters of women (72 percent) apply sunscreen to their face as part of their routine, only 30 percent apply it to their lips. Lips are more vulnerable to sun damage than the rest of the body because the lips’ thin outer layer has almost no melanin – the natural skin pigment that helps screen out the sun’s harmful rays.

* Nearly 75 percent of women are kissing-off the chance to wake up with soft and moisturized lips, with only 25 percent of respondents admitting that they apply lip balm before bedtime.

* Nearly 59 percent of respondents report daily exposure to at least three different elements that include sun, dry air, wind and cold, yet only 44 percent said they apply lip balm in the morning before leaving the house.

* Almost 40 percent of women are frustrated in having to purchase multiple products to handle varying weather conditions. Products that cross seasons and climates not only help streamline the morning grooming routine, but are also easy on the pocketbook.

Blistex Five Star Lip Protection says it offers a simple solution to morning grooming routine challenges. Ingredients include essential oils, a proven active skin protectant, and a broad spectrum SPF 30 UVA/UVB for year-round sun protection, as recommended by the American Academy of Dermatology.