I am not built for the cold. My hands turn purple. My toes lose any iota of sensation—and turn purple. (It’s cute.) And, perhaps most frustratingly, my lips devolve into a chapped, often peeling, and bleeding landscape. (Really cute.) Now, not to brag, but I’ve spent the past year really cracking the code on how to get soft lips. When it’s normal weather, my regimen consists of hydrating lipsticks, oils, and glosses. But with winter almost here (we’re hitting the low 40s this week in NYC), it’s time to kick my routine up a notch.
Most of the heavy lifting is done at night—exfoliating (no matter how scary) is key, and a series of lip masks and balms is my main line of defense against drying, moisture-sucking radiators. But daytime is where habit kicks in. A simple morning swipe of lip balm doesn’t cut it. I reapply my special cocktail of lip hydrators 9,000 times a day—as if my life depends on it.
Want a peek inside my lip care bag? Scroll and shop ahead.
Start Every Morning With an Exfoliator
My lips are always the most cracked and dehydrated in the morning. I’m a mouth breather (not proud of it), but it typically leaves my lips with a dry, tight, and desperately in need of moisture feeling when I wake up. To ensure I start the day with a clean slate, I grab a lip exfoliator right after brushing my teeth.
The key to this guy is to dab a little water on my lips before application. Then I scoop out a little product and use a soft towel to buff away dead skin in small circles. The sugar formula is gentle yet effective, always leaving my lips touchably soft—not irritated.
I am obsessed with each of these four flavors, but vanilla has to be my personal favorite. It’s the OG as far as lip scrubs are concerned and is gentle enough for daily use. Plus, it’s easy to clean up when all is said and done.
Replace Lipstick With a Tinted Balm
As much as I love a hydrating lipstick, they just don’t do quite enough for me when it’s cold out. So for the time being, I toss ‘em to the side in favor of tinted lip balms that pack a pretty heavy dose of pigment. All the color, with a whole lot more moisture.
Forget the Filler Lip Gloss is one of my all-time favorite products—it genuinely makes me look like I had a lip flip on my lunch break. But for now, I’m using the tinted balm version, which is packed with shea butter and jojoba seed oil. I’ve been wearing Posey, a rosey mauve, on repeat, but all the shades are gorgeous.
YSE Beauty has sneakily become one of my go-to skincare brands over the past year. I live for their vitamin C and glowy SPF primer, but this 3-in-1 is my ride-or-die these days. It’s packed with hyaluronic acid that smooths over rough spots, gives a really pretty glow, and has a shocking amount of pigment in every swipe.
Swap Your Gloss for a Lip Mask
Rather than reach for a gloss when I’m itching for some shine, I use a super shiny lip mask. I’ve tested hundreds, and swear these two give the creamiest, most reflective finish.
I have approximately every single flavor of these viral lip masks. They’re hands-down the silkiest out there, taste delicious, and give a mirror-like shine that could easily be mistaken for a gloss. With so many shades to choose from, you can amp up the color of your balm, too.
She’s a pricey one—but you can expect your money’s worth. Every little drop of product is packed with fatty acids, lipids, and peptides. I whip this guy out when my lips are crying out for help—they feel soothed after just one application.
Lip Baste at Night
This is, without a doubt, the biggest game-changer when it comes to treating cracked lips. Every night, I grab a thick, rich, creamy moisturizer and let a heavy layer sink into my lips over the course of 10-ish minutes. It might look a little crazy at the start, but truly dehydrated lips will drink up the hydration.
With a super affordable price tag, I never feel guilty lathering this baby on my lips. Its heavy texture, which is fortified with vitamin E and calendula extract, soaks into my lips to create longer-lasting hydration than any other balm or mask. It’s like a face mask—for my lips.
I originally learned about lip basting from Dr. Idriss when I was a college student following her PillowTalkDerm Instagram series, so it’s only fitting that her Lip Basting duo is one of my MVP products. If you’re going to buy one item off my list, let it be this—it’s a two-step system (exfoliator and hydrator) that gets the job done. Bonus: it makes for a great holiday gift.
Lock It in Before Bed
Once all that lip basting goodness has sunk in, I like to top off my routine with an occlusive that helps safeguard my lips until the morning. I opt for the cheapest possible option here—there’s no need to get too fancy.
Travel-size packs are my personal favorite because I can throw them in my bag for emergency applications. Pro tip: I also apply a thin layer to my under eyes before bed as a substitute for a fancy eye cream.
I truly feel like there are two types of people in this world: the Vaseline girls and the Aquaphor girls. Candidly, their formulas are near-identical, but I do love this particular option for its tube design, which helps keep bacteria out.
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