Lips dry out sooner than the rest of the face in winter because their skin is thinner and makes almost none of its own oil, so cold air, wind and central heating draw moisture from them quickly. The routine that answers this is short: a lip balm through the day, one with SPF when you are outdoors, a richer lip mask at night, a gentle exfoliation only now and then, and a balm under lipstick. Below is each step, and the lip balms and masks we would choose for it.
Why Do Lips Get So Dry in Winter?
The skin of the lips has a very thin outer layer and few of the oil glands that keep the rest of the face supple. It holds water poorly and loses it fast. Winter adds to that from every side: cold outdoor air carries little moisture, wind strips away what there is, and heated rooms are drier still. Lips begin to feel tight, then rough, and small flakes appear at the edges.
One habit makes it worse: licking your lips. Saliva brings a moment of relief, then evaporates and takes more moisture with it. A balm within reach is the simplest way to break the habit.
Lip Balm, Lip Mask or Lip Oil: What Is the Difference?
- A lip balm is the daily layer. Waxes, butters and oils form a soft film that helps slow moisture loss, so it is the one to reapply through the day.
- A lip mask is a richer step, left on for longer. Some are thick balms worn overnight; others are sheet masks applied for a few minutes.
- A lip oil is lighter, with more shine. It feels comfortable and looks polished, but it sits less firmly than a balm, so in wind and cold it works best over one.
The Daily Lip Balm
Apply balm in the morning, before you go out, after meals and whenever lips feel tight. A thin, even layer is enough, and reapplying often matters more than applying a lot.
Ducray's Ictyane Moisturizing Stick is made for lips in changing weather, with shea butter and squalane, and the house suggests applying it before going out in cold, wind or dry conditions. Avène's Cold Cream Nourishing Lip Balm is a twist-up stick for dry lips, built on the house's Cold Cream with waxes and oils. A-derma's Avoine Rhealba Lip Stick pairs the house's oat with shea butter in a creamy texture. Clarins' Hydra-Essentiel [HA + Peptide] Moisture Replenishing Lip Balm uses hyaluronic acid pearls and cocoa in a melting texture with a soft, glossy finish.
- Ictyane Moisturizing Stick Lip Balm
- Cold Cream Nourishing Lip Balm
- Avoine Rhealba Lip Stick
- Hydra-Essentiel [HA + Peptide] Moisture Replenishing Lip Balm
By Day, a Lip Balm with SPF
Winter sun is lower but it still reaches the lips, and snow reflects it back. If you spend time outdoors, on a bright walk or in the mountains, choose a lip balm with SPF and apply it before you go out. Reapply often, especially after eating or drinking, since every meal and every cup of tea takes some of it away.
Avène's Very High Protection SPF 50+ Hydrating Lip Balm is made for sensitive lips and is water-resistant, a sensible choice for snow and long days outside. Isdin's Lip Protector SPF 30 is a compact stick with a wax-rich texture. Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream Nourishing Lip Balm SPF 20 PA++ softens dry lips and, the house notes, wears comfortably under or over lipstick. Neutrogena's Norwegian Formula SPF 20 Lip Balm is a twist-up stick designed for dry, chapped lips.
- Very High Protection SPF 50+ Hydrating Lip Balm
- Lip Protector SPF 30
- Eight Hour Cream Nourishing Lip Balm SPF 20 PA++
- Norwegian Formula SPF 20 Lip Balm
At Night, a Lip Mask
Night is when lips can keep a richer layer undisturbed for hours. After cleansing, smooth on a generous layer of lip mask or lip butter and leave it to work while you sleep. In the morning, lips should feel softer, and any loose flakes will lift away easily with a damp flannel.
Moi's Hydrating Lip Repair Mask is a silky balm with shea butter and jojoba oil, meant to be applied to clean lips before bed. Avène's Cold Cream Lip Butter is a richer texture in a jar, with shea butter, and the house suggests reapplying it before bed as an overnight step. For a shorter treatment, Svr Laboratoire Dermatologique's Biocellulose Repair Lip Mask is a sheet mask left on clean, dry lips for ten minutes, with glycerin for hydration; pat any remaining serum in afterwards, and use it weekly or as needed.
Gentle Exfoliation, Now and Then
Flakes are tempting to pick, but pulling them lifts the skin beneath before it is ready. A gentle exfoliation once a week, or less, is enough. Massage a lip scrub lightly over the lips for a few seconds, wipe or rinse it away, and follow straight away with balm. If your lips are cracked or sore, leave exfoliation until they have settled.
Ziaja's Tropical Pineapple Lip Scrub uses sugar crystals in an emollient base, with a pineapple scent, and the house suggests it before balm or lipstick.
Lip Oil and the Step Under Lipstick
Long-wearing and matte lipsticks can feel drying on winter lips, and colour catches on any rough patch. Smooth lips first, then apply a thin balm and give it a minute to settle. Blot lightly with a tissue so the lipstick has something to hold to, then apply your colour. For a softer look, a lip oil or oil balm over bare lips gives comfort with shine.
Clarins' Lip Oil Balm combines the comfort of a balm with an oil-gel texture and a softly luminous finish, worn alone or as a buildable tint. MAC's Prep+Prime Lip Balm is a transparent formula made to smooth lips before colour, with the house noting that it helps reduce feathering and extend the wear of lip colour. Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream Intensive Lip Repair Balm is an intensive balm for dry lips with a non-greasy finish that layers well under colour.
- Tropical Pineapple Lip Scrub
- Lip Oil Balm Lip Balm
- Prep+Prime Lip Balm
- Eight Hour Cream Intensive Lip Repair Balm
The Routine at a Glance
- Morning: a thin layer of lip balm, with SPF if you will be outdoors.
- Through the day: reapply after meals and drinks, and whenever lips feel tight. Try not to lick them.
- Before lipstick: balm, a minute to settle, a light blot, then colour.
- Evening: a generous layer of lip mask or lip butter before bed.
- Once a week, or less: a gentle lip scrub, followed straight away by balm.
When to Ask for Advice
Dry winter lips usually respond to a steady routine within a few days. If lips crack, bleed or do not settle, ask a pharmacist. If you have very dry skin elsewhere on the face, our guide to sensitive and dry skin with Eucerin and Avène, and our guide to hyaluronic acid, are good further reading.
If you change only one thing this week, keep a lip balm where your hand finds it: in your coat pocket, by the bed, at your desk, and use it before your lips ask.
