No, I’m really asking! My lips have been particularly chapped this year (or perhaps they’re this chapped every year and I’m just noticing it more now?). Over the weekend, I was away for a night and threw a lip balm, not Aquaphor, in my travel case. I was constantly reapplying! And not because I was enjoying it.
I’m back home with my well-loved Aquaphor tube, my heel-dedicated Aquaphor stick, and am contemplating one of the comically large tubs of the stuff (I had one as a baby, lasted until middle school). I’ve got various pretty, pink lip mask jars (from multiple brands!) cluttering my bedside table, but a sneaking suspicion that none of them really do much.
But before I click BUY, I’m curious to know: Do you have a lip treatment that’s the one to beat? A balm stick that actually earned your pocket real estate? Are we all fools for ignoring the real hero here for better branding?
Lucas Papaw ointment with the slight edge over Aquaphor. Currently using both, supplementing with another highly recommended one, Olio e Osso No 1 Clear balm for on the go.
Ok I don't think I've ever tried Lucas Papaw proper -- just the Dr. Pawpaw stuff that duped me into thinking it was the original! I will right this wrong immediately!
A tub of Vaseline next to the bed. First a layer of cicoplast and then I basically seal my mouth shut every night, and dab a little juusst inside my nostrils. I can’t handle painful dry nose and lips ON TOP of it being winter for 6 months. It’s the only way to survive a Canadian Prairie winter. Plus a humidifier and a sunrise alarm clock.
It’s the only lip SPF I’ve used that doesn’t have a bad taste. And it feels like it actually stays put so you don’t have to reapply as often. Definitely worth a try! Although I haven’t tried the Aquaphor lip SPF to compare
Same, except it’s better than Aquaphor because it doesn’t have petroleum. Shea butter is the most moisturizing, and I don’t have to reapply it a thousand times a day.
If it’s super windy out or I’m on a plane I’ll use something with wax over it as an additional barrier.
No taste from the spf, Emily, that I’ve ever noticed. I hate that taste too.
I learned from Charlotte Palermino to do a layer of water on lips, then balm, THEN aquafor. I do that before bed and it really helps keep my lips healthy!
Lucas PawPaw ointment - the OG from Australia (red tube with black font - there are many imitators!) It’s fermented papaya powered and I always have it with me. Another tip is put your eye cream or a light lotion on your lips before any occlusives. Our lips need moisture, too! You’ll seal the goodness in after.
Lush Lip service. My mom and I hoarded it for Montreal and Chicago winters. Saved my life this summer in NC with an allergic reaction that left my lips peeling and swollen.
This seems to be a sleeper, but CO Bigelow “my favorite night balm” is life changing and the only thing that gets me through NYC winter radiator dryness
Perennial lip balm addict over here with chronically dry lips (thanks to the Amsterdam wind). I used Lucas Paw Paw for years but it has officially been bumped by Dr Lipp Nipple Balm. Not sticky, stays on, actually conditions and hydrates rather than Aquaphor which is just occlusive.
I think the Fresh advanced therapy lip balm actually works and is helpful when we change to winter and you need something extra! Laneige personally does nothing for me. I also like l’occitaine’s ultra lip balm (the stick) but it’s been a minute. Have been meaning to buy and try again
Honestly CBD lip balms work the best for me - the more homemade + bought at a crunchy health store the better. Also love the WeedSport body balm. https://www.weed-sport.com/product/total-body
Wow, new to me! LOVE the way it looks. Anything that makes me feel like I am actually a newborn baby in need of ultimate care and protection gets my purchase.
Honestly, nothing. Maybe homeoplasmine? I bought some in France this summer and I've been using it as my heavy duty nighttime lip balm, but I don't know if it rivals good ole Aquaphor.
I was on a course of Roacutane in 2015 and my dermatologist recommended (Australian brand) Dermal Therapy lip balm for the intense dry lips. I haven’t stopped buying it since- just the original. It has a light matte glossy finish making it a good alternative to a “make up lip gloss” too.
I love lip products and buy a ton of them, but for night lip balm, I am devoted to Nuxe Reve de Miel-- in the pot, not the stick. It is just waxy enough that it grips and I wake up still able to detect that it was there. I am faithful to very few products, but Nuxe and I have had a very very long relationship. Aquaphor is also a regular on my nightstand, though I mainly use it for my cuticles.
For severely chapped lips, check out Shereene Idriss's 'lip basting' approach.
I’m late to the game but Lanolips was my previous pick. It’s still great but it’s been dethroned by Eadem because it has an exfoliator built-in!!! Has a noticeably different effect than the other lip goops I’ve used. I love.
Nothing is better than Aquaphor. Also, curious to hear about Nelle... email me please info@theonlyjane.com. I have a Substack all about jeans and I am 5’4”!
The Vaseline lip ointment in the little tub with cocoa butter in it. Also, echoing the rec to apply balm on damp lips. I will barely dry mine after washing my face, apply moisturizer all over, and then lip balm. I’m not sure how wise it is to put my face moisturizer on my lips but doing this before the Vaseline works well.
Paula’s choice lip balm (in the pot, although the stick is also good if you want genuinely undetectable spf). It’s very simple but I’ve never found anything like it that STAYS (everything else lips are dry again in an hour)
I will forever mourn the OG formula of the Bite Beauty Agave balm and mask. If you have any old tubes rolling around, they were gamechangers. Hydrated lips by the morning, every time.
I suffer with terrible lip Ezcema and found Vaseline/Aquaphor dried them out even more! The only thing I’ve found that works is Lux Unfiltered smoothing lip serum it’s excellent!
Yes will second that I like the Cerave Healing Ointment better. I also really like Bepanthen which is essentially a German diaper cream. It has a high concentration of panthenol which is what works so well in cicaplast. Kind of weird to put on but it heals so well
I've never heard of this Dr. Dan but he intrigues me! I'm a sucker for really ugly branding (I'm serious) and this certainly fits the bill. Also love that it's a stick!
Agreed! Dr. Dan's Cortibalm (I like the Chapstick one) is hands down the best! I was a die hard Aquaphor lover for 15+ years but felt it lost its potency over time and I had to apply it more frequently. Dr. Dan's is the holy grail, it keeps my lips so so hydrated and soft, and I've never had to apply it as much as I did with Aquaphor.
Came here to say this! I actually have a little pot of it and it’s lasted through the last year, am just about to repurchase. Last year it was the only thing that worked for me.
Do you experience any side effects from long term topical steroid use with this? It sounds great I just have spent a lot of time on topical steroid withdrawal Tok 🫣
Lanolips!
Lucas Papaw ointment with the slight edge over Aquaphor. Currently using both, supplementing with another highly recommended one, Olio e Osso No 1 Clear balm for on the go.
Ok I don't think I've ever tried Lucas Papaw proper -- just the Dr. Pawpaw stuff that duped me into thinking it was the original! I will right this wrong immediately!
A tub of Vaseline next to the bed. First a layer of cicoplast and then I basically seal my mouth shut every night, and dab a little juusst inside my nostrils. I can’t handle painful dry nose and lips ON TOP of it being winter for 6 months. It’s the only way to survive a Canadian Prairie winter. Plus a humidifier and a sunrise alarm clock.
Sorry but Canadian Prairie winter sounds like an ASMR genre I would love
Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm. It’s like Aquaphor, but fancy (with flavors!), and has SPF. I have a tube with me everywhere I go.
Do you ever notice a taste from the SPF? All my SPF lip balms give me a bad taste in my mouth, which I hate
It’s the only lip SPF I’ve used that doesn’t have a bad taste. And it feels like it actually stays put so you don’t have to reapply as often. Definitely worth a try! Although I haven’t tried the Aquaphor lip SPF to compare
Same, except it’s better than Aquaphor because it doesn’t have petroleum. Shea butter is the most moisturizing, and I don’t have to reapply it a thousand times a day.
If it’s super windy out or I’m on a plane I’ll use something with wax over it as an additional barrier.
No taste from the spf, Emily, that I’ve ever noticed. I hate that taste too.
I learned from Charlotte Palermino to do a layer of water on lips, then balm, THEN aquafor. I do that before bed and it really helps keep my lips healthy!
I think the La Roche Posay Cicaplast Lip Balm and CeraVe Healing Ointment are better :)
I’m biased but my favorite is Kinship Supermelt Hyaluronic Lip Jelly Treatment. It’s a miracle worker for dry, cracked or chapped lips.
Lucas PawPaw ointment - the OG from Australia (red tube with black font - there are many imitators!) It’s fermented papaya powered and I always have it with me. Another tip is put your eye cream or a light lotion on your lips before any occlusives. Our lips need moisture, too! You’ll seal the goodness in after.
Yes need to do pre-balm prep and I always forget
It makes such a difference!
Blistex Ultra-rich hydration is my favorite. It's not the easiest Blistex version to find, but I think it's the best one they make.
Hi mom
Eye cream + Aquaphor at night has worked wonders for my lips, specifically the pyunkang yul black tea eye cream
Lush Lip service. My mom and I hoarded it for Montreal and Chicago winters. Saved my life this summer in NC with an allergic reaction that left my lips peeling and swollen.
I have other tinted ones for the purse but when I need to seriously heal my lips nothing compares.
Adding it to the list!
This seems to be a sleeper, but CO Bigelow “my favorite night balm” is life changing and the only thing that gets me through NYC winter radiator dryness
I'll swing by the store! Good excuse to go
Bag Balm is my tried and true as a Maine-er
CV skinlabs skin balm is life changing
Osmia Lip Doctor has worked wonders for me. Sometimes I apply it and then put Aquaphor over it for an added benefit.
Perennial lip balm addict over here with chronically dry lips (thanks to the Amsterdam wind). I used Lucas Paw Paw for years but it has officially been bumped by Dr Lipp Nipple Balm. Not sticky, stays on, actually conditions and hydrates rather than Aquaphor which is just occlusive.
You had me at Nipple Balm
I think the Fresh advanced therapy lip balm actually works and is helpful when we change to winter and you need something extra! Laneige personally does nothing for me. I also like l’occitaine’s ultra lip balm (the stick) but it’s been a minute. Have been meaning to buy and try again
Honestly CBD lip balms work the best for me - the more homemade + bought at a crunchy health store the better. Also love the WeedSport body balm. https://www.weed-sport.com/product/total-body
Not gonna lie, I love Tatcha's Kissu lip mask, but I need a cheaper alternative for sure
I have it but haven't given it a dedicated, no competitor try. Better than the Laneige?
For me, absolutely. The Laneige wore off quicker, this one has more staying power.
A+D Original Ointment - super thick, kind of a strange smell, but wow does it protect and heal my lips.
Wow, new to me! LOVE the way it looks. Anything that makes me feel like I am actually a newborn baby in need of ultimate care and protection gets my purchase.
I figure if it's good enough for a baby's bottom, it's good enough for my lips!
Honestly, nothing. Maybe homeoplasmine? I bought some in France this summer and I've been using it as my heavy duty nighttime lip balm, but I don't know if it rivals good ole Aquaphor.
I got my first tube of Homeoplasmine this summer and I love how it makes me feel French, but beyond that? I'm not sold.
I once used it on my face and got a horrid stye that took a month to go away :( so I threw it away
I was on a course of Roacutane in 2015 and my dermatologist recommended (Australian brand) Dermal Therapy lip balm for the intense dry lips. I haven’t stopped buying it since- just the original. It has a light matte glossy finish making it a good alternative to a “make up lip gloss” too.
I love lip products and buy a ton of them, but for night lip balm, I am devoted to Nuxe Reve de Miel-- in the pot, not the stick. It is just waxy enough that it grips and I wake up still able to detect that it was there. I am faithful to very few products, but Nuxe and I have had a very very long relationship. Aquaphor is also a regular on my nightstand, though I mainly use it for my cuticles.
For severely chapped lips, check out Shereene Idriss's 'lip basting' approach.
I’m late to the game but Lanolips was my previous pick. It’s still great but it’s been dethroned by Eadem because it has an exfoliator built-in!!! Has a noticeably different effect than the other lip goops I’ve used. I love.
Nothing is better than Aquaphor. Also, curious to hear about Nelle... email me please info@theonlyjane.com. I have a Substack all about jeans and I am 5’4”!
Highly highly recommend Lipsmart!
The Vaseline lip ointment in the little tub with cocoa butter in it. Also, echoing the rec to apply balm on damp lips. I will barely dry mine after washing my face, apply moisturizer all over, and then lip balm. I’m not sure how wise it is to put my face moisturizer on my lips but doing this before the Vaseline works well.
I love and swear by the Kiehl's Facial Fuel lip balm. Criminally undervalued imo!
So excited to try all of these recommendations. I've been slowly coming to terms with how sad I am over the Balm dot com reformulation :(
Paula’s choice lip balm (in the pot, although the stick is also good if you want genuinely undetectable spf). It’s very simple but I’ve never found anything like it that STAYS (everything else lips are dry again in an hour)
Ok, C.O. Bigelow Chemists multi-purpose salve is the absolute best. https://www.bigelowchemists.com/c-o-bigelow-rose-salve-no-012.html
I will forever mourn the OG formula of the Bite Beauty Agave balm and mask. If you have any old tubes rolling around, they were gamechangers. Hydrated lips by the morning, every time.
I suffer with terrible lip Ezcema and found Vaseline/Aquaphor dried them out even more! The only thing I’ve found that works is Lux Unfiltered smoothing lip serum it’s excellent!
Yes will second that I like the Cerave Healing Ointment better. I also really like Bepanthen which is essentially a German diaper cream. It has a high concentration of panthenol which is what works so well in cicaplast. Kind of weird to put on but it heals so well
have the avene cicapair -- maybe I need to use that plus an ointment on top...
Also if you’re using a toothpaste with SLS I would switch. That always causes my lips/chin area to be so dry.
Also, put on lip balm before brushing teeth. That helps!
Lanolips! It’s the perfect dupe for the OG balm dot com. Comes in a bunch of flavors and tints but the 101 ointment is my fave.
Last year I bought the Malin + Goetz lip balms on a whim and LOVED THEM! I lost it recently and I’m scheming on when to go downtown for a re-up https://www.malinandgoetz.com/lip-moisturizer-0-20oz-e7g
I've never heard of this Dr. Dan but he intrigues me! I'm a sucker for really ugly branding (I'm serious) and this certainly fits the bill. Also love that it's a stick!
Agreed! Dr. Dan's Cortibalm (I like the Chapstick one) is hands down the best! I was a die hard Aquaphor lover for 15+ years but felt it lost its potency over time and I had to apply it more frequently. Dr. Dan's is the holy grail, it keeps my lips so so hydrated and soft, and I've never had to apply it as much as I did with Aquaphor.
Came here to say this! I actually have a little pot of it and it’s lasted through the last year, am just about to repurchase. Last year it was the only thing that worked for me.
Ok three votes means I have to buy it
Do you experience any side effects from long term topical steroid use with this? It sounds great I just have spent a lot of time on topical steroid withdrawal Tok 🫣