Found: The One Lip Product That Can Actually Stand Up to Face-Mask Dryness

Dry lips have a new foe (and I’m not talking about winter). Face masks are causing chapping and irritation on our kissers, long before the mercury dips. When lips are covered by a piece of fabric, and all that hot breath sits on them, it sucks the moisture from them more quickly than if they weren’t otherwise covered (think about licking your lips in the dead of winter and the desert dryness that ensues). To keep this from happening, pros suggest slathering on a protective barrier like the Boscia Cherry Blossom & Bakuchiol Resurfacing Lip Repair ($20).

The product works like a moisturizing and nourishing leave-on treatment that’s filled with lip-soothing ingredients. Japanese cherry blossom is the star active in the formula, which is an antioxidant that calms inflammation and protects your lips from damage. The reparative fruit extract is joined by bakuchiol, a natural retinol alternative that plumps fine lines and lactic acid, which works to ever-so-gently resurface the skin to make them super soft.

The treatment also has a mighty blend of castor seed and jojoba oils, cocoa seed butter, and rice bran extract, all of which deliver big-time moisture. And the formula contains the one ingredient dermatologists say is essential for healing chapped lips: a wax, by way of rice bran wax. This helps to seals everything in, and more importantly, it helps water from escaping lips.

Shop now: Boscia Cherry Blossom & Bakuchiol Resurfacing Lip Repair ($20)

Shop now: Boscia Cherry Blossom & Bakuchiol Resurfacing Lip Repair ($20)

When gliding the tube onto your lips, the lip repair treatment feels like an instantly refreshing balm. It’s not too thin or too goopy—the texture’s a cloud-soft creamy wax that melts into the most chapped patches. I like to wear it as I would with any other balm, with one application in the morning and one before bed. I find that with consistent application, this balm prevents even the most matte (read: parching) lipsticks from causing the skin to shrivel.

After using the product religiously for about a month now, I’ve noticed a legit difference: My lips feel softer for longer, they look more plump, and I haven’t reached for my back-up balm in the afternoon for weeks. It also works as my lips’ protective seal whenever I head out with my face mask on, and—no matter how long I’m wearing a face mask for—it does a solid job at retaining the moisture. So if you’re in need of a chapped lip hero, consider adding it to your beauty bag ASAP.

For dermatologist intel on how to deal with all of the skin woes that face masks can cause, watch the video below:

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