Last updated on December 27th, 2021 at 11:45 pm

If you did a google search on which beauty products sold well in 2020 and which ones didn’t fare as well, we could probably all guess the results. At the top of the list would be eye-defining makeup and at the bottom would be lipstick. We can thank masks for that. Wearing masks have encouraged us to spend time on making our eyes more expressive and basically ignoring our lips. Why would we spend time putting on lipstick when no one can see it? And it just makes your mask harder to clean! We agree, but there’s no reason why we can’t keep our lips in shape and be ready for when the masks come off. So we want help you find the best ways to care for your lips.

Dianne’s Lip Care Advice – Lip Repair

I foresee a blog post in my future entitled “Things I Would Tell My Younger Self” as it relates to beauty products. Some things over the years I’ve done really well and have seen the results. Others, not so much, and I’ve seen those results too. Taking care of my lips is in the latter category.

The biggest question now is, “Is it too late to take care of your lips?” Luckily I believe the answer is “no”. So, if you’re a little bit older (like me) and haven’t done the best job with your lips, check our my recommendations below. These recommendations are based on repairing your lips. If you’ve been diligent or just reaching the point where you want to spend more time on your lip care, then read on for Jen’s excellent recommendations.

I recently discovered the brand “Sara Happ: The Lip Expert“. All they do is lip care and I’ve fallen in love with several of their products. Since I started using them, my lips have been much less flaky and feel more soft and moisturized. Here’s what I’ve been using:

The Lip Scrub: Just as it sounds, this is a scrub that gently exfoliates your lips and can be used every day. I have the pink grapefruit and the smell is amazing. I use it at night and it follow up with:

The Dream Slip: This is an overnight mask that I apply after the lip scrub at night and wake up in the morning with smooth, soft lips.

Sweet Clay Lip Mask: This is the most recent product I’ve added to my lip arsenal. I’ve only used it a few times, but already have seen results. You slather it on like frosting and leave it on anywhere from 2 to 20 minutes for nice soft lips. I tend to use this one in the morning, especially if I’ve forgotten to exfoliate the night before.

Lemonade Tube: This is very similar to The Lip Scrub, but it’s tube packaging makes it easy for quick fixes. I’ve used it right before photo shoots to give my lips a quick cleaning and helps make my lipstick apply more evenly.

The Lip Slip Gloss: This is the finishing touch. It can be used by itself or over or under lipstick. What I like about it is that it’s not “overly glossy” like a teenager would wear and it also have ingredients in it that keeps my lips hydrated.

Jen’s Lip Care Advice – Proactive Lip Care

I would consider myself a long-time lip balm junkie. In high school, a friend of mine would hide my chapstick and try to tell me I didn’t need it. I always have a lip balm in my pocket, and some of my jeans even have a faded area where it always is. 

Lips are different from the rest of the skin on our bodies. Lips don’t have the same protective outer layer, or have the same amount of oil and sweat glands than skin does. Sweat glands add moisture to your skin, while your lips only source of moisture is your saliva. 

I’ve tried a lot of different lip treatments, and didn’t realize just how many until I made this list. 

I love lipstick, but I probably love lip balm more. My lips are rosy naturally, so I don’t wear lipstick all the time. 

Even though no one outside your immediate bubble sees your lips anymore, it’s still really important to take care of them. Plus, having a mask rub against your lips, especially while it’s cold out, isn’t great. 

One thing to keep in mind, hydration starts from the inside. You can use all the lip balms in the world, but if you’re not drinking enough water your lips will be a dried up mess. 

My Current Go-to’s –

My go-to is Blistex – I buy these in packs of three and have them at the ready when I run out of one. This does a great job at preventing my lips from getting dry or chapped. 

At night, I’ll use a thicker treatment that can soak into my skin while I’m sleeping. 

I’ll switch between the Burt’s Bees Overnight Treatment or Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask. 

I’ll use both of these during the day too if my lips are feeling especially dry. The Laneige lip mask makes your lips look really glossy and pretty. 

Some other lip balms I’ve tried – 

Dr. Bronner’s Organic Peppermint Lip Balm – I love anything peppermint, plus it’s organic and doesn’t have a lot of ingredients

Vaseline Rosy Lip Therapy – I’m a sucker for cute packaging, and I love this little Vaseline tub. It has a flowery rose scent, so if you’re ok with fragrance you’ll like this one! 

Rosebud Salve – this also has a pretty strong rose scent, but does look pretty on the lips. Be careful if you let it roll around in the bottom of a bag, the tin will open up and salve will get EVERYWHERE. 

Aquaphor Lip Repair Balm – this comes in a squeeze tube and will use it if my lips need some extra moisture

Chapstick Classic Variety Pack – Spearmint Chapstick is my OG, going all the way back to highschool almost 20 years ago (um, WHAT?). 

Rare Beauty Dewy Lip Balm – if you want something that’s nourishing for your lips, but also gives you a little color, this lip balm is great! The colors are really pretty, and Rare Beauty is a great company to support. 

Lip Treatments

Just like our faces and bodies, your lips can be exfoliated too. But just make sure you don’t do it more than three times a week to prevent overdrying and irritation. And after you exfoliate, make sure you use a lip balm on top!

e.l.f Lip Exfoliator – super affordable and works well. Plus you don’t have to dip your fingers into a pot to get the product! 

Lip Scrubber – this little tool is cute and gentle on your lips. But, if you have a soft toothbrush you can use that on your lips too. Just be gentle! 

Do you love lip balm as much as we do? Share your favorites below!