If your lips are severely chapped, cracked, or otherwise in serious distress, putting on lip balm is a little like slapping a Band-Aid over an open wound. (And it’s pretty much exactly like that if your lips are bleeding.) A better idea: Pick up one of the best overnight lip treatments featured here. Whether mask, balm, or serum, they all contain high concentrations of powerful ingredients — mostly of the emollient, humectant, antioxidant, and exfoliating variety — so they provide both immediate and long-term relief for chronically dry lips. Some offer aesthetic benefits, too.
You don’t need to use these treatments strictly overnight; but since your skin recovers, repairs, and regenerates at night, you’ll get the most benefit out of them if you do. Plus, you won’t run the risk of accidentally wiping/eating off your treatment when you drink, talk, eat, or do other functional daytime activities, which also gives these treatments the best possible shot at doing their job.
Wake up with smoother, softer, actually healed lips with any of the six best lip treatments, listed ahead.
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I DEW CARE is one of the hype-iest new skin care brands out there, and their vitamin C lip mask gets tons of rave reviews on Amazon and beyond. Reviewers say this cocoa butter-enriched formula softens even the most cracked, chapped lips, while vitamin C provides healing and protective benefits over the long term. It comes with a spoon so you can dole out perfect little scoops without contaminating the pot with your hands, and has a very subtle, but pleasant tropical scent.
This PCA Skin Peptide Lip Therapy is peak “science-meets-nature.” In here, palmitoyl tripeptide-38, a synthetic amino acid, works to stimulate collagen and elastin production for firmer, plumper lips; while plant-based ingredients like shea butter, squalane, aloe, and sunflower oil help attract and seal in moisture. Reviewers say the Vaseline-like consistency feels really soothing on chapped lips, and most report seeing a visible difference in their lips’ smoothness and firmness. Both immediately and over time, this should help your lipstick wear more smoothly, and prevent it from bleeding and feathering as well.
This overnight lip mask from Korean brand Mamonde proves that “exfoliating” and “moisturizing” are not mutually exclusive. The bulk of the formula is made up of natural emollients, like murumuru butter and shea butter, to soften and soothe stressed-out skin, while a small amount of glycolic acid works to exfoliate your lips at a cellular level. Both functions result in truly long-lasting results — primarily, super soft, smooth lips.
If you were so inclined, you could probably recreate this Handmade Heroes overnight lip mask at your kitchen table — that’s how natural the ingredients are. (It’s mango butter, cocoa butter, jojoba oil, castor oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, candelilla wax, and avocado oil, in case you need a grocery list.) This is also a great choice if you’re sensitive to fragrances, because it has none discernible, and if you’re budget-conscious, since it costs just about $7 on Amazon. A little bit of this creamy mask goes a really long way.
For something even more affordable (and intense), go for this $5 overnight lip balm. This deeply restorative formula is intense but gentle, so it’s an especially popular choice for those with severely dry, bleeding, and/or peeling lips, including diabetics and people recovering from surgery. One reviewer even said this worked better on their chronically cracked lips than a prescription-strength balm did. It’s hypoallergenic, as well, so it should be safe for people with skin sensitivities.
If you’re willing to spend a little more on your lip treatment, you won’t find anything more luxurious than The Dream Slip from Sara Happ. This ultra concentrated lip mask contains a blend of antioxidants, fatty acids, and emollients — i.e., everything you need for velvety, supple lips — while hyaluronic acid provides some mild plumping action. Some initial stickiness dries down pretty quickly, so it won’t wipe off on your pillow or get stuck in your hair. I also love that it smells and tastes faintly of “good” vanilla, meaning not sickly-sweet or manufactured. Ina Garten would certainly approve.
