Y'all, Lanolips Is Basically A Miracle Balm And The Only Thing That Actually Healed My Chapped Lips

Soft lips that stay that way, even after it wears off. Yes, seriously.

If you have eternally chapped, parched, and cracked lips like I do, you know that SO many balms out there only make your lips feel better while they're on your lips. But after they wear off, they leave your lips looking and feeling the same as before, if not somehow even more chapped.

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And in the winter, all the dry air both indoors and out doesn't help... oh, and my anxiety likes to make me lick my lips all the time, I use prescription tretinoin on the rest of my face once a day for acne (it's super drying), and a medication I have to take everyday just happens to be incredibly dehydrating, too. I do drink LOTS of water, but still, it's the world vs. my lips, I swear.

Well, y'all, those days are (basically) over. Meet Lanolips 101 Ointment: the balm that actually softened and hydrated my lips the VERY first time I applied it — and with regular use, has left them soft and crack-free and actually kept them that way!! Even. After. It. Wears. Off!!

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The very first time I applied it back in December (I impulse-bought it in line to check out from Anthro's post-holiday sale), it made SUCH a difference through the rest of the evening that I couldn't stop rubbing my lips together and lightly patting them with my fingers.

Don't believe me? Here's the difference between when I *stopped* using Lanolips for four straight days — then after I started again and applied it consistently for just two days!!

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In-between, my lips got softer and softer.

And because this is seriously worth a closer look (yes I know it's like, equal parts gross and amazing!!):

Natalie Brown / BuzzFeed

I didn't even completely abstain from lip balm on my four-day Lanolips break: I just switched back to an organic beeswax, coconut oil, and honey balm that was my previous go-to (with no mint or cinnamon or other irritation-causing ingredients).

What's the secret sauce, you ask? It's in the Lanolips name: lanolin, which is the naturally-occurring wax on sheep's wool that helps keep them dry and protected. It's traditionally been used as a nipple cream for people who are nursing, but turns out it's good for chapped lips and dry skin all over your body!

Lanolips / instagram.com

After the sheep are shorn (a sheep's coat just keeps growing, so shearing is the healthiest thing to do), the lanolin comes off when the wool is washed. For you skincare nerds, it's semi-occlusive and semi-permeable, which means it protects your lips but still lets them BREATHE (unlike other occlusives, like petrolatum, which don't).

Lanolips Original 101 Multipurpose Superbalm, pictured above, is only a single ingredient — the brand's exclusive ~ultra medical grade~ lanolin (which is apparently 3x more pure than other medical grade lanolin). Strawberry Lanolips 101, the balm I've been using, also contains other super-softening lip-friendly ingredients, like safflower seed oil and vitamin E. Plus the strawberry flavor and some strawberry fruit extract! And THAT'S IT.

It is kinda goopy and sticky to apply — a little goes a *very long* way — and usually wears off in a couple of hours thanks to my lip-licking (tho it does stay on all night while I sleep), but I DO NOT CARE. When it does wear off, I'm left with soft, peel-free lips that don't hurt when I smile! And the strawberry flavor just makes me happy.

Natalie Brown / BuzzFeed

I apply it about three times a day: once after breakfast (and before my commute, where I face whatever winter weather NYC has in store for me), once after lunch, and before bed, right before I apply my tretinoin during my nightly skincare routine. It can also be good to apply before showers/washing your face, because hot water can be super drying for skin!

BTW, if you have trouble squeezing the tube or it feels too goopy, rub a small dab between your fingers to warm it up a little, and it'll spread more easily.

Of course, I'm not the only one who loves Lanolips! The Strawberry 101 Balm has a 4.6 star rating on Ulta, and 96% of people who rated it said they'd recommend it to a friend! Here's what a few reviewers had to say:

Ulta

Promising reviews: "Throw out all other lip balms, and just stick up! This is hands down, the BEST lip balm! I put it on at night, right before bed and wake up with soft and hydrated lips. I also put a thin layer on in the morning before my lipstick to keep my lips from chapping. So great and PERFECT for people who live in colder climates and looking for something that works!! Throw out that nasty-tasting camphor balm and give this a try. " —Clarkie

"This lip balm is life changing. I once drove nearly two hours to pick it up in store because I couldn't wait for it to be delivered. It is on the thicker side and slightly sticky but nothing heals my chapped lips like Lanolips." —Allynbelle

"I purchased this to use on my lips, but it works well to heal other areas of dry skin, like on the back of my hands. The strawberry smell is light and it doesn't have any taste. I also like that you can warm it up between your fingers to make it easier to apply on your lips. I would highly recommend!" —La B

Ready to try it out for yourself? Get a tube of Lanolips 101 Ointment in Strawberry flavor from Ulta, Anthropologie, or Nordstrom for $13.50–$14.

Or if you don't stan strawberry, Lanolips 101 balm comes in it's Original 101 Superbalm with no scent or flavor — *and* in a bunch of different flavors and even tints!

Lanolips

Get the unscented, unflavored Original 101 Superbalm from Ulta, Anthropologie.

Get Lanolips 101 in Coconutter — which has coconut flavor + vitamin E + coconut oil in addition to the lanolin — from Ulta or Anthropologie for $13.50–$14.

Get Lanolips Rose Gold 101 Lip & Cheek Tint from Ulta, Anthropologie, or Nordstrom for $17.

Or for even more lip balm flavor and tint options + to see the brand's other lanolin-based products (like hand cream), check out the full selection on Ulta, Anthropologie, or Nordstrom. Each store has some products that the others don't!

Your lips, when they're no longer chronically dry all the time:

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Reviews have been edited for length and clarity.

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