If You Have Chronically Dry Lips, Overnight Masks Are the Cure

Sara Happ’s entire lip system is truly a gift for your pout. Aptly titled the “The Dream Slip,” this formula coats your lips in a moisturizing blend of hyaluronic acid, jojoba and almond oil, and lipids that heal, soothe, and repair chapped lips as you, well, dream.

Key ingredients: Jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, hyaluronic acid, lipids

Amazon rating: 4.6/5 stars

An ELLE editor says: “I use the Sara Happ scrub religiously (excessively?) because of how buttery smooth my lips feel afterward. When I follow up with this lip treatment, I’m amazed at how much smoother and nourished my lips feel when I wake up.”—Nerisha Penrose, beauty commerce editor

Remedy Science is a skin care brand founded by Dr. Muneeb Shah, also known as @dermdoctor on TikTok, who has gained a following for his myth-busting approach to skin care misinformation on the app. His answer? Remedy Science, which marries his dermatological expertise with effective formulas to make derm-grade products accessible for all. Dr. Nathan says this is one of her favorites because “it’s a great lip product that can be used day or night, and [I especially] love the ingredients in this one.” The lip mask is a multipurpose formula that works as a balm for every day use or a thicker mask to repair flakes or cracks. Ceramides, squalane, petrolatum, and more saturate your lips to provide ultimate healing.

Key ingredients: Ceramides, peptides, squalane, petrolatum, shea butter

Remedy rating: 4.7/5 stars

A Remedy reviewer says: “My daughter has skin sensitivities to what seems like everything. And as a teenager who loves to try all the trends, this was one she was excited to try and so was I. Nothing has made this quick of a relief. The results speak for themselves. Thank you Dr. Shah.”

Avène’s offerings are all built around its signature thermal spring water, which calms and soothes the skin. Now imagine what it does in a lip formula? “The Cicalfate+ For Lips contains plant oils and postbiotic thermal spring water to hydrate [the lips] all day and night,” says Dr. Nathan.

Key ingredients: Thermal spring water, glycerin

Amazon rating: 4.3/5 stars

An Amazon reviewer says: “For me, with a lifetime of dry, very chemically sensitive lips, this product is hands down the most effective lip balm I have ever encountered. Worth every dime. I will buy again and again and again.”

A lip mask that needs no introduction, Laneige is perhaps the most famous formula on the market. Why? Beyond the creamy, bouncy formula that feels like melted butter on the lips, it also comes in a variety of flavors and colors, from berry to vanilla to gummy bear. Each swipe caresses your lips with murumuru seed oil and shea butter, leaving them with gloss-like sheen that has the nourishment of a balm.

Key ingredients: Berry fruit complex, murumuru seed oil, shea butter

Amazon rating: 4.6/5 stars

An ELLE editor says: “One thing to know about me is that I have to have a lip balm or gloss on at all times. The feeling of chapped, cracked, and flaky lips scare me, which is why my collection boasts formulas across the board, from medicated balms to glittery glosses, and of course, this Laneige lip mask. Because of its creamy formula, it glides along the lips with ease, so a little goes a long way. And you can double-up if your heart desires; the mask is made from shea butter, murumuru butter, and a berry complex to deliver a surge of moisture with each swipe.”—Nerisha Penrose, beauty commerce editor

A scoop of luxury for your lips, the Tatcha mask combines squalane and Japanese camellia oil to lock in moisture otherwise lost through constant talking, drinking, or eating.

Key ingredients: Japanese camellia oil, squalane

Amazon rating: 4.5/5 stars

An Amazon reviewer says: “I love love, love, this! Had very dry, pealing, painful, beyond chapped lips before using this product. I put it on every night and a couple of times a day and now my lips are much much better!”

Ahead of makeup, skin prep also includes a nourishing lip treatment to create a smooth environment for subsequent lipsticks, pencils, glosses, and more. Castor, coconut, and jojoba oil are just a few of the conditioning ingredients in this formula that repairs and plumps your lips.

Key ingredients: Coconut oil, castor oil, pomegranate and jojoba oil complex

Sephora rating: 4.1/5 stars

A Sephora reviewer says: “This cured my Accutane lips!!! My lips have been SO DRY recently with winter, and I’m on Accutane right now. My lips were literally raw and blistering, and no lip balms were helping. I remembered I have this and I thought it was worth a try. Let me tell you it worked wonders! My lips are back to normal even with all the dryness working against me! I never thought my lips would be the same but this literally worked a miracle! 100/10 recommend! It’s so moisturizing and thick and smells great, too! Do yourself a favor and get it!”

Then I Met You’s bright blue packaging makes it known what the key function of its products are: hydration. A nod to the fruit founder Charlotte Cho grew up eating, this lip mask takes the antioxidants packed in honey dew and nourishing honey and squalane to soothe any irritation. Even better, the formula contains lactic acid, which gently buffs away dead skin cells.

Key ingredients: Honey dew, lactic acid, honey, squalane, avocado oil

Amazon rating: 4.2/5 stars

An Amazon reviewer says: “If you’re prone to lip darkening due to smoking or environmental factors, then you need this! I searched for a good lip exfoliator for years, tried messy DIYs and all, THEN I MET YOU. The name fits them very well; it also keeps your lips feeling hydrated 24/7 even after it wears off.”

Dry, cracked lips are no match for this overnight treatment from Kiehl’s. Blending coconut oil and mango butter, this mixture acts as a blanket for your pout, plumping it in the process so you awake to supple, moisturized lips.

Key ingredients: Coconut oil, mango butter

Amazon rating: 4.4/5 stars

An Amazon reviewer says: “Applying this mask once before bed kept my lips hydrated throughout the next day. It’s incredible! You wont need to keep applying chapstick during the day. This small container lasted me 6 months. Definitely worth the money!”

Another slugging staple, Futurewise extended its occlusive offerings to include an overnight mask. Lip Slug carries the thickness of an ointment with the smoothness and sheen of a lip gloss without being overly sticky or messy. Plus, it smells like a sugary strawberry milkshake, which is a win-win in our book!

Key ingredients: Fatty acids, peptides

Futurewise rating: 4.9/5 stars

A Futurewise reviewer says: “I really like this lip mask!!! It’s thick and hydrating without being too thick or sticky at all. For me, it’s a lot more hydrating than other lip masks I’ve tried. The scent is very nostalgic, strawberry-esque that i can’t place but love!! I also really like the component (not sure if it’s the final or not), but I wish it came with some sort of spatula or applicator. One of the few lip products I’ve tried that hydrated my lips, not just coat them. Really nice on the lips!”

At the core of the slugging movement is this staple from CeraVe. It’s not your typical petrolatum formula; this one has CeraVe’s signature ceramides to protect and soothe the skin. On the lips, it reverses dryness and prevents any further cracking.

Key ingredients: Ceramides

Amazon rating: 4.4/5 stars

An ELLE editor says: “I don’t sleep without slathering this ointment on my lips. It’s not called the ‘healing ointment’ for no reason; the thick glob at night is all you need to wake up to smoother, softer, and less-flaky skin. Plus, this tube lasts forever—trust me, I’m on year two with it.”—Nerisha Penrose, beauty commerce editor

It doesn’t get more classic than a tub of Vaseline. This is a centuries-old salve for treating dryness all over the body, including the lips. Technically, while it’s not a mask, the consistency is thick enough to provide gradual softness as you sleep. “In my opinion, all you need is plain old petrolatum jelly like Vaseline; it is non-irritating, can prevent moisture loss, and softens lips,” Dr. Nathan says.

Key ingredients: Petrolatum

Amazon rating: 4.4/5 stars

An Amazon reviewer says: “Vaseline has become my go-to product, especially for keeping my lips soft and hydrated. Every night before bed, I dab a little on, and it works its magic while I sleep. By morning, my lips feel smooth and plump, and even in the colder months when they usually get dry and cracked, they stay so much healthier and more comfortable.”