Cold weather, combined with desert dryness, has wreaked havoc on our kissers. Normally luscious lips have become chapped and dehydrated, made worse with running, driving, even sleeping. How to return our perfect pouts? Lip conditioners formulated to bring back the moisture. We asked two gals and a guy to road-test three different brands, most under $3. Did any of them quench their thirsty lips?
Aveeno
Essential Moisture Lip Conditioner with SPF 15.
Parched puckers: "I have the driest lips in town, thanks to the parched air in the office. My favorite weapons in the chapped wars? The tried-and-true: Carmex and Vaseline."
Lip lubricant: "This could be my dream lip balm: scent-free, rich and smooth — but minus the medicinelike taste you get with a lot of others."
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Smooch smooth? "It's a winner. My lips felt smoother after a couple of days. I'll stick to the usual suspects for serious battles with chapping, but Aveeno's going in my purse for everyday use."
Chapstick
Lip Moisturizer with SPF 15.
Parched puckers: "My lips are constantly Sahara Desert-dry, no matter the weather, because I do a lot of sports and work in a highly heated office. I also do the no-no — I lick my lips a lot. I can't help myself."
Lip lubricant: "After growing up with traditional tubes of ChapStick, I was pleasantly surprised to find this product not waxy at all. It's not thick and goopy like Vaseline, either. It's more like colorless tube-style lip gloss."
Smooch smooth? "I'd definitely pick up one of these little squeeze-tubes again, especially since it's available right at the neighborhood drugstore. My lips felt soothed and softened, and the lightweight gel/balm seemed to be able to penetrate every little lip crease."
Neutrogena
Lip Moisturizer with SPF 15.
Parched puckers: "Each time the weather turns cold, dry or windy, it never fails: My lips become dry to the degree they are sore. In the most severe cases, they crack and rip, resulting in bleeding."
Lip lubricant: "To soothe my cracked lips, I was only familiar with ChapStick. But this is a better solution. This product is very similar in rescuing my lips from discomfort, but there was one distinct difference: The application was not as heavy or thick. I thought I was doing something wrong when the balm glided on so effortlessly, but found out I didn't need much."
Smooch smooth? "With its comparable effectiveness in healing, I will never go back to using the product that packed on the paste. I've since abandoned ChapStick."
