This Simple TikTok Hack Transformed My Chronically Dry Lips

Some things are synonymous with the colder months. Pumpkin spice lattes, shackets, movie nights in — and, of course, skin gripes. When the weather turns, our face and hands are often the first things to suffer its full force. You might have nailed your transitional skincare routine already, packing it full of nourishing moisturisers and hydrating serums. But when it comes to lips, things are a little more complicated.

Just like under-eyes, the skin on your lips is a lot thinner and more fragile than the skin in other areas, which makes it more prone to damage. Spending even a few minutes outside can expose the skin to enough wind-chill to cause chapping, flakiness and uncomfortable soreness, and there's only so much lip balm can do to repair and strengthen delicate skin against the elements. Thankfully, TikTok has come to the rescue. Whether you have the app or not, you'll know just how smart TikTok's beauty hacks can be. (Take the rice water trick for minimising oily skin or celebrity-adored skin icing for achieving a year-round glow.) Ahead of winter, beauty enthusiasts are viewing, liking and sharing Marie Kitsóva's dry lips trick.

"With this simple method, your lips will be revived in minutes," Marie says. "Firstly, apply a light moisturiser on slightly wet lips." She uses a thin layer of E45 Daily Lotion, £5.49, and taps this onto her lips using her fingertips. Marie follows up with lip oil (she uses Tower 28) and suggests applying something thick onto lips to seal in the moisture. "I like using Vaseline for that," she says. "Leave it on for about 15 minutes or longer (either while you're doing your makeup or overnight) and you'll see how plump and nourished your lips will get," she explains. A slick of nude lipstick to finish (Marie uses MAC's Matte Lipstick in Whirl, £17.50) and her lips are transformed from parched and dull to smooth and luscious in a matter of moments.

The before and after video is so convincing that it has earned Marie 273.3k views, not to mention hundreds of shares, and the comments section is bustling. "On a serious note, this actually helped," wrote one user, while another said: "You helped me so much, now I don't have to hide it." Responding to questions, Marie suggested first applying lip balm or Vaseline to lips if you want to add in a scrubbing step (try The Body Shop's Kindness & Pears Lip Scrub, £5) and recommended that your chosen moisturiser be fragrance-free. This is especially important if the skin on your lips is chapped or broken, as strong perfumes or anything containing alcohol could exacerbate dry, chapped lips.

Come rain or shine, I have chronically dry lips. It doesn't help that I have dermatillomania, a skin picking disorder worsened by stress and anxiety (my lips are often the first place I'll attack). From luxury lip balms like La Mer's The Lip Balm, £55, to affordable high street versions such as Palmer's Coconut Oil Lip Balm, £2, everything I've tried works well for a little while but my ultra dry skin needs something more. Marie's hack is like a mini facial for lips and with the cold weather right around the corner, I'll try anything to stave off the dreaded chapping. As you can tell by the pictures, I need it!

I started with damp lips and slathered on CeraVe's Moisturising Cream, £15.99. The star ingredients are ceramides, which hold the skin barrier together and keep moisture inside (a must for dry skin). As I tapped in the product, I remembered a trick makeup artist Bobbi Brown taught me earlier this year: eye cream makes an excellent lip moisturiser, too. Try No7 Protect & Perfect Intense ADVANCED Eye Cream, £17.95, Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado, £26.50 (both beauty editor favourites) or any gentle and fragrance-free eye cream you have at home.

Once absorbed, I followed Marie's lead and opted for a lip oil (Versed Silk Slip Tinted Lip Oil in Blossom, £9) which boasts moisturising jojoba oil and vitamin E, and the very thick Weleda Skin Food Lip Balm, £6.95. While Vaseline would do the trick, this is packed with emollients like beeswax and glycerin, which lock in moisture better. Lipstick is optional and I went for Charlotte Tilbury's Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk, £25, a nude pink which is now available in a handful of shade variations to suit more skin tones.

Comparing the before and after pictures, it's obvious that this hack works a treat — and it's all in the layering. Think of it like a Korean skincare routine for your lips. After cleansing, you might apply a toner or essence, serum and moisturiser, for example. This multi-step trick is similar. The numerous coats increase moisture levels and trap in all the goodness for a lot longer. After repeating the hack daily for a week, I don't need to constantly reapply my lip balm to banish flaky skin, which also means I'm much less likely to pick. My lips appear transformed and any dehydration lines are barely visible.

Though this hack is smart, moisturiser isn't enough on its own, especially when braving the elements. I can always count on O'Keefe's Lip Repair, £4.25, for a quick fix. The unscented stick balm provides relief for cracked, sore lips and corners of the mouth and one application lasts for hours. Facialist Kate Kerr says La Roche-Posay's Nutritic Lips, £6, is also great as it maintains a healthy barrier function and contains minimal ingredients which really work to moisturise lips and protect against harsh weather. London-based dermatologist Dr Justine Kluk loves Eucerin's Dry Skin Lip Balm, £6, for persistently sore or chapped lips. "It relieves discomfort almost immediately and leaves lips super soft," she told R29. If you're on a budget, try Blistex Med Plus SPF 15, £2.29, a firm favourite of Dr Ewoma Ukeleghe, aesthetic doctor and founder of SKNDOCTOR.