This Balm Saved My Lips — & It Smells Exactly Like A Banana Split

When my lips are especially chapped, I've always reached for one thing: petroleum jelly. It sounds kind of gross, but if it’s packaged in a kitschy tin, tinted pink, and costs less than a bulk pack of gum, I can’t resist. For years, I’ve never considered straying, but now, I’m in the midst of a conversion... to lanolin.

Commonly known as wool wax, lanolin is the fancy name for the waxy substance that is secreted from the sebaceous glands of wool-bearing animals, like sheep. And it works just as well at protecting skin from losing moisture as it does protecting a farm animal’s coat. (Here is where I have to say, though, that this is obviously not going to fit into your vegan beauty routine, as it is an animal byproduct.) I have dry skin from my head to my toes, and I didn't realize that Vaseline wasn't helping as much as it could until I discovered Lano’s Lips Banana Balm.

With warm weather just around the corner (fine, maybe that's wishful thinking), I wanted a lip balm that would smell good, add shine, and protect my lips from every element. When squeezed out of its tube, this has zero fragrance, barely any color (unless you’re using the Tinted Balm), and smooths on with ease — plus it tastes pretty good, so long as you don't think about what you're licking. After one day of use, I was sold. My lips have been supple and soft since, which is perfect for the Dirty Dancing-inspired summer fling I plan on having.

Lanolips Banana Balm 3-in-1, $15.95, available at Ulta Beauty.