Lip Masks: Shockingly, They’re Not As Frivolous As They Sound

I had never even heard of lip masks until two months ago, and when I did, I rolled my eyes for about an hour. Then, I took a look at my peely, flakey, never-fully-comfortable lips in the mirror, and I thought, Holy crap, lip masks!

Let me explain: While all of my skin is sensitive and prone to breakage, my lips are an outright disaster. They break open and bleed in the winter. My lower lip is never flake-free. And, the corners crack if I eat something too acidic. (Side note: These issues aren't triggered by compulsive lip-balm use. It's just how my body is. As a teenager, I learned the hard way that lip-balm dependency can make my problem worse.)

There's a world of lip treatments out there that I'd never considered as part of my skin-care routine. It just seemed like overkill to spend so much time and cash on something I was used to treating with Aquaphor and other drugstore buys. Then again, those drugstore buys didn't actually work.

The only product I've found consistently effective is a European stick treatment called Dermophil. Unfortunately, the original version is impossible to purchase in the U.S. — or even order online (I've tried). And, I don't currently have the resources to pop over to Switzerland whenever I run out of it.

So, I decided to give it a go with the good stuff we have right here in the U.S. of A. And, you know what? It was worth it. The four products I tried are effective at tackling lip issues. While I only liked some, I fell positively head over heels for others.

Bring it on, lip masks, lip treatments, and electronic lip-exfoliating devices!