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The buzzy Laneige lip mask that isn't worth buying, and the $10 balm that is
This $24 bestseller, a longtime celeb favorite, did little for my dry pout — but there's an affordable alternative.
The Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask is one of those products that's a staple in "best of" beauty columns, and it's the kind of in-the-know potion influencers and famous people proudly trot out when they're asked to share items they love. It has a cool factor, suggesting that the person recommending it knows their stuff. The product was created by Korean skin-care brand Laneige and launched in the U.S. in 2017. Since then, it's racked up tens of millions of TikTok mentions and has been recommended zealously by more celebrities than I can track (among them: Drew Barrymore, Kelly Ripa, Brooke Shields, Kate Moss, Keke Palmer and Kate Hudson. Actress Sydney Sweeney is a brand ambassador).
Lip Sleeping Mask is the No. 1 bestselling lip treatment in the U.S. with thousands of five-star Amazon reviews. In fact, one tub is sold globally every two seconds. All of which is to say: People are obsessed with this product. They claim it works better than Aquaphor for dry lips, they say it's changed their chapped-mouth lives and they wax poetic about the texture, taste and, most importantly, results. However, after trying Laneige's Lip Sleeping Mask for over a week on dry lips in dire need of the "intense moisture" the brand promises, I am here to tell you: This product does not live up to the hype.
After testing it over seven days on dry, chapped lips, I found Laneige's lip mask ineffective at hydrating or softening, though it did leave a pretty, pearly sheen.
- Silky texture
- Pleasant not-too-fruity scent and taste
- Leaves a pretty, pearly, not-too-shiny finish
- Better as a cosmetic product than a therapeutic one
- Sticky and tacky on lips
- Doesn't deeply hydrate dry lips
- Doesn't reduce cracks or overall scaly appearance of lips
- Expensive
According to Laneige, its Lip Sleeping Mask is meant to hydrate, reduce flakiness and help lips look "firmer." The mask comes in an aesthetically pleasing, punchy red-pink tub. Inside is a soft, delicious-smelling emulsion with a silky (if tacky) texture and a pleasant, lightly fruity taste. There's no question the mask looks good once applied. The first time I tried it — years ago, when my lips did not expressly require a moisturizing treatment — I remember remarking on how pearly and shiny it made my mouth appear.
But a few weeks ago, when the return of L.A.'s famously drying Santa Anna winds and a bad case of Covid conspired to make my pout as parched as sawdust, I returned to Laneige's famous product and found the story to be quite different. After applying a generous amount before bed (as instructed on the package), I let the mask work overnight. The next morning, I woke up and found it had achieved little except to become thicker and stickier, more akin to a cherry-flavored novelty lip wax you'd get as a kid than a therapeutic salve.
While it for sure gave the cracks in my lips a sheen, it did nothing to resolve them. This happened the first night I tried it. And the second. Nothing changed after I exfoliated with a separate lip scrub first (I like this one from Poppy & Pout). Time and again, I received little dry-lip relief from the mask, even after reapplying 10 times over 24 hours.
The bottom line? For $24, Laneige's Lip Sleeping mask was less effective at hydrating my chapped lips than a $4 tub of Carmex that's been rolling around the bottom of my purse since 2019. If you're looking for a pretty, not-too-shiny lip gloss rather than a balm to treat parched lips, Laneige may be for you. But if your concern is truly how to soften and hydrate a dry pucker in the upcoming winter months — and beyond — you don't need to shell out $24 for this.
Yes, this lip mask has legions of fans — but there are more effective products out there for way less.
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask alternatives
While I found Laneige's lip mask lacking, I may be expecting too much from it. According to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Melanie Palm, "The skin on your lips is more delicate than the skin on your face," she says. "To keep lips soft and smooth year round, it's important to stay hydrated by drinking enough water daily, using a hydrating and protective balm and exfoliating with a gentle scrub or lip serum to help with cell turnover." Palm also recommends protecting your pucker with SPF 30 or higher any time you plan to be out in the sun.
Here are a few dermatologist-recommended alternatives to the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask. All three will help treat dry lips more effectively — and they cost a lot less.
Palm's pick for a potent, moisturizing balm is this fragrance-free treatment by La Roche-Posay: "It's a great hydrating shea butter formula that soothes and softens dry lips. It's also great for sensitive skin types," she says.
You don't even have to shell out $10: For just $5, this dermatologist-recommended lip repair balm is clinically proven to both relieve dryness and soothe cracked lips. Bonus: It's also a sunscreen that protects lips with broad-spectrum SPF 30.
Palm recommends occasionally exfoliating lips with a gentle lip scrub to slough off dry skin and encourage cell turnover, and you really can't go wrong with this version from Oprah-fave brand Poppy & Pout. It's made with top-quality ingredients like vitamin E and ethically sourced beeswax. There are an array of flavors (the marshmallow is delightful) and it comes in an adorable recycled-glass jar.
