Dreamy Lip Fix: Avène’s Cold Cream Lip Cream

I have chronic chapped lips. It’s particularly annoying in the winter. I’ve used Chapstick, Carmex, Burt’s Bees, Vaseline, everything in Whole Foods, straight Vitamin E oil, Aquaphor, eye cream, and pretty much everything else you can come up with. I’ve gone through the list of reasons these things aren’t working: irritating menthol, stifling petrolatum, addiction to lip balm, which is causing my skin not to produce its own oil, etc. In the end, I’m not sure I care. I just want something that soothes and hydrates. My newest lip balm love: Avène’s Cold Cream Lip Cream for “severely dry, cracked, chapped lips.” It’s mint-free, hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, and its first ingredient is Avène Thermal Spring Water. (I don’t really know what that means, but I like it.) It’s formula is thick (but can be worn under lipstick), sheer (but potent), and long lasting (but not sticky). I was sent a sample of this stuff, and so far, I’m digging slathering it on before bed for overnight recovery and wearing it alone with a pink cheek and mascara for a natural makeup look. $14 at dermstore.com.