My lips are always dry. I often find my lips are cracked or flaking – probably down to my abysmal attempts at drinking water every day (a lack of water is one of the key causes for dry lips, FYI). So, I diligently take the time to exfoliate my lips and smother on a layer of lip balm every week.

But recently, they’ve been even worse. When I’m stressed, I bite and pull at my lips, peeling off dead skin without even realising. Over the last few days, it’s left my lips incredibly sore. Areas that have gotten dry are flaking off and have even cracked, causing bleeding. 

While I’ve tried many lip balms over the years, there’s one that I often turn to when things get particularly bad: Dr Lipp’s Nipple Balm. Now don’t let the name fool you. Yes, it’s inspired by the centuries-old practice of applying balm to heal sore nipples after breastfeeding – but it has so many other uses.

From treating chapped lips and softening dry cuticles to conditioning your eyelashes and soothing sore noses, it’s an all-rounder and for that reason, a cult product in the beauty industry. One particularly flaky evening, I rummaged through my beauty collection and came across the iconic grey tube.

I gave my lips a quick scrub – Lanolips’ Lemoaid Scrubba-Balm, £13, is a current favourite – and smothered on a thick layer of Nipple Balm. It’s made up of 100% medical grade lanolin, a waxy substance with highly emollient properties. Lanolin oils are similar to the skin’s natural oils, and so they penetrate easily and deeply into skin. As well as nourishing skin, they also work to prevent further moisture loss.

In the morning, my lips were smooth, flake-free and no longer had that uncomfortable, stiff feeling. I’ve now been making a habit of applying it every morning and night – which is great, as the thick layer of nipple balm has also made me more conscious of biting or pulling at my lips. A win, win.

Main image: Getty