‘Honestly, it’s life changing’ is a regular series where we talk about the weird and wonderful possessions we can’t imagine life without. Think of it as an ode to the mundane, bizarre and, sometimes, wholly unnecessary products in our lives.

I know what you’re thinking: £12 on a lip balm sounds excessive and granted, until I tried it myself, I would be included to agree.

But boy, was I wrong. 

A fellow beauty journalist recommended Dr. Lipp to me in early 2018 when I kept complaining that my lips were always incredibly dry. Chapped lips are a terrible canvas for the bold, bright and statement lipsticks I like to wear – and not to mention they were painful and annoying.

This isn’t a case of seasonal dryness either, whether summer or winter, blustery winds or sweltering heat, my lips have always been dry. I’ve always kept a lip balm close by to reapply regularly. Until trying this lip balm nothing would last, traditional balm sticks and pots of Vaseline would work temporarily but never last.

Desperate, I headed to Space NK, a high-end beauty shop that stocked the lip balm – and the rest is history. 

The best way to describe the balm itself is waxlike. It’s incredibly thick and dark yellow in colour – arguably pretty off-putting when you squeeze it out of the tube for the first time. But once you get past the weird appearance and apply it to your lips (I use a finger), it magically transforms to a lipgloss. It’s tasteless, odourless and fragrance-free. And once it’s on, it’s on.

It would be remiss of me not to address the product’s name, Original Nipple Balm – cue immature giggles. While I’m informed it can be used to soothe sore nipples (due to its skin-repairing properties), this product is primarily for your lips. 

The star ingredient is lanolin, which is derived from sheep’s woo and what gives it the product its waxy texture. According to the website, lanolin has been used for centuries traditionally as a nipple balm and, as it is very similar to our skin’s natural oils, can be used on all areas of dryness around the body.  

I only use it on my lips, applying it first thing in the morning and last thing at night – no more, no less. My lips remain smooth, hydrated and happy all day and the thick consistency makes a perfect base for the lippy I invariably apply on top. In fact, I can wear the most matte lipstick in my makeup bag and know that it won’t dry my lips out.

Before I found the holy grail of lip balm I’d tried so many products I was losing hope. Now, I’m yet to find one as good at this. Dr Lipp is worth Every. Single. Penny – especially when you only need to apply a little twice a day.

Buy it now: Dr Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips, Space NK, £12