Do You Need A Lip Mask Or Is Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask Just A Glorified Lip Balm?

Newsflash: it doesn’t matter if you call it lip balm, lip mask or lip lotion, it’s all the same thing. A moisturiser for your lips. No wonder that Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask “doubles up” as a lip balm then. I’d be surprised if it didn’t…

So do you need it? It depends. You DON’T need a special sleeping mask for your lips, but you sure DO need a good moisturizer for them. And Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask is better than most. Here’s why:

About The Brand: Laneige

Laneige is a Korean skincare brand that focuses (surprise, surprise!) on hydration. Hydration is the foundation of healthy skin. When skin has all the moisture it needs, it’s softer, plumper, and brighter. Laneige’s formulations are fairly simple, yet incredibly hydrating to make your skin look its very best every day. Of course, they also add plant extracts, minerals, and amino acids to their formulas for that extra wow factor. If your skin is desperate for moisture, this is a brand worth checking out.

Key Ingredients In Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask: What Makes It Work?

EMOLLIENTS TO MOISTURISE SKIN

Forget about the berry complex Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask boasts about. This lip balm gets its moisturising properties from a bunch of synthetic emollients.

FYI, emollients are lubracting agents that form a layer on your skin that moisturizes it. The main ones in this lip mask/balm are:

• Diisostearyl Malate: An emollient made up of malic acid and isostearyl alcohol, it’s commonly used in lip products.
• Hydrogenated Polyisobutene: A synthetic oil used as a mineral oil substitute, it helps prevent water loss.
• Phytosteryl / Isostearyl / Cetyl / Stearyl / Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate: An oil-soluble emollient that works better than lanolin. It’s great at holding water, helping to keep skin hydrated for longer.

Don’t let the long, chemical names fool you. These emollients are safe. They keep your lips soft and smooth without causing any unwanted side effects.

Related: 5 Myths About Mineral Oil You Need To Stop Believing Right Now

SHEA BUTTER TO PREVENT WATER LOSS

Not all the moisturising ingredients in Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask are synthetic. Take Shea Butter, for example.

Derived from the nut of the Shea tree, this butter is rich in fatty acids (including oleic acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid, palmitic acid, and linolenic acid) that make it an excellent moisturizer.

It works by creating a barrier on the skin that keeps water in. It’s so effective, its moisturizing properties last up to 8 hours!

Related: Why Shea Butter Is A Godsend For Dry Skin

Struggling to put together a skincare routine that banishes dryness and makes your skin supple and dewy? Download your FREE “Best Skincare Routine For Dry Skin” to get started (it features product recommendations + right application order):

The Rest Of The Formula & Ingredients

• Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin): An emollient that makes lips softer and smoother.
• Polybutene: A sticky liquid that holds together the ingredients of the lip balm.
• Synthetic Wax: It gives the lip balm a solid consistency.
• Microcrytalline Wax / Cera Microcristallina / Cire Microcristalline: An alternative to paraffin wax, it’s a type of wax produced by de-oiling petroleum. It has emollient properties and gives the lip balm a solid texture.
• Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax / Candelilla Cera / Cire De Candelilla: Derived from the Candelilla shrub, it creates a protective barrier on the skin that protects it from the elements and keeps moisture in to hydrate lips.
• Sucrose Tetrastearate Triacetate: Another emollient that makes lips softer and smoother.
• Butylene / Ethylene / Styrene Copolymer: It gives products a smooth, gel texture.
• Ethylene / Propylene / Styrene Copolymer: It helps to form gel textures and reduces water loss, so your lips stay hydrated for longer.
• Mica (CI 77019): A multi-tasker that gives the lip palm light-reflecting properties, helps it adhere to skin, and increases product slip.
• Astrocaruym Murumuru Seed Butter: Derived from the Brazilian palm tree, it’s an emollient that makes lips softer and helps skin retain moisture for extra hydration.
• Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891): A sunscreen agent, it’s here to increase the opaqueness of the lip balm.
• Dimethicone: A popular silicone that fills in fine lines and any nooks and crannies on your lips, giving them a smoother appearance and a softer feel. Dimethicone has a bad rep for suffocating skin, but it doesn’t. It’s made up of big molecules with wide gaps in between them. These gaps allow skin to perspire.
• Fragrance / Perfume: Fragrance it’s the most irritating ingredient in skincare product. But it does make the lip balm smell good.
• Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate: It’s an emollient that makes skin softer and smoother.
• Dehydroacetic Acid: A preservative that keeps the lip balm safe from bacteria and germs that would spoil it.
• Methicone: Another silicone that creates a protective barrier on the skin that keeps water in, so lips stay hydrated for longer.
• Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax / Cera Carnauba / Cire De Carnauba: Derived from from the leaves of the Brazilian tropical palm tree, Copernicia cerifera, it gives the lip balm its solid texture.
• Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate: It keeps the oily and watery parts of the formula from separating.
• Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985): It imparts a yellowish tint to skincare products.
• Red 6 (CI 15850): It imparts a reddish tint to skincare products.
• Polyhydroxystearic Acid: A soft, pliable wax used to thicken and stabilise formulas.
• Water / Aqua / Eau: A solvent used to dissolve other ingredients.
• Potassium Alginate: A preservative that extends the shelf life of the lip balm.
• Propanediol: It helps other ingredients better penetrate skin, although here it’s mostly used as a part of the preservative support system to extend the shelf life of the lip balm.
• Glycerin: A humectant that draws moisture from the air into your skin, helping to keep it hydrated for longer.
• Alcohol: A solvent used to dissolve other ingredients. Alcohol can irritate sensitive skin, but in the small concentrations used here, it’s unlikely to have any side effects.
• Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract: An antioxidant that helps prevent wrinkles.
• Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Fruit Extract: Another antioxidant that fights free radicals, the nasty molecules that give you premature wrinkles.
• Fragaria Chiloensis (Strawberry) Fruit Extract: A skin conditioning agent that makes lips softer and smoother.
• Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract: Another skin conditioning agent that makes lips softer and smoother.
• Sapindus Mukorossi Fruit Extract: It has antioxidant properties and may also be used as a preservative.
• Vaccinum Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract: A powerful source of antioxidants that help your skin stay younger-looking for longer.
• Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Extract: Rich source of anthocyanins, beta-carotene, & vitamin E, it has antioxidant and soothing properties that fight wrinkles and calm down irritations.
• Coffee Arabica (Coffee) Seed Extract: Another powerful antioxidant that fights free radicals before they give you wrinkles.
• Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract: Rich in essential fatty acids, it strengthens the skin’s protective barrier and helps it retain moisture for softer, suppler, more hydrated lips.
• Magnesium Sulfate: It has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce redness and irritation.
• Calcium Chloride: It increases the viscosity of skincare products.
• Sodium Hyaluronate: A powerful humectant that attracts and binds to the skin up to 1000 times its weight in water. All that extra hydration plumps up skin, making it softer and smoother.
• Beta-Gluten: Another hydrator that boosts the skin’s protective barrier and makes skin softer and smoother.
• Manganese Sulfate: I couldn’t find relevant info on what it does in skincare products. I must admit, even I am not sure why this is here!
• Zinc Sulfate: It gives a slight tingling sensation to skin. This type of ingredients can be irritating, so not a fan.
• Ascorbyl Glucoside: A derivative of Vitamin C with antioxidant properties. In the small concentration used here, it won’t do much.

Texture

The lip balm has a thick texture that goes on colourless and takes a few minutes to absorb. This can be a dealbreaker for some people, especially if your lips are in good condition and you just want something maintain hydration levels and give them a nice sheen. If your lips are on the dry side, you’ll appreciate the thick texture more.

Fragrance

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask has a strong strawberry scent that reminds me of bubblegum. A bit too strong for my taste, but it doesn’t linger around long. But hey, I know many people love it. Scents are a matter of personal preference.

What’s not personal preference but a cold hard fact is that fragrance is the most irritating ingredient in skincare products. Sure, most people can use it without any problem. They enjoy the smell and experience no side effects. But if your lips are sensitive and the lip balms irritate it, now you know why.

How To Use It

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask can be used in two different ways:

• Sleeping mask: Apply a generous layer on your lips before going to sleep.
• Lip balm: Apply a thin layer to your lips every time they need the extra moisture.

I use it mostly as a sleeping mask because I dislike applying lip balms with my fingers or an applicator. Tubes are more convenient. But in the evening, when I can just leave it on and not reapply it for hours, this is a nice, overnight treat for your lips.

Packaging

The lip balm comes in a cute pink jar with a spatula. I usually don’t like jars because they’re not hygienic. If you don’t clean your fingers well before application (and who can be bothered on-the-go?), you risk introducing germs into the formula. The spatula prevents that, it’s just not as practical to use as a tube.

Performance & Personal Opinion

If you’re looking for a bit of colour, Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask isn’t for you. The soft pink balm goes on clear.

I like to use a generous amount before I go to sleep. You don’t have to. If your lips aren’t all dry and chapped, you can get away with a thin layer. I just use more because it feels more comfortable on my lips.

When I wake up in the morning, my lips feels so soft and kissable. My lipstick goes on more smoothly. Best of all, I find myself reapplying lip balm less and less during the day. My lips have all the moisture they need and don’t ask for more.

If I need a touchup, I’ll use a thinner layer than at night. If I put on too much, my lipstick tends to slide off – it’s THAT emollient.

I just don’t like using my finger to apply it. Sure, it comes with its own little spatula for a more hygienic application, but you need to clean it after every use.

It’s just easier to use a lip balm that comes in a tube, know what I mean? But hey, if you’re not as lazy as me, you’re in for a treat.

What I Like About Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask

• Versatile, can be used as a lip sleeping mask or lip balm.
• The jar packaging comes with a spatula for a hygienic application.
• It makes my lips very soft and smooth.

What I DON’T Like About Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask

• Texture takes a while to absorb.
• Contains fragrance, which can irritate sensitive skin.
• If I apply too much, lipstick slides off my lips.

Who Should Use This?

This lip balm is for people who have dry lips and need the extra bout of moisture. But, if your skin lips are very cracked, this won’t be enough. If your lips are in great condition, you don’t need this. You can still use it to add some extra hydration or nice sheen to your lips, it’s just not a must-have.

Does Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask Live Up To Its Claims?

Is Laneige Cruelty-Free?

Laneige is NOT cruelty-free. They may do animal testing or outsource it a third party. Plus, AmorePacific, their parent company, tests on animals too.

Price & Availability

Available at: $25.00/£19.00 at Cult Beauty and Sephora

The Verdict: Should You Buy It?

I wouldn’t say you need it. I personally prefer to buy a lip balm that comes in stick form and use that instead of an overnight lip mask. But if you’re looking for a moisturising lip balm – and don’t mind the jar packaging -, this is a great option to consider. It works.

Dupes & Alternatives

• Revolution Skincare Berry Lip Sleeping Mask (£6.00): A simple sleeping mask with shea butter and hyaluronic acid to deeply hydrate lips and protect them from environmental aggressors. It doubles up as a lip balm too. Available at Revolution Skincare.

About Gio

Hi, I'm Gio. I'm a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is skin coach and writer on a mission to help you achieve your best skin day ever - every day. I bust skincare myths and debunk marketing jargon to help you figure out what's worth the splurge and what's best left on the shelf - using science, not hype. I also offer skincare consultations to help you create the best skincare routine for your unique needs.