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Lip alert: Take precautions now as the temperature drops

As the weather cools down and the humidity level dips, brace your lips with one of these best-selling lip balms. Some are best worn alone; others work with lipstick.

Origin’s Cover Your Mouth offers SPF 8 protection, making it good for sunny days and dry days. It contains titanium dioxide and vitamin E for protection against burning, splitting skin and peeling. Propolis, honey and beeswax soothe and smooth the lips, while peppermint vanilla adds a light fragrance. Cost is 10,000 won (about $8).

Maybelline offers a color and care package in one with Lip Smooth. Vitamin A and E condition the lips. Of the five colors, the newest are Sweet Violet, Smashing Orange and Cranberry Jam. Cost is 5,000 won.

One of Clinique’s top sellers is Superbalm Lip Treatment. It comes in a tube with a slanted applicator tip. The thick, fragrance-free formula contains petrolatum and microcrystalline wax to repair distressed lips and replenish lost moisture. It costs 15,000 won.

At MAC, Lip Conditioner is a steady seller. The vanilla-scented balm comes in a small pot. Lip Conditioner contains almond oil, shea butter, avocado extract, wheat germ oil and vitamins A and E to repair dry lips and lock moisture in. It can be used alone or before applying lipstick. Cost is 15,000 won.

The first lip conditioner that Aveda developed was Lip Saver. While the company has introduced more lip conditioning products, Lip Saver, with an SPF of 15, continues to be a steady seller. The waterproof conditioner is formulated with anise oil, beeswax, Brazilian carnauba wax, cinnamon leaf, clove oil, sunflower oil and vitamin E. The cinnamon leaf, clove and anise oils add a refreshing note. Can be used under lipstick. Cost is 14,000 won.

Neutrogena Lip Moisturizer offers a PABA free SPF 15 protection. The stick comes with a dispenser twist near the top, making it easier for one-handed application. The formula includes castor oil, corn oil, ozokerite, petrolatum, beeswax, octyl palmitate, paraffin, stearyl alcohol, carnauba, octyl methoxycinnamate and benzophenone-3. Cost is 4,400 won at most grocery stores.

The Vichy Lipidiose line includes lip cream. Ingredients include shea butter, vitamin E, glycerin and acid Asiatique for conditioning and healing. Cost is 10,000 won.

by Joe Yong-hee