The Hydration Sandwich Trend Will Save Your Dry Lips

What Is the Lip Hydration Sandwich?

You might have heard of skincare sandwiching, where you layer moisturizers and an occlusive product over damp skin to seal in hydration, and a lip sandwiching method is very similar. 

“A lip hydration sandwich is the process of deeply hydrating the lips and protecting them by layering products in a specific order,” explains Davenport. “This is very similar to how we layer skincare products but in this case we are doing it for the lips. It follows three steps: hydrate, treat, and seal.” So yes, it’s exactly like moisture sandwiching, just concentrated on the lips. 

Why It Works

The reason this skincare technique works is because of “how we are layering the products starting with hydration first and sealing it all in with an occlusive product,” explains Davenport. “Adding in an exfoliation before applying your humectants and occlusive products will also help to increase hydration and remove dry skin.” 

The important thing to remember when hydration sandwiching is to start with damp lips and skin. This helps your lips absorb the product better to get full hydration benefits. 

Step-by-Step Tutorial

Here’s how to lip sandwich if you’re a newbie.

1. Wet lips. Dampening the skin will help products absorb better.

2. Add a humectant first. “Humectants are designed to pull water into the skin, but they don’t seal,” explains Davenport. These formulas are typically lightweight and absorb quickly, making them ideal for the first layer in your lip hydration sandwich. For this step, we love the SUMMER FRIDAYS Dream Lip Oil, which delivers glossy hydration while helping soften and smooth the lips. Just remember: humectants need to be sealed in to keep hydration from escaping—which is where the next step comes in. This keeps Dream Lip Oil positioned as a hydrator (not a balm), feels organic, and aligns with how people actually use it.

3. Add an occlusive balm. What do we mean by this? “Occlusive balms trap moisture and prevent water loss,” explains Davenport. “They protect but may not necessarily add hydration.” This is the product that seals in the hydration that you applied in the previous step with a humectant product. Think products like AQUAPHOR or OUTSET’S Botanical Rescue Balm. We also love the PUR Cloud Balm that you can easily throw in your bag for re-application on the go.

4. Now you have successfully completed a lip hydration sandwich ritual.

What Ingredients to Look For

It can be difficult to know which product is a humectant and which is an occlusive balm, so looking for certain ingredients will make it a bit easier. Here’s what to look out for, according to Davenport.

“In a humectant, we want to look for ingredients like panthenol (b5), glycerin, hyaluronic acid and aloe,” he says. 

In occlusive balms, “look for ingredients like petrolatum, shea butter, lanolin, and squalene,” says Davenport. 

Humectants will draw water into the lips, which is what hyaluronic acid is most used for, whereas occlusive balms help seal and provide a layer of moisture barrier protection. 

How to Layer With Lipstick

If you still want to wear your favorite lippie while hydration sandwiching (you’re speaking our language here!), Davenport has a few helpful tips: 

If you’re going to be wearing lipstick, Davenport suggests skipping the dampening step and going in with the lipstick first. Then, apply the humectant, and then finish with an occlusive product. “This would be more for a high shine/gloss look for the lips,” he says. “If you let the lipstick set for a few minutes before applying the following products, you should reduce any risk of smearing.”

Final Thoughts

Hydration sandwiching is a great tool to keep in your lip care routine, especially as you notice lips becoming more dry and flakier than usual. It can be helpful to add an additional step of exfoliating the lips first before dampening and beginning your hydration sandwich journey. As always, make sure to check out the IPSY Shop for more product recommendations and all-weather skin saviors.