Winter wreaks havoc on our lips for a whole variety of reasons. Maybe you live in a very cold climate: Minnesota, Siberia, the North Pole. Maybe you live with a heating system that seems to leech moisture from your skin so that youre sure youre going to wake up one morning mummified. Or maybe youve spent your whole life slathering on cherry Chapstick and are overcome by the sneaking suspicion theres something better out there.

And youd be right: Dermatologists say flavored lip balms can actually make chapped lips worse because the added fragrances can irritate skin and increase the potential for chapping.

So what lip balm should you be using? We talked to people who live and work in some of the worlds coldest, harshest conditions: scientists and related professionals in Barrow, Alaska; people who fish the Alaskan waters for a living; and a career ski instructor in Aspen, Colorado. They told us which products they use to protect their pouts from sun, wind, snow and crashing waves.

Here are the products they recommend for maximum moisture and healing:

Jamie OConnor, fisherman and Alaska Marine Conservation Council member

I wouldnt trade my life as an Alaska fisherman for anything. Its soul-nourishing to be part of an industry that gets me out in nature while supporting our coastal communities and feeding my neighbors and the world, OConnor said. Its rewarding work but rough on my skin! Her daily balm is Burts Bees All-Weather SPF 15 Moisturizing Lip Balm .

Before bed, OConnor applies the brands Res-Q Ointment , which she has used for more than a decade. I like the herby smell and the way it heals my lips overnight, no matter how hard the tide the day before, she said. Fun side benefit: It looks like tobacco in my pocket and keeps the fishboys on their toes.