This French beauty brand is famous for micellar water, but I can’t get enough of its lip balm

I was at the world’s most exquisite drugstore with my coworker when she audibly gasped. We live in New York City, so even in this palace of a drugstore I thought, “Oh no, a cockroach,” but I was wrong. It was two tubes of Bioderma Atoderm Nourishing and Repairing Lip Balm ($10) that had elicited such a strong reaction, one of which she handed over to me without hesitation. “These are rare,” she said. A few days later, I understood why.

At this temperature-dropping time of the year, my lips get more or less brutalized. You’re probably familiar with how those dry winter winds can give you chapped, painful lips that drive you absolutely crazy. Or how a long common cold can leave you with an absolutely shredded mouth. But I have an extra streak of masochism; colder weather means delving into berry colored matte lips, which are by the way not super kind to your mouth.

If you’re not acquainted with Bioderma yet, it’s lauded for its skin-care products, particularly it’s Sensiobio H20 Micellar Water ($14). But believe when I say it’s a hidden gem. The formal concoction is made up of All The Good Things, like shea butter, avocado oil, and vitamin E, the reparative wonder that’ll condition what’s flaking and help promote new growth.

Incidentally, I did sit on this lip balm (not literally, don’t be weird) for two days, having an event or two that required me to wear some classic red lipstick. I woke up that third day with my lips completely shot, the sandpapery result of too many mattes. I scrambled, I searched, and I found the Bioderma lip balm in the hopes that it would help. When I smoothed it on, I was gobsmacked (this time pretty literally)—the Bioderma lip balm is more of a gel, simultaneously velvety and moisturizing.

I then put on more matte lipstick, because it was Halloween and I hate myself. But on that night I followed a tip my friend mentioned in passing—I swiped some balm on before I passed out And in the morning? Everything was smooth sailing, as if my mouth went on a pleasant vacation and came back rejuvenated.

Bioderma wants you to heal, but if you’re just looking for a way to gloss up and be kissable, it can manage that, too. Oh, and the absolute best part? It’s not even a smidge expensive, I threw down a 10 spot without even thinking.

If you anticipate those rough—like, really rough—winter mouth woes, and want a balm to get you through this is our vote. But hurry to your fanciest drug store and stock up before the season kicks up. Trust me, it’s rare.

Here’s a closer look at a dermatologist’s skin-care routine:

By the way, a dermatologist shares just how much you’re supposed to use lip balm. And you might want to avoid this flavorful ingredient if you’re dealing with chapped lips.