Paw pads dry out for much the same reasons hands do, and mostly in winter: cold wet pavements, gritted roads, and then a warm house with the heating running all evening. Nose leather does exactly the same thing. A wax-based balm sits on the surface and slows that water loss, which is what genuinely softens a cracked pad, because nothing you rub on can hydrate skin from the inside.

This one is a coconut-oil balm in a 15g tin, which is the right size for something you keep by the front door rather than buried in a cupboard. Warm a small amount between your fingers first so it goes on thin, then work it into the pad and around the rim of the nose. Thin is the trick. Put too much on and your pet spends the next ten minutes licking it off, and it ends up on the floor rather than on the pad.

• 15g tin of coconut-oil based balm
• Softens dry, chapped paw pads and noses
• Forms a breathable barrier against rough ground
• Massages in without leaving a greasy residue
• Suitable for both dogs and cats
• Small enough for a coat pocket or the hall shelf

Two things worth knowing. A balm is not a boot. It will not stop road grit or de-icing salt irritating the pads, so still rinse or wipe the feet after a winter walk, because salt burns and a layer of wax will hold it against the skin. And if a pad is split, bleeding or your dog is limping, that is a vet visit rather than something a moisturiser is going to fix.

Who it's for: Owners of dogs and cats with dry pads or a crusty nose through winter, who want a simple everyday balm rather than a treatment.