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Beauty
By Sophie Shaw, CNN Underscored
Updated 9:00 AM EST, Thu December 14, 2023
What’s in this guide
- What causes chapped lips
- How to pick a great lip balm
- Best lip balm for dry lips
- Best lip balm with SPF
- Best tinted lip balm
- Best natural and organic lip balm
If you’re like me and have to have a lip balm on hand at all times, you’ll find tubes of them in your coat pockets and purses, in the car, on your nightstand — just about anywhere! After all, lip balm is an essential product year-round but especially as we face winter’s freezing temperatures, frigid winds and moisture-zapping heaters. The process of finding the best lip balm can result in the Goldilocks effect, though. In a sea of products that can feel too heavy and thick or not nourishing enough, you’re looking for the one that’s just right for you, which is why I went to the experts to find out what to look for in a quality lip balm.
What causes chapped lips
Cold weather can dry out the skin all over our bodies, and oftentimes our delicate lips are the first to show signs of dryness and dehydration. “Dry lips occur easily because they lack sweat and sebaceous glands,” Dr. Nicole Hayre, board-certified dermatologist and founder of the Cosmetic Dermatology Center in McLean, Virginia, explains. “In addition, lips have a thin epidermal layer. These features leave them more vulnerable to environmental factors like cold, dry air and wind.”
You’ve probably experienced chapped lips at one point or another. Dr. Marie Hayag, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Fifth Avenue Aesthetics in New York City, says, “Symptoms of dry lips include flaking, scaling, cracks and bleeding.” They can be uncomfortable and even a bit painful, but luckily there are simple, preventative steps you can take to avoid chapped lips.
“The most common cause for dry lips is lip licking, which is an absolute no-no in my book,” board-certified dermatologist and founder of PillowtalkDerm Dr. Shereene Idriss cautions. “Licking your lips, especially when they are already chapped, will draw all of the moisture out of them, leaving them even more dry.”
How to pick a great lip balm
When trying to figure out what lip balm brand is the best, the dermatologists we spoke to agreed that you should look for products rich in emollient and occlusive ingredients for adding moisture back into dry lips. The former are ingredients that soften and moisturize the skin, while the latter help create a layer on the skin to prevent moisture loss. Look for petrolatum, lanolin, shea butter, beeswax and mineral oils on ingredient lists. Hayag also notes that “humectants, which help attract water and hold on to it, such as glycerin and panthenol” are also beneficial ingredients for treating dry lips.
Additionally, Chicago-based, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Tone Dermatology Dr. Caroline Robinson says you’ll want to avoid “any potentially irritating ingredients in a lip product such as methanol, alcohols and fragrance,” as these lip balms could dry your lips more. A safe alternative is to use a fragrance-free, hypoallergenic lip balm. Robinson also notes that “it is always a good idea to rotate your lip products because the skin on our lips changes with each season and with age.”
With that, read on to discover the experts’ top picks for the all-around best lip balms, SPF-infused lip balms, tinted lip balms and natural lip balms.
Best lip balm for dry lips
“For dry lips, I love lip basting,” Idriss shares. This technique consists of applying a light chemical exfoliant to the lips (preferably glycolic acid), followed by a thick layer of emollient. “Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes (basting like a Thanksgiving turkey) and voila — smooth, hydrated lips,” she says. For the emollient layer, the dermatologist says to “look for products formulated with calendula and panthenol, as they soak in and nourish your lips.” She reaches for Weleda Skin Food because she “loves the way it hugs the lips.”
Robinson loves this multi-tasking product. “You can use this stick on lips or dry, irritated skin anywhere on the body,” Robinson says. “The nonsticky, unscented, hypoallergenic formula provides instant moisturization with a mess-free application.”
For those that like a juicy, glossy finish, Rhode’s Peptide Lip Treatment will be a new favorite. With fun flavors like Watermelon Slice, Salted Caramel and the limited edition Strawberry Glaze, you’ll love reapplying its delish formula that leaves dryness at the door. And if you’re into a bit of color, try out the equally juicy Peptide Lip Tint.
Read our review
Vaseline’s original petroleum jelly is a drugstore product that you can count on to get the job done. “A nice hydration-boosting tip is to leave the skin on the lip wet and apply a layer of plain Vaseline jelly to the lips to lock in hydration,” Robinson says.
Another recommendation from Robinson, this hydrating lip treatment is great for moisturizing with anti-aging benefits. The top-rated lip balm is thick and glossy and “contains hyaluronic acid and antioxidants to fight the signs of aging and keep lips looking youthful,” Robinson says.
According to Hayre, petrolatum, shea butter and other occlusives are the best ingredients for hydrating the lips. This lip balm contains both petrolatum and shea butter, along with other nourishing elements like beeswax, chamomile, vitamin E, aloe vera extract and green tea extract to moisturize and provide anti-aging benefits.
This buttery balm nourishes with cocoa, shea and avocado, leaving lips in a cushion of comfort. Flavors like Honey Apple, Watermelon Frosé and Mango Melonade make it a favorite for the whole family.
Best lip balm with SPF
This classic lip balm is Idriss’ pick for lip balm with sun protection. “It’s SPF 30 with broad-spectrum coverage protecting your lips from UVA and UVB,” she says. “It’s formulated with shea butter, vitamin E and castor seed oil that melts seamlessly into your lips.”
This lip balm from EltaMD contains zinc oxide to shield from UVA and UVB rays. It is also water-resistant, fragrance-free and safe for sensitive skin.
Hayre also recommends looking for zinc oxide in your lip sunscreen “because it is natural and protects against the broadest spectrum of UV light.” This option from Sun Bum has nearly 3,000 5-star ratings and is loved for its smooth texture and minimal white cast.
Made from 70% certified organic ingredients, “this is a good balm that provides broad-spectrum protection against UV rays while also providing hydration to the lips through ingredients like jojoba and avocado oil,” Hayag says. “[Another] benefit is that it’s water-resistant for up to 80 minutes.”
Best tinted lip balm
Editor Favorite
My personal favorite, this vegan lip balm comes in sheer shades like Vanilla Beige, Pink Sugar and Cherry that make lips look and feel as yummy as they taste. I love layering them with lipstick to create customized shades and keep my lips hydrated.
With a gloss-like application, this lip sunscreen “contains zinc oxide and vitamin E to aid in photoprotection,” Hayag says. The dermatologist also notes that ingredients like hyaluronic acid help the lips stay moisturized, while peptides “give the lips a more plump appearance.”
Idriss says she likes using a lip stain to apply color after lip basting. “This ensures my lips are hydrated and adds just the right amount of color where I don’t need to reapply throughout the day or night as often,” she explains. Her go-to stain is actually this color-adjusting blush oil that applies transparent and then reacts to your skin’s natural pH level and turns into a custom pink shade. “It gives the lips a flushed ‘your lips but better’ look,” Idriss says.
A longtime 100% natural favorite, Burt’s Bees signature lip balm is also available in eight tinted shades. From peachy pink to deep berry, the sheer lip colors deliver a flush of color and rich moisture with shea butter.
Available in five shades, including a sheer shimmer balm with pH-adjusting pink color, Robinson loves that this MDSolarSciences lip balm hydrates and protects with SPF 30 while giving a makeup-like finish.
With sheer colors to enhance your natural lip color and fruity flavors including Blackberry, Cherry, Watermelon and Strawberry, these top-rated lip moisturizers are perfect for everyday wear.
Best natural and organic lip balm
Burt’s Bees’ beloved beeswax lip balm — packed with natural emollients like coconut oil, sunflower seed oil and lanolin — now comes in an earth-friendly refillable option. The tube is microplastic-free, made from upcycled wood and holds nearly two times the amount of lip balm as the classic tube.
Editor Favorite
Prioritizing comfort, this smooth and simple lip balm is made with castor, rapeseed and argan oils. It’s one of my favorites for applying right before bed, as its light but rich formula acts as an overnight lip treatment.
Robinson says this plant-based lip balm has “a great formula that soothes and heals dry, damaged skin, lips and nails with the long-lasting hydration.”
This Kjaer Weis lip balm tube isn’t only sleek and elegant, it minimizes waste. The metal case (sold separately) is infinitely reusable, and you can choose from six sheer lip balm shades to fill it with. The balm itself is packed with organic ingredients such as rose, olive oil and Brazil nut oil, as well as moisturizing cocoa butter.
Made with 100% natural origin ingredients, Byredo’s flavored lip balm comes in three unique flavors: Thé à la Menthe d’Agadir, Bergamotte de Bahia and Camomille d’Anjou. The semi-matte finish makes for a seamless application while boosting hydration with jojoba seed oil, shea butter and avocado oil.
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Note: The prices above reflect the retailers' listed price at the time of publication.
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