Lip-balm preference is extremely subjective. Do you like your balm in the form of a stick, pot, or tube? Do you prefer it gooey? Waxy? Cooling to the touch? Or is a wet blanket of gleaming gloss more to your liking? That said, what most good lip balms have in common are the ingredients. Shea butter is huge, of course, as is cocoa butter; then there’s a long list of oils (coconut, olive, chamomile, argan, and so on). But what else should you take into consideration when searching for the best lip balm? We’ve got you covered.
Below, we’ve rounded up 28 of our favorites made with high-quality ingredients and having enough variety in texture, form, and shape to satisfy just about everybody.
This Cut-editor favorite — our beauty writer Asia Milia Ware swears by it — from Topicals is vegan, cruelty-free, and formulated with nourishing shea butter, coconut oil, and beeswax. It’s also infused with peptides and ceramides to protect the skin barrier and smooth lip lines. Despite containing potent and effective ingredients, the Slick Salve absorbs quickly and never feels sticky.
Size: 0.34 oz | Shades: 4 | Key ingredients: Peptides and vitamin C |
Combat dry and dull lips with this vitamin-C and peptide-packed formula that fashion and beauty writer Ware also loves. It comes in four mouth-watering flavors (apple, mango, pear kiwi, and honey vanilla) and has a clear, high-gloss finish that leaves lips feeling pillowy soft for up to eight hours.
Size: 0.70 oz | Shades: 6 | Key ingredients: Coconut oil and shea butter |
While this is technically an overnight mask, many people have repurposed it as a lip balm. The sweetly scented mask has a thick layer of ingredients like coconut oil and shea butter that help to nourish and smooth lips overnight.
Size: 0.10 fl oz | Shades: 1 | Key ingredients: Wild mango butter, jojoba oil, and karitè butter |
Shopping writer Chinea Rodriguez says this lip serum has an oil-like texture that “hydrates, smoothes, and adds a little bit of shine.” The formula is lightweight, long lasting, and never feels sticky.
Looking for a no-frills formula that will deliver serious results? New York Magazine’s features writer Matthew Schneier recommends this affordable, fragrance-free balm that’s made in Australia using carica papaya, which is high in antioxidants and can help heal various skin conditions (such as cuts, rashes, mild sunburns, and dry lips).
Size:0.14 fl oz | Shades: 2 | Key ingredients: Tri-Peptides, african butter tree extract |
It probably takes at least a few weeks for the hyaluronic acid in this stick to actually diminish lip lines, but it certainly makes lips feel plumper the minute you swipe it on. Maybe it’s the tri-peptides working over time at boosting collagen production, or the violet leaf extract’s antiseptic properties providing that slight tingle. Comes in an untinted version, too.
If you’ve been on the fence about Hailey Bieber’s buzzy lip treatment, let this be the push you need. Eight Cut staffers put this peptide-and-shea-butter-rich lip glaze to the test. The general consensus: Yes, it’s a must-buy.
Size: 0.35 fl oz | Shades:1 | Key ingredients: Petrolatum|
Like Vaseline, this is a classic, no-frills, fragrance-free, flavorless formula that will work on even the most chapped lips. Ingredients include shea butter, beeswax, and petrolatum to seal in moisture and soothe very dry skin. Senior shopping editor Bianca Nieves, keeps one in each of her bags.
Size: 0.3fl oz | Shades: 1 | Key ingredients: Cocoa-seed butter, glycerin, jojoba, and mint
Rodriguez is careful about what she puts on her lips, but she does love heavier ointments and balms. “When I don’t have Aquaphor at hand, this is a balm I keep nearby. It’s flavorless but still a little minty and tingly as it goes on without any irritation. It soothes and smoothes my lips almost instantly, and I barely notice I’m wearing it,” she shares.
Nieves also loves these top-rated lip creams. The formula features a combination of aloe, lanolin, and olive fruit oil to soothe, moisturize, and protect your lips. At just under $20 you get two so you can keep one in your bag and one at your desk.
Size: 0.13 fl oz | Shades: 5 | Key ingredients: Jojoba oil and bifidus extract |
Ware is pleasantly surprised by how much she likes Prada’s latest venture to beauty and its lip balm. She loves how moisturizing it is and how sleek the packaging is, too.
Size: 0.49 fl oz | Shades: 5 | Key ingredients: Hibiscus enzymes and lactic acid:|
Beloved by the whole Cut style team, this lip balm also doubles as an exfoliator thanks to it being formulated with AHA + Peptides that reduces lip wrinkles. Our favorite shade? Bissap Glaze.
Size: 0.5 fl oz | Shades:9 | Key ingredients: Shea and murumuru seed butters
The name really isn’t an exaggeration — this glossy balm glides on and feels pretty buttery and smooth. It smells really good too. Shea butter keeps your lips nourished, while certain shades add just a hint of color and lots of shine.
This balm — made mostly of coconut oil, avocado oil, bees wax, and shea butter — might be curiously grainy to the touch, but once it’s on your lips, they will feel as though a gentle cashmere blanket has just been draped over them.
Size: 0.5 fl oz | Shades:13 | Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid (BHA), and glycolic acid (AHA) |
Okay, I know what you’re thinking: $68 for a lip balm sounds absurd. But this one might actually be worth the splurge. After just a few weeks of applying the Plasma Lip Compound two times a day, you can expect to see noticeably plumper lips and a decrease in the appearance of fine lines and texture.
Size: 0.14 fl oz | Shades:1 | Key ingredients: Castor seed oil, vitamin E |
David Kim, board-certified dermatologist at Idriss Dermatology loves this splurge-worthy balm for its “rich and supple texture that’s not too heavy.” Just like the brand’s cult-favorite moisturizer, this balm features Augustinus Bader’s signature blend of repairing and plumping ingredients — including candelilla wax, which is just as good as beeswax at helping skin stay moisturized, but it’s vegan.
Size: 0.5 fl oz | Shades:9 | Key ingredients: Castor seed oil, beeswax, and lanolin |
Consider this the grown-up version of the Lip Smackers balms you loved as a tween. The multipurpose balm comes in a few different scents worth getting your hands on — like birthday cake, rose, mango, and coconut. The formula includes shea butter and synthetic beeswax to keep lips nourished. These aren’t really glossy, but a few scents are slightly tinted.
Size: 0.35 fl oz | Shades:15 | Key ingredients: Shea nut oil, olive oil, and beeswax|
Sofia Coppola is a fan of this shea nut oil, olive oil, and beeswax concoction — and Cap Beauty and Goop have both given it high marks. Its variety of shades — from French Melon to Persimmon to the pale gold Fete — offers something for every skin tone, but it’s available sans color.
This gives lips the glossy shine and moisture of formulas like Rhode’s without fragrance or flavor thanks to its hero ingredients: shea butter and squalane.
Size: 0.25 fl oz | Shades:1 | Key ingredients: Petrolatum|
A tiny tub of this tried-and-true favorite recommended by Kim will set you back less than $5. This is a thicker balm, so it helps lock in moisture, but if you aren’t a fan of the texture, you can just use it at night — like Kim does.
Size: 0.35 fl oz | Shades:1 | Key ingredients: Petrolatum|
This favorite from Cut managing editor Rachel Bashein nourishes lips without the shine, flavor, fragrance, or waxy feel. It also features some dermatologist-approved ingredients such as shea butter and beeswax.
There’s a reason you have to keep a lip balm on hand — lips are some of the driest parts of our faces. Board-certified dermatologist David Kim explains, “Our lips have a very thin layer of stratum corneum (a dead layer of the skin that protects it), so it’s very susceptible to free radicals from UV rays and other environmental damage.”
What ingredients should I look for in a lip balm?
For very dry lips, regular balm just won’t do. Kim likes balms with thicker petroleum-based formulas, like Vaseline and Aquaphor, that moisturize and protect. Other ingredients to look for are shea butter and beeswax — emollients that soften and moisturize lips no matter how dry they are. Some ingredients Kim recommends avoiding are artificial fragrances and colors that might put you at risk for contact dermatitis. Don’t worry, we have recs without either of those.
Does lip balm expire?
Since we know you want to know, we asked about expiration dates. Is that lip balm in your bag still good? There’s a good chance it is, Kim explains, “It depends on the product and their expiration dates, but most balm and ointment-based products are good for more than a year.” If you’re not entirely sure how old it is, we have lots of new balms for you to try.
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