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As we make our way through the winter months, you may find yourself contending with an unpleasant side effect of the chilly season: chapped lips. While there's little to do about the weather, the best thing you can do for your lips (besides staying hydrated) is regularly using a lip balm that helps protect you against the ill effects of the cold.
However, with lots of options out there, it can be hard to decide which balm will meet your needs and become your ride-or-die. To help you out, we've gathered up some of our favorites that will keep your lips soft and kissable long after the mistletoe comes down.
The 10 Best Lip Balms of 2023
What Ingredients Should I Look For?
There are a few key ingredients in lip balms that help to make them protective, hydrating, and long-lasting.
Oils, butters, and waxes: These three ingredients are crucial for locking in moisture and keeping your skin hydrated. Popular choices are shea butter, avocado oil, and beeswax—though there are often many variations of this holy trinity in lip balm. Having two or more of these ingredients in your lip balm is a good sign it will work well and last long.
Vitamin E: Many lip balms include vitamin E, which helps promote the regeneration of skin cells and brings new ones to the surface of dry lips faster. It also has a thick, oily viscosity, which helps protect that outer layer and locks in moisture.
SPF: SPF is so, so important, especially for your lips. If you want to ensure the health and suppleness of your lips as you age, you need to protect them daily with SPF 15 or higher—particularly if you’re determined to run outside this winter. You will need to reapply after you eat, or every hour or so you spend outside, so choose a lip balm that has that SPF built in if you want to have it alway on-hand.
How We Chose
To find the best lip balms among the numerous contenders on the market, we looked at expert reviews from trusted sources like Byrdie and The Strategist. We then took into account price, ingredients, size, look, and feel. Finally, we consulted more than 71,000 reviews, written by people who’ve bought these products on Amazon to identify the cream of the crop.
Looking for more ways to take care of your skin this winter? Check out some of the best body balms.
Pros
Very hydrating- Lasts a while
Cons
- Glossy, sticky finish
This is one of the most basic lip treatments you can get—but also one of the most effective. Made with chamomile, shea butter, and nourishing vitamins, it calms and moisturizes while protecting the lips against further damage.
Aquaphor is free of dyes, fragrance, and paraben, which makes it a great option for everyday use, plus it is great for adding some extra gloss on top of a lip color.
Key Specs
| Active ingredients: | Chamomile, shea butter, vitamins C, E and B5 |
|---|---|
| SPF: | No |
Best Basic Balm
Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm
Pros
- Smooth feel
- No color or tint
Cons
- Mint may sting on very chapped lips
If you’re looking for a basic lip balm, you can’t go wrong with good old Burt’s Bees. Made with beeswax, vitamin E, and peppermint oil, it’s nourishing, hydrating, and has a satisfying cooling feeling from the mint.
This lip balm comes in a pack of four and, with over 35,000 reviews on Amazon, has maintained a 4.5-star average. Unlike a lot of lip balms, this one doesn’t have much shine, so it’s a great choice for those who don’t want to look like they’re wearing anything on their lips.
Key Specs
| Active ingredients: | Beeswax, vitamin E, peppermint oil |
|---|---|
| SPF: | No |
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Pros
- Very hydrating
- Pretty on lips
Cons
- Some scents are very strong
The Glossier Balm Dotcom has become a cult favorite for its cute packaging, addictive scents, and effective moisturizing. It comes in both tinted and clear colors and has scents ranging from sweets to fruits. Though the tubes appear somewhat small for the price, they carry a ton of product and a little goes a long way.
Key Specs
| Active ingredients: | Castor oil, beeswax, lanolin, cupuacu fruit extract, rice bran and rosemary leaf extracts |
|---|---|
| SPF: | No |
Best Thick Balm
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask
Pros
- Smells great
- Repairs lips super fast
- Works overnight
Cons
- A bit sticky and thick on lips
While designed as a lip mask, this product gained popularity on TikTok for use 24/7. It’s incredibly hydrating and nourishing and leaves your lips with a beautiful, blushed sheen. Ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter, and murumuru seed butter lock in moisture, while antioxidants nourish and Vitamin C protects the skin.
Key Specs
| Active ingredients: | Coconut oil, shea butter, murumuru seed butter, antioxidants, vitamin C |
|---|---|
| SPF: | No |
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Best for Runners
Sun Bum SPF 30 Sunscreen Lip Balm
Pros
- Great scents
- Sun protection
Cons
- Can feel a little chalky on lips
If you run outside, you need to be wearing SPF. And while you may be good about using SPF moisturizer or spraying on a quick layer of sunscreen before heading out, you could be forgetting about your lips. And they’re among the most delicate areas on your body and the most sensitive to the sun.
These Sun Bum lip balms come in coconut, banana, and watermelon scents and pack SPF 30, making them ideal for runners. They also contain aloe and vitamin E, which help keep your lips feeling smooth and looking healthy.
Key Specs
| Active ingredients: | Aloe, vitamin E |
|---|---|
| SPF: | 30 |
Pros
- Great scents
- Good value
Cons
- Not the most hydrating
If you were an ’80s or ’90s baby, you’ll remember the collective obsession with Lip Smacker lip balm. This pack comes with eight different balms in scents like Oatmeal Cookie, Vanilla, Mango, Watermelon, Tropical Punch, Cotton Candy, Kiwi, and Strawberry.
Not only do these have the draw of nostalgia, but customers love how comfortable they feel on the lips, as well as the ample hydration and protection they pack.
Key Specs
| Active ingredients: | Castor seed oil, sesame seed oil, beeswax |
|---|---|
| SPF: | No |
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Pros
- Pretty color
- Amazing scent
Cons
- Expensive
The Sugar tinted lip treatment is popular, and with good reason. There are 14 beautiful shades to choose from, they work great on all skin tones, and it has a signature delicious sugary scent.
The formula is free of parabens, sulfates, synthetic dyes, petrochemicals, phthalates, GMOs, and triclosan. It also has SPF 15, which makes it a great choice for everyday wear to keep your lips healthy.
Key Specs
| Active ingredients: | Jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil |
|---|---|
| SPF: | 15 |
Pros
- Lots of color options, including clear
- No scent
Cons
- Feels a little waxy
This tinted balm from Honest Beauty is cruelty-free, vegan, and made without petrolatum, paraffins, parabens, synthetic fragrances, silicones, and mineral oils. Instead, it uses avocado oil and açai extracts, which give the formula a buttery-smooth feel.
The color layers nicely, so you can either go for a slightly tinted look or a more pigmented lip in any of the balm’s seven colors.
Key Specs
| Active ingredients: | Avocado oil, açai extract |
|---|---|
| SPF: | No |
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Pros
- Easy to find in a purse
- Cooling and refreshing
Cons
- Difficult to get entire product out of container
Eos lip balm is organic, gentle, and super hydrating. It has natural oils, waxes, and butters to help lock in moisture, which also gives it a super smooth feel. The mint flavor is subtle and won’t burn your lips even if they’re chapped. Instead, it provides a soothing, cooling feel that’s not sticky. The unique round shape is also a plus, making it easy to find in the bottom of your bag.
Key Specs
| Active ingredients: | Olive oil, coconut oil, jojoba seed oil, shea butter, beeswax |
|---|---|
| SPF: | No |
Pros
- Simple ingredients
- Works on other body parts
Cons
- Can feel a little greasy
Not only does this balm work great for moisturizing the most dry, chapped lips, but it hydrates other parts of your body as well including hands, dry patches, and even nipples.
It is made from natural lanolin—an oil in sheep’s wool—that mimics the naturally occurring oils in human skin. It’s super hydrating and can hold up to 400 percent of its weight in moisture, creating a protective barrier for your skin.
Key Specs
| Active ingredients: | Lanolin oil |
|---|---|
| SPF: | No |
Gabrielle Hondorp
Before joining Runner's World, Gabrielle Hondorp spent 6 years in running retail (she has tested top gear from shoes, to watches, to rain jackets which has expanded her expertise—and her closets); she specializes in health and wellness, and is an expert on running gear from head-to-toe. Gabi began her journalism career as a Digital Editorial Fellow for Runner’s World and Bicycling Magazine, and has since advanced to a Runner's World Editor specializing in commerce. She has a double degree in English and Media and Communication from Muhlenberg College where she also ran cross country and track.
