Feed lips - balm

All lip balms hydrate, but not all lip balms use the same ingredients to do this. We’ve noted the standout ingredients in each formula whether it’s powered by an old-fashioned emollient like petroleum or packed with extra skin benefits like shea butter or vitamin E.

As mentioned above, most of our lip balms skew on the affordable side, but in case price is a consideration, we’ve noted how much you’re getting in a tube and the cost per ounce.

Ingredients: Beeswax, vitamin E, peppermint oil | Price: 0.6 ounces (Approx. $3/ounce)

Burt’s Bees is a long-loved classic and comes recommended by both Strategist staffers and celebrities (Michael Strahan swears by it for TV-ready lips). It has all the trappings of a solid lip balm: deeply hydrating ingredients (beeswax and fruit extracts), affordable, and widely available. “These are super-moisturizing, gliding onto your lips but never too sticky, and actually very sheer,” says Strategist writer Ambar Pardilla, who picks up a pack of four whenever she takes a trip to the drugstore. Said four-pack will run you about $9, so you don’t have to worry if you leave one of the tiny yellow tubes behind. There’s an abundance of flavors to choose from. Pardilla is partial to the mango scent, which is derived from fruit extracts. Its scented without adding color to the lips, which she says is a bonus: “Sometimes you just want the natural shade of your pout.” Strategist writer Emma Wartzman likes the original honey scent, which she describes as “subtly sweet in the nicest way” and which “works without needing to be reapplied super-often.”

Ingredients: Petroleum | Price: 0.25 ounces (Approx. $8/ounce)

Vaseline is another classic option and can be used for just about anything from moisturizing lips to adding a bit of shine to eyelids. It contains just one ingredient: petroleum jelly, an incredibly effective occlusive that locks in moisture and provides nearly instant relief to ultradry chapped lips and skin. Severe allergies to petroleum jelly are fairly rare, making it a good option for anyone with sensitive skin. Pardilla is a longtime fan. “This is what you use when your lips are bone dry, chapped, and ready to bleed,” she says. Wartzman is also a regular user and likes to use it to moisturize other areas such as her cuticles and elbows.

Ingredients: Petroleum, mineral oil, ceresin, lanolin, glycerin, bisabolol | Price: 0.25 ounces (Approx. $1.40/ounce)

One of the hallmarks of Accutane is unbearably dry lips because the acne-eliminating medication works by decreasing the size of oil glands in the skin. Makeup artist Kasey Spickard, who has been on the medication multiple times, can attest to the effectiveness of Aquaphor in treating Accutane-dried lips: “It’s simple and stands the test of time to hydrate and soothe lips,” he says. Aquaphor is an occlusive and contains petroleum jelly alongside a bunch of other ingredients such as mineral oil, ceresin, lanolin, glycerin, and bisabolol, an antioxidant that has anti-inflammatory properties. It’s also good for non-Accutane users. I am a longtime fan — it’s been my go-to since 2015, and despite trying a whole host of other lip balms, it’s the only one I come back to time and time again. I have it in just about every size from the tiny half-ounce tube to the larger squeeze bottle. I keep a few around the house at all times and apply it to my lips regularly. It’s softening without being greasy and provides immediate relief. It also doubles as a colorless highlighter. When Rio Viera-Newton asked an array of cool people about the best beauty products under $10, Maddie Biallis, the manager of new product and collaborations at Alex Mill, named Aquaphor, which she says gives skin a “perfect glisten-y high-shine effect.”

Ingredients: Vitamin C | Price: 0.7 ounces (Approx. $31/ounce)

The Laneige lip mask has reached cult status thanks to its thick, gloopy texture and sweet berry scent. It sort of wraps your lips in a deeply moisturizing film that sinks in and seemingly repairs them overnight. It contains vitamin C and other antioxidants along with hyaluronic acid, which gives lips that hydrated, plump look. Even though it’s meant to be used as a reparative nighttime treatment, many people (myself included) have ignored the instructions and worn it all day long. Storm Reid is a fan, using it as both a balm and a lip gloss. “It keeps my lips super-moisturized but also has a high-shine gloss and adds a little plumpness to my lips,” she says. Strategist writer Erin Schwartz applies it nightly, and though they aren’t thrilled with the mask’s stickiness, they wear it anyway because “the formula is just that good.”

Ingredients: Shea butter, coconut oil | Price: 0.7 ounces (Approx. $26/ounce)

For a more affordable alternative to the lip sleeping mask, makeup artist Karol Rodriguez recommends the Ulta Lip Sleeping Mask, which is about half the price. It moisturizes using shea butter and coconut oil, a combination that Rodriguez says is “not sticky at all.” They like to use it on clients, especially ones with particularly dry lips, noting that its heavy texture really moisturizes.

Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, salicornia | Price: 0.23 ounces (Approx. $104/ounce)

This is the newest lip balm in my rotation, and I was quickly converted to the gospel of Ilia. It has everything I like in a lip balm — moisturizing (thanks to a blend of hyaluronic acid and sea succulent), easy to apply (it comes in a squeeze-y tube that has a cooling ceramic applicator that easily glides across lips), and glossy. It gives my lips enough shine that I don’t need to apply anything else, and has a thick consistency that wraps the lips in moisture without settling into any dry spots. It’s also deeply hydrating. Even when my lips are at their most parched, I can apply this and it helps to bring them back to life. On the scent front, the lip balm has notes of chamomile and lavender, which gives it a subtly sweet smell.

Ingredients: Shea butter | Price: 0.35 ounces (Approx. $49/ounce)

Laneige also makes lip balm, and it is very good. It’s a go-to for me and lives up to its “glowy” claim. It’s very shiny — almost lip-gloss-level shine — and very moisturizing. It’s less sticky than the lip mask and feels like a true daytime alternative. Rather than using the brand’s proprietary moisture-wrap formula, it moisturizes using shea and murumuru butter, which contributes to the slick, less sticky feel. Spickard is a fan, noting that the packaging makes it easy to take on the go and to apply to clients. It’s available in five sweet-smelling flavors, some of which are tinted to give lips a little extra color.

Ingredients: Sugar, mango butter | Price: 0.12 ounces (Approx. $133/ounce)

If you’re looking for another two-in-one, celebrity esthetician Sarah Akram recommends this exfoliating lip balm from Dior, which she says is a triple threat. “It’s a nourishing balm, lip exfoliator, and has a touch of pink for a naturally rosy finish,” she says. It exfoliates using fine grains of sugar that melt away, leaving a moisturizing balm behind. She recommends it especially during the colder months as lips start to get dry and chapped. “It’s great for everyone.”

Ingredients: Shea butter, murumuru butter | Price: 0.5 ounces (Approx. $44/ounce)

Some lip balms (like our overall favorite from Burt’s Bees) incorporate beeswax, which may not be an option for someone who doesn’t use animal by-products. This vegan lip balm from Summer Fridays is a crowd favorite. “It works wonders when it comes to moisturizing, nourishing, and repairing cracked lips,” Rio says of the Summer Fridays balm, which has become popular thanks to its hydrating properties and yummy vanilla scent (seriously, it tastes good!). Makeup artist and Humphrey’s Witch Hazel committee member Jaleesa Jaikaran is also a fan: “It has become one of my favorites this year so much so that I’ve gifted it to clients,” she says. “It helps with dullness and dryness that lasts throughout the day.” The formula contains shea and murumuru butter to moisturize along with natural vegan waxes, which gives it the signature, lip-gloss-like shine. It also has natural vanilla flavor, hence the edible taste.

Ingredients: Petroleum jelly, fermented papaya | Price: 0.9 ounces (Approx. $10/ounce)

Another do-it-all salve that’s ideal for the lips is Lucas Papaw. Strategist writer Kat Gillespie has been using it since high school and attests to its ability to quickly and effectively moisturize. “It’s essentially Vaseline mixed with fermented papaw (papaya). It has a slightly chunky texture and goes on pretty thick. It’s perfect for when things get a bit dry or cracked,” she says. It also is a bit glossy, if you’re into that.

Ingredients: Camphor, menthol, cocoa butter | Price: 0.35 ounces (Approx. $5/ounce)

We first wrote about Carmex back in 2017, when Tyler Oakley named it as something he can’t live without. In the time since, it has been recommended by podcast host Clara Amfo and Ellie Kemper, who said that nothing else compares. It also comes recommended by dermatologist Dr. Karan Lal of Schweiger Dermatology, who says it’s healing because of its star ingredient: camphor. Camphor is a mild pain reliever that’s known for its ability to soothe chapped dry lips. It also contains menthol, which creates a cooling sensation and gives Carmex its signature minty scent.

Ingredients: Aloe, vitamin E, SPF 30 | Price: 0.15 ounces (Approx. $20/ounce)

The skin on your lips is very thin and thus susceptible to being sunburned just like anywhere else on your body. That’s where lip balm with SPF comes in. Lal recommends this one from Sun Bum, which has an SPF of 30 and comes in a range of flavor options. Its main ingredients are vitamin E and aloe, which work together to soothe and moisturize.

Ingredients: Cupuaçu butter, mongongo oil | Price: 0.15 ounces (Approx. $120/ounce)

If you prefer a mineral sunblock to a chemical one, there’s Coola’s lip balm, which comes recommended by Strategist senior editor Crystal Martin. “The colors are really cute,” she says. “You can throw it on and look a little zhuzhed up but not trying too hard.” It moisturizes using a blend of cupuaçu butter and mongongo oil, which gives it a creamy, spreadable texture.

Ingredients: Lanolin | Price: 0.27 ounces (Approx. $30/ounce)

Originally designed for breastfeeding mothers, this balm has become popular for its deeply hydrating properties. Spickard says it’s a staple in his kit because it’s both hydrating and soothing. Its main ingredient is lanolin, a popular occlusive derived from sheep’s wool that helps to stop moisture loss in the skin. While Spickard likes the original clear formula, he recommends the tinted version, which he says gives lips a “simple, light wash of color.”

Ingredients: Lanolin, beeswax | Price: 0.5 ounces (Approx. $24/ounce)

Glossier Balm Dotcom has made fans of everyone from Rio to celebrities to teen girls. It likely has something to do with its photographable Pantone-colored packaging and thick but not greasy formula, which works as well on lips as it does on the apples of your cheeks (Rio often uses the berry shade as both balm and blush). It contains beeswax and lanolin, which Lal describes as “super-moisturizing.” The original clear shade is great if you’re looking for the basics, but the scents are what really sets the balm apart. Recommendations vary. Rio is partial to coconut, while Pardilla is a Birthday fan. “It’s a hill I’ll die on,” she says. The vanilla buttercream scent has a subtle, superfine shimmer, which Pardilla says is “barely noticeable on its own but looks especially pretty on top of a matte lip.”

• Sarah Akram, celebrity esthetician
• Kat Gillespie, Strategist writer
• Jaleesa Jaikran, makeup artist
• Dr. Karan Lal, dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology
• Crystal Martin, Strategist senior editor
• Ambar Pardilla, Strategist writer
• Karol Rodriguez, makeup artist
• Erin Schwartz, Strategist writer
• Kasey Spickard, makeup artist
• Emma Wartzman, Strategist writer