The Best Lip Balms
Cold temperatures and dry air can cause chapped lips, which can be uncomfortable and unsightly. One of the best ways to combat chapped lips is with lip balm. Lip balm is a wax-like salve that people apply to their lips to moisturize and protect their lips from dryness. But as with any skincare product nowadays, there is a seemingly endless array of lip balm options on the market. To help you find the right brand for you, we've put together this list of our favorites.
What To Look For
Anyone looking for a new lip balm to try out wants to find a product that can offer long-lasting protection, a sweet scent, and exceptional moisturizing capabilities. While we sought out products to feature for this piece, we kept those considerations at the forefront of our minds. With that said, we believe Jack Black’s Intense Therapy lip balm has a serious leg up on the competition. This pick utilizes UV and UVB absorbers alongside natural moisturizing agents such as shea butter and avocado oil to create a well-rounded lip balm that provides long-lasting protection throughout the day. However, if you’re looking for a full-spectrum skincare kit, it’s hard to go wrong with Burt’s Bees Classics set. Not only does this set include lip balm, but it also comes with hand salve, foot creme, and an impressive multi-purpose skin ointment. Read on to find out what we love about the rest of our top picks.
Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm
Reliable relief
Not only does this Intense Therapy lip balm from Jack Black protect your skin from chapping and dryness, but it also doubles as a UV-blocking sunscreen. Thanks to the addition of a long-lasting UVB and UVA protectant, this lip balm has SPF 25 protection to help keep your lips and mouth free of sunburn. We also appreciate natural ingredients such as vitamin E and green tea extract to promote revitalizing hydration.
Pros:
- Includes conditioning agents such as shea butter and avocado oil
- Available in multiple bottle sizes
Cons:
- The scent can take some getting used to
Blistex Medicated Lip Balm
Long-lasting protection
Finding a lip balm that provides long-lasting moisturization can feel like a tall order. Luckily, Blistex’s medicated lip balm formula utilizes three steadfast protectants that help keep you feeling moisturized for longer. This lip balm also has a sealing effect that locks in moisture on your lips, preventing dry air from chapping them again. Not to mention, this highly affordable multi-pack can serve as a sound economic decision as well.
Pros:
- Works as SPF 15 sunscreen
- Long-lasting formula means applying it less often
Cons:
- Instead of an herbal or floral scent, some find that it has a mildly medicinal scent
Burt’s Bees Classics Set
Full-spectrum skincare
Burt’s Bees has been providing the public with exceptional and affordable skincare products for almost four decades. With this Classics set, the brand has compiled a time-honored collection of their diverse and effective skin balms. Not only does this set contain lip balm, but it also comes with foot creme, hand repair cream, a few salves, and a multipurpose ointment as well. Each product utilizes a different ingredient list specialized to offer relief to varied parts of your body. If you’re looking to start a new skincare routine, this set from Bert’s Bees can probably get you on the right track.
Pros:
- Would serve as an excellent gift
- Offers a multi-pronged approach to skincare
Cons:
- The set only contains one lip balm canister
Dr. Bronner’s Lip Balm Multi-Pack
Organic only
If you prefer a lip balm with an ingredient list you can read, Dr. Bronner’s multi-pack might be the ideal choice for you. This lip balm boasts a USDA-certified organic classification with all-natural organic ingredients such as jojoba oil, avocado oil, and hemp oil. We’re also big fans of the understated yet unmistakably aromatic floral scent. You’ll pay a small premium for the organic ingredients in this multi-pack, but we think the juice is still worth the squeeze.
Pros:
- Available in multiple refreshing scents
- Can also effectively moisturize other parts of your body, such as the hands, feet, and face
Cons:
- Thanks to its all-natural ingredients and less-processed formula, this lip balm can feel a little coarser than you may be used to
Quantum Health Super Lysine+ Lip Balm
Sweet citrus scent
Chronic dry lips require significant time spent with lip balms and chapsticks. Thankfully, Quantum Health’s Super Lysine+ has the sort of inviting scent that you probably wouldn’t mind as a mainstay right under your nose. This exceptional lip balm combines natural ingredients such as safflower, echinacea, and many others to fortify your lips against dryness and salve irritated skin. We also can’t help but appreciate that this balm doubles as SPF 21 sunscreen for your lips.
Pros:
- An eclectic ingredient list full of all-natural essential oils and supplements
- Unscented options available as well
Cons:
- The asking price is higher than some comparable products, but it’s understandable when considering the highly varied ingredient list
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I apply lip balm?
Ultimately, this depends on which brand you use and how severe your lip dryness is. If you’re using a cheaper brand and suffer from severely chapped lips, you might have to apply it once or even twice an hour. However, high-quality lip balms contain more complex and optimized formulas that tend to keep your lips moisturized for longer.
Can I use lip balm on my hands?
Since many lip balms and hand salves utilize similar ingredients, there are enough commonalities between the two ointments to successfully use either one as a substitute for the other. With that said, hand salves probably won’t hydrate your lips as well as balms, and lip balms probably won’t soothe irritation as effectively as hand salve can. In a bind, you can swap them, but we’d recommend sticking to their intended uses for a greater chance of success.
About the Author
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Since 2001, our experts at TheFashionSpot have been providing millions of people with our take on the latest trends. TheFashionSpot is constantly looking for the hottest styles in clothing and accessories for people of all body types. Our team knows that beauty starts well before the closet, so we are also dedicated to finding the best products for your skin and hair.