8 Best Lip Balms

Neglecting your lips is a definite no-go. You could have an immaculate complexion and a bomb AF outfit, but a dry, flaky pout will almost always distract anyone away from the rest of your face. Truly, even the world’s best lipsticks are no match to cracked, peeling lips.

And aesthetics is really just a small part of it. We’ve all experienced the horrors of chapped lips—the discomfort, pain, and occasional bleeding that goes with it. No matter what gender and age, it’s something we all shouldn’t have to go through.

But as annoying as flaky lips can be, they’re also one of the easiest beauty dilemmas to solve. Really, you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to achieve kissable lips. All you need is a good lip balm (or five) and some expert tips on how to maximize its benefits.

Below is a comprehensive buying guide that will introduce and immerse you into the world of lip balms. Of course, choosing a random product from the lip balms we’ve recommended above works fine, but if you’re determined to make the absolute best choice of your life (no kidding), read on!

The Benefits of Having Hydrated Lips

Some people think that applying a lip balm every day is an unnecessary step. If you absolutely hate smooth, kissable lips and would rather have them chapped and cracked, then you’re right—lip balms are indeed superfluous.

If you’re like the rest of us, however, you’d want your lips to be hydrated at all times. But did you know that there’s more to using lip balms than enjoying that comfy, moisturized feeling? Read on!

• Hydrated lips make you look younger. Believe it or not, a hydrated pout can really knock years off your face. Full-looking, smooth lips signal youth and vitality (Just ask the Kardashians). You can even take it a notch higher and get yourself a lip balm that actually has anti-aging ingredients, such as antioxidants, collagen, and SPF.
• Lip balms help your skin heal faster. You already know this from years of using Aquaphor, but your skin heals better and recovers faster when it is kept moist. Using a lip balm not only seals up nasty cracks on your lips, but it also prevents further irritation and possible infections.
• You’ll prevent embarrassing chapped lips from making an appearance. If you’ve ever experienced having severely cracked and peeling lips, then you know that it’s not only painful, but downright embarrassing as well! Cracked lips can be really distracting for the people around you, too, and it may even hinder them from focusing on what you’re trying to say.
• Having moisturized lips improves the look and wear of your favorite lipstick. Prepping with a lip balm is essential for a pretty pout, especially if you like wearing lipsticks. Bright colors, such as coral, orangey red, and hot pink, are especially prone to emphasizing dryness and accentuating chapped lips. If your lips are peeling, it follows that pigments from your fave lippie will easily peel off, too.

What Causes Chapped Lips?

Almost everyone has had chapped lips at one point. But did you know that many of our seemingly-innocent habits actually trigger it?

Unlike the rest of our body, the skin on our lips doesn’t have sweat glands—so it doesn’t have the means to naturally moisturize itself. This is the primary reason why our lips are so much more prone to dryness and dehydration.

Factors and habits that exacerbate this problem include:

• Frequently licking your lips. The skin covering your lips is very thin and sensitive. When we lick our lips, we expose that skin to digestive enzymes that are far too harsh for this delicate skin layer. Even worse, as the saliva evaporates from the lips, it ends up taking away even more moisture! In a nutshell, the more you lick your lips, the drier they become.
• Certain lip products. Some products, such as lipsticks and lip glosses, contain ingredients that irritate and dry out the skin. Ultra-matte lipsticks were all the rage a few seasons back, and we can all agree how great they were at making our lips feel like the Saharan Desert.
• Harsh medication and personal care products. Certain medicines, skin conditions, and excessive Vitamin A intake are all linked to chapped lips. So is using overly-harsh gel toothpaste every day.
• Too much sun exposure. You already know how the sun affects your skin, and it works pretty much the same with your lips. If you’re constantly out in the open and you fail to put SPF on your puckers, you’re bound to have a lot of run-ins with dry lips.
• Vitamin B deficiency. If you’re positive that you aren’t guilty of any of the four items listed above, then having severely chapped lips might be a sign of a nutrient deficiency. No lip balm will completely solve your problem if this was the case, so you should definitely consult with your doctor if you suspect that you’re Vitamin B-deficient.

Choosing a Lip Balm That You’ll Love to Use

Decide the type of packaging that you’re into.

Lip balms are available in different types of packaging. Packaging plays an integral role in the user experience, so paying attention to it is a must. If you’re more comfortable dabbing it on with your fingers, buying a lip balm in a jar or pot is probably the best choice. If you prefer a more direct application, a lip balm stick or squeeze tube is your best bet.

Go for multi-tasking wonders.

While some of us prefer to keep things simple, trying a multi-tasking product wouldn’t hurt. For example, you might want to look for a lip balm that doesn’t only moisturize but also protects your lips from the sun.

If sun exposure isn’t an issue, maybe you’d want to score added moisture and a pretty flush—in which case a tinted lip balm should do the trick. Minty balms also help freshen your breath apart from keeping your lips hydrated. Some lip balms even pack all these wonderful benefits in a single stick. Really, the possibilities are endless!

Consider your smell and flavor preferences.

Some people love fruity lip balms, while others won’t even touch fragranced products with a 10-foot pole. We’re blessed with countless scent and flavor options these days — from fruity berries to decadent vanillas. Think about what you’d like your lip balm to smell like, or if you even want it to smell like anything at all.

Think about the severity of the problem.

We all deal with varying levels of dryness. A slightly-dry pout will need a different level of care compared to extremely cracked and peeling lips. If the latter applies to you, don’t hesitate to go for medicated balms to really treat the problem at the root.

Decide what finish suits your needs and lifestyle: Shimmer vs. Shine vs. Matte

Gone are the days when all lip balms worked and felt the same. Today’s products come in all sorts of finishes to cater to different preferences. Some lip balms feel really moist and slippery, while some sport a waxier feel. Heck, even matte lip balms exist nowadays! If you like to have a bit of girly fun, shimmery balms with micro-glitters are a fun option, too.

Look at the ingredients and benefits that it offers.

Some of the most popular lip care ingredients include beeswax, sweet almond oil, Vitamin E, lanolin, and petrolatum. Consider which ingredients you value the most, as well as whether or not you have special requirements (such as all-vegan ingredients or a paraben-free formula, for example).

Ingredients like petrolatum seal the lips and protect them from harsh weather conditions—making them ideal for outdoor use. Meanwhile, butters and oils provide conditioning and moisture for smoother lips, which makes them a great day-to-day option if you don’t have to battle extreme environments or temperatures.

How Long Should You Keep Your Stick? (Or Tube, Or Jar…)

We’re all guilty of losing our lip balms every now and then. After all, they’re generally cheaper and more accessible than makeup products, and so losing a stick or two doesn’t hurt as much as losing your favorite lipstick.

It’s because of situations like this that lip balm multipacks exist. Buying multipacks is a great way to ensure that you’ll always have access to a lip balm whenever you need it. You probably pop one in your purse, one on the bathroom sink, one on the bedside table, and so on.

But the more lip balms you have in rotation, the likelihood of actually using them all up becomes smaller, too. This makes you prone to holding on to items much longer than you should. Remember: as with all cosmetics, lip balms don’t last forever.

So, how do you know when it’s time to toss an old lip balm? Here are a few guidelines:

• Lip balms are generally good for 1 to 5 years, depending on the formula. The simplest way to know when it’s time to retire a stick is to check the label. However, its actual lifespan may be shortened by other factors, such as your usage patterns.
• Lip balms in tin cans and jars tend to pick up extra germs from your fingers, so it’s best to let them go after a year.
• Once you notice a significant change in texture and/or smell, your lip balm may already be compromised. Once it starts smelling off or feeling crumbly, toss it.
• Any lip balm with sun protection will become less effective after several months. If you’re serious about your SPF, it’s better to pop a fresh one open once a year.

Expert Tips for Soft and Moisturized Lips

• Resist the urge to lick your lips—especially when they’re already chapped.
• Avoid breathing through your mouth. All that hot air you’re expelling from your mouth? It evaporates moisture out of your lips.
• Regularly exfoliate your lips to get rid of dead skin cells. A trick that many recommend is using a soft toothbrush and some petroleum jelly to give your lips a good scrubbin’.
• If you prefer to use commercial lip scrubs, that works, too! But always remember to use gentle scrubbing motions to avoid wounding your lips.
• After exfoliating your lips, always follow up with your lip balm of choice. If you’re about to head out, use a lip balm with SPF as exfoliation makes your lips more vulnerable to the sun.
• You’ve probably heard this a million times by now, but keep yourself hydrated throughout the day. Drinking the recommended eight glasses of water daily is important if you want to keep your lips nice and hydrated.
• Don’t be afraid to go crazy! There’s no such thing as applying too much lip balm. Use it as many times as you need (or want). Also, don’t forget to re-apply it after eating or drinking water.
• Slathering on a thick lip balm right before you go to bed gives you the opportunity to wake up with soft, pillowy lips.