While two people might not be able to agree on what the best lip balm really is, it’s safe to say this humble beauty product is adored by all. There are additional considerations, for example, if you’re wearing it in the daytime you’re definitely going to need one with SPF, and bonus points if it can also replace a lipstick with a flush of color. At night, you need something that’s long-lasting and hydrating enough to make it until morning. The ideal option will help you out regardless of how much chapping or irritation you may be experiencing.
Glamour editors and testers have worked to pull together the best lip balms for every concern, including medicated options that will quickly become a part of your lip care routine. Don’t worry, we also included some tinted lip balms that will nourish your lips while adding color. While our top pick is the classic Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask, we also have options focused on lip repair, as well as a couple of exfoliating options that will slough away the dead skin from your chapped lips. We also had dermatologists weigh-in with their favorite lip balms and treatments, as well as their suggestions for combatting chapped, dry lips.
The best lip balms, at a glance
Best Lip Balm Overall: Laneige Lip Glowy Balm
Original image by Glamour commerce writer Alanna Martine Kilkeary
Laneige is the cream of the crop when it comes to lip hydration. Just look how much everyone loves the Laneige overnight lip mask. “It’s no surprise that so many Glamour editors are equally obsessed with the Lip Glowy Balm. It took me a little longer to get into it, though: I knew I loved the mask, but thought I didn’t need the balm. Well, I thought wrong: It wasn’t until my best friend Chyna got it for me as a gift (thanks, girl!) that I finally tried it, and I haven’t taken it out of my rotation since,” says Glamour contributor Danielle Sinay. “To put it simply: This is everything most people want out of a lip balm. Obviously, it’s super hydrating thanks to its nourishing formulation of murumuru butter and shea butter, but it’s not at all heavy, sticky, or runny, and it lasts all day long. It also smells delicious and leaves a light, sheer tint atop the lips for a no-makeup makeup finish. We like that it doesn’t look overdone or like you’re necessarily wearing anything. It just makes you, and your lips, look luscious, healthy, and hydrated, and who doesn’t want that?! Exactly. That’s why, as a beauty editor, this is my most-recommended lip balm.”
Best Drugstore Lip Balm: Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm
Original image by Glamour reviewer Brigitt Earley
This drugstore pick contains beeswax, which Pooja Rambhia, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Union Derm, recommends looking out for when shopping for lip balms. “Beeswax is a natural emollient that not only locks in moisture but also helps soothe and protect dry, chapped lips,” she says. “This lip balm has a really nice minty finish that not only smells good but also feels very refreshing,” says Glamour contributor Brigitt Earley. “The finish is slightly waxy but still goes on smoothly. I actually appreciated this texture for chapped winter lips. It had great staying power, even in the face of bitter cold and wind. I went for an almost four-mile run while wearing this and didn’t feel it start to fade until the very end—nearly 30 minutes in.”
Best Lip Balm for Daily Use: Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1
.png)
Original image by Glamour commerce editor Jake Smith
Dr. Mraz is a fan of this hydrating lip balm because it contains good-for-your-skin ingredients like aloe vera, vitamin E, and squalane. “This one applies more like a gloss than a balm—the applicator is a flat plastic disc with a hole in the middle where the product squeezes out, which is a far cry from the solid balm I use most often,” says Glamour commerce editor Jake Henry Smith. “While I’m not the biggest fan of the loose texture, I can’t deny that this is a deeply soothing, hydrating pick; one application around 9 a.m. on a frigid, wind-blasted morning lasted past 2 p.m. I appreciate that it’s completely flavorless and clear, and it doesn’t even make my lips flush like the balm I use currently. I’d recommend this for anyone who likes their lip balm no-nonsense—it’s great for guys.”
Best Lip Balm With SPF: Supergoop! Play Lip Balm SPF 35
Original image by Glamour senior commerce editor Jenifer Calle
Looking for an SPF-spiked option that derms love? Supergoop’s Play Lip Balm is the answer. “This balm is made of plant-based ingredients like shea butter and sunflower oil,” says Marisa Garshick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology in New York. “Doubling as a lip balm and an SPF, this is a great option for daily use to help protect the lips from sun damage.”
“I took this SPF lip balm with me on my recent trip to Mexico City. The UV index was consistently at a whopping 10+ the entire week I was there so I needed the extra sun protection. I like that hydrates my lips so well without any residue or heaviness. I always pair it with a lipstick but honestly it gives enough of a shine on its own,” says Glamour’s senior commerce editor Jenifer Calle.
Best Tinted Lip Balm: Rhode Peptide Lip Tint
.png)
Original image by Glamour commerce writer Alanna Martine Kilkeary
Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment and Tint really are worth the hype—take it from Glamour’s Kilkeary, who recently wore it nonstop on a trip up to the Catskill Mountains (and we’d also like to point out that it recently won a Glamour Beauty Award). “I need something ultra-hydrating that keeps my lips chap-free and nonirritated when I hit the slopes—erm, the bunny hill—and this lippie did not fail to impress. It felt like such a treat every time I applied it, and actually kept my lips super glossy and peel-free. The cinnamon bun flavor is probably my favorite; it smells so good, you actually want to eat it. Don’t, but you’ll be tempted,” she says.
Best Glossy Lip Balm: Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm
Original image by Glamour commerce writer Alanna Martine Kilkeary
If you’re a lip gloss lover through and through, but you absolutely can’t stand sticky lips, let us introduce you to this trending lip butter balm that provides a high shine so glossy, you won’t believe it’s not gloss. “I pretty much carry a different flavor of this tinted lip balm in every single hand bag I have, because it feels so good to apply and coats my lips with a super-thick, rich balm that keeps them hydrated for hours. Not to mention the scents are simply glorious for this one: Iced Coffee, Vanilla, Cherry, Mint—you can’t go wrong.”
Best Lip Salve: Glossier Balm Dotcom Lip Balm and Skin Salve
.png)
Original image by Glamour commerce writer Alanna Martine Kilkeary
Glossier’s Balm Dotcom has been a cult favorite for over a decade, which is why Glamour senior beauty editor Ariana Yaptangco was shocked when she heard they were reformulating the product. But she was pleasantly surprised with the new-and-improved cult classic: “The original Balm Dotcom seemed to be heavier and paste-like, while Balm Dotcom 2.0 goes on smoother and feels buttery,” she writes in her Glossier balm review. “Balm Dotcom devotees will find that the formula is more or less the same or, in my personal opinion, even better.”