LIP balm is one of the few beauty buys where I will have five on the go at any one time.
I am a serial lip balm lover, and as a dry skin girlie, it’s a makeup bag essential I need to keep my lips soft and supple at all times.
I have tried so many different types over the years and love both premium and affordable options, so it seems fitting that I put together this roundup of my favourites (with a little help from some of my team).
During the winter months, using a lip balm is essential, but it is also handy to use one with SPF during the warmer months too.
In terms of hero ingredients, olive, castor, hemp and coconut oils are highly recommended by dermatologists thanks to their nourishing and hydrating properties.
Nowadays there are so many different formulas to choose from, ranging from flavoured options to plumping formulas to keep lips looking juicy and tinted balms for a wash of colour.
Here we give you the rundown of our favourites to keep your lips feeling and looking good this winter.
Best lip balms at a glance
LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask
LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask, £21 from Space NK
- Pros: Formula melts into an oil, good selection of flavours
- Cons: Pot applicator not always practical
- Rating: 10/10
There’s a reason the Laneige lip sleeping mask went viral and is now considered one of the best lip masks/balms on the market by beauty fans.
Most read in Fashion and Beauty
I feel like the formula is extremely hydrating without feeling heavy.
The blend of coconut oil, murumuru butter and shea butter ingredients melts into my lips and helps them stay smooth and conditioned.
I have the Berry flavour on rotation, it has a very sheer tint and light scent which I prefer as it isn’t overpowering or off-putting.
I love lathering this on after a hot bath or shower to really deeply hydrate, but I also carry mine around to wear throughout the day during the winter months too.
It’s definitely one of my holy grail lip balms, the only con is the pot applicator, which can get messy and impractical to use.
Eve Lom Kiss Mix Lip Treatment
Eve Lom Kiss Mix Lip Treatment, £20 from Lookfantastic
- Pros: Definitely hydrates lips from the inside out, compact, nice minty flavour
- Cons: Pot applicator can be impractical when on the go
- Rating: 10/10
I love the Eve Lom Kiss Mix lip treatment because it actually is a treatment.
I get very chapped and sore lips during the colder months, and this is one formula I always go back to as it really does sort my lips out.
It has a stickier formula than other alternatives in this roundup, with active ingredients to help restore smoothness and hydration.
When I apply it really does soak into my lips without leaving any residue, just a healthy sheen.
There’s no extra colour or tint, which makes this one great for wearing under lipstick or gloss
I also love the minty menthol flavour, which has a nice cooling effect when applied.
La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume Lips
La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume Lips, £8.50 from Boots
- Pros: Alcohol free, fragrance-free, suitable for very dry or cracked lips, designed to repair the skin barrier, affordable
- Cons: The balm can dry out in the tube in very cold weather
- Rating: 10/10
As somebody with sensitive skin, I am an avid user of La Roche Posay’s Cicaplast range.
Its skin barrier saving balm has been a skincare icon for many years – and rightly so – so when the French pharmacy brand turned it into a specific lip balm, I had to try it.
For those with dry, cracked lips or looking for something to pack a punch in winter, this is the one to go for.
It’s nourishing and sensitive without being sticky, and is free from any fragrance or alcohol.
If you’re looking for a pretty, Instagram-worthy option, this might not be your top choice, but if you want something to genuinely get the job done for dry or cracked lips, it’s ideal.
I keep one in my handbag, my gym bag and on my desk at home.
Summer Fridays Lip Butter
Summer Fridays Lip Butter, £23 from Space NK
- Pros: Gives a glossy finish, hydrating, loads of shade options, one tube lasts for months
- Cons: On the expensive side, doesn’t stay on after eating
- Rating: 9.5/10
My Summer Fridays Lip Butter is one of my all-time favourite beauty products.
It feels more like a lip gloss, giving the prettiest finish while still having the hydrating perks of a lip balm.
I take it everywhere I go for topping up throughout the day, and while it gives enough more than colour and shine to wear alone, it can also be layered with other lip products.
My current fixation is the limited-edition Birthday Cake shade (which is currently sold out), but the Pink Sugar shade is another of my favourites, and has the same soft pink colour.
The beauty buy is viral for a reason, and I’m yet to find a balm that looks as nice on the lips while still keeping them feeling nourished (even in the cold winter weather).
It’s on the expensive side, but it takes several months for me to get through one tube, even with frequent use.
Victoria Beckham Posh Balm
Victoria Beckham Posh Balm, £31 from Space NK
- Pros: Rich and nourishing formula, not sticky, available in different shades, looks like a gloss on the lips
- Cons: Expensive
- Rating: 9/10
Make-up lovers, rejoice: we finally have a tinted lip balm that isn’t sticky.
Victoria Beckham’s ‘Posh Balm’ is on the pricier side but quickly became a staple in my makeup bag thanks to its rich formula and smooth application.
Rarely does a lip balm actually add to a look, but this one certainly does.
It’s available in four shiny shades as well as a clear option – each one giving the look of a gloss with the nourishment of a balm.
For no-make-up make-up this is the choice to go for.
DIOR Addict Lip Glow
DIOR Addict Lip Glow, £33 from Boots
- Pros: Enhance natural colour of lips, formula is glowy and hydrating
- Cons: Expensive
- Rating: 9/10
Coming in at £33 I was expecting big things from a balm with this price point, and I can honestly say it is worth every cent.
While most of the balms on this list are more affordable (and great when you’re on a budget), if you’re willing to spend a little more, you can get a top-tier product from a luxury brand, which feels very indulgent.
The Lip Glow range comes in a range of sheer shades that subtly work with the colour of your lips to create a distinct glow.
When I first opened the lip balm, I was worried the sheer pink might wash me out as I am already very fair, but I needn’t have been concerned.
The product enhanced my lips with a glow that lasted hours after the application and kept them feeling hydrated and smooth throughout the day.
Weleda Skin Food Lip Balm
Weleda Skin Food Lip Balm, £5.81 (was £7.75) from Holland and Barrett
- Pros: Nice scent, formula is light but hydrating, easy squeeze tube applicator
- Cons: Formula can harden in colder weather making it harder to squeeze through applicator to apply
- Ratings: 8/10
Fans of Weleda’s cult-favourite moisturiser, Skin Food, will be happy to know it also comes in a lip balm.
The original moisturiser is thick and deeply hydrating, working magic on extra dry and rough skin.
The lip balm is made with the same natural oil and waxes, but the formula has a lighter consistency that makes it more effective at treating dry lips.
The botanical extracts included in the formula give it a fresh, citrus scent that stays consistent across the entire Skin Food range.
If you work in an office, you’re probably no stranger to cracked lips caused by dry indoor air.
The Skin Food lip balm has been a lifesaver for me, as it creates a protective barrier against these kinds of external irritants and keeps my lips soft and hydrated.
Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Plumpgasm
Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Plumpgasm, £27
- Pros: Super lightweight, plumping, hydrating and doesn’t smudge or drip
- Cons: Limited shade range, chunky tube in comparison to other designs
- Rating: 8/10
Technically, the Plumpgasm is more of a gloss/oil hybrid than a conventional lip balm, but there are several things I love about the Plumpgasm glosses.
Firstly, it does plump my lips, or at least give the illusion of a fuller pout.
The formula is not tacky or sticky, but silky smooth as a nourishing lip oil should be, but the best part and a non-negotiable for me is that the product doesn’t slip.
By that I mean when a lip gloss, oil, lip liner or lipstick starts to bleed out of my lip line or drip to my chin, which this product doesn’t do.
I love that you can layer it over Lip Cheat liners or lipsticks for extra colour, or wear them alone (day or night) throughout the seasons.
When the Plumpgasm shade had worn off, my lips lost the glass-like finish but the appearance remained voluminous and felt super soft.
One negative element I noted was that the Plumpgasm gloss is housed in a chunky tube, so if you want a compact gloss to fit in a clutch bag for a night out, it may be a squeeze.
Boots glossy balm (hot cocoa)
Boots glossy balm (hot cocoa), £3
- Pros: Thick formula, great applicator, nice selection of flavours/shades
- Cons: Needs oiler consistency to melt into lips
- Rating: 7.5/10
I tried the Boots glossy balm in hot cocoa, which came as part of a limited-edition festive trio set, which also included raspberry and toffee shades/flavours.
The formula is thick and contains petrolatum, so it coats lips well without feeling cakey, and it is great at adding a barrier against the cold and wind during winter.
However, the formula doesn’t melt into the lips but rather provides a thicker layer, so if you have very dry lips, this might not be hydrating enough.
The balms do have a sheer tint, but it’s very subtle, and they do smell of their respective ‘flavour’. That’s actually something I quite enjoy, as I get the soothing scent of cocoa every time I reapply.
I like the tube applicator, which makes it easy and convenient to use on the go.
Carmex Naturally Watermelon Lip Balm
Carmex Naturally Watermelon Lip Balm, £3.95 from Amazon
- Pros: Easy to apply applicator, deeply hydrating formula, nice flavour range
- Cons: lighter consistency than the original pot version
- Rating: 7/10
Although the Original Pot is the most popular lip care product from Carmex, they do have a whole range of deeply hydrating balms that are worth looking into.
We decided to try out the Naturally Watermelon version, which has been made with 93 percent natural ingredients and has been clinically proven to smooth lips.
Unlike the Original Pot, this Naturally Watermelon Lip Balm doesn’t have as much of a tingling sensation and seems to have a lighter formula.
This could be because it takes the form of a stick over a pot, which I find more hygienic and easier to apply so we don’t mind if it’s slightly less heavy.
The formula is packed full of soothing ingredients such as colloidal oatmeal, murumuru, beeswax, and oils that help to deeply hydrate dry lips.
How we tested the best lip balms
Our team of shopping experts have tested and used these lip balms over several weeks.
Some are regular favourites we use all the time, and others were tested just for this roundup.
We evaluated each one based on how well each formula hydrates lips, the texture and consistency, overall ingredients, coverage and how long it last.
We also took into consideration the packaging and how convenient the applicator is to use when on the go.
Lip balms FAQs
Common causes of dry lips:
- cold weather, dry air or wind
- damage from the sun
- dehydration
- a lip injury
- allergies
- lack of vitamins and minerals
What lip balm ingredients to look for?
If you suffer from chronic dry and chapped lips like I do, then there are certain ingredients that can help soothe them in certain lip balms.
The NHS recommends finding one containing petroleum jelly or beeswax and avoiding once that contain “fragrances, dyes or cosmetic ingredients”.
It said: “Try a few different lip balms if one is not working for you – some people may be sensitive to some fragrances, dyes or cosmetic ingredients.”
According to Dr Brendan Camp, a dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology in New York, ingredients that trap water in the skin are most moisturising.
Dr Camp said: “Ingredients like beeswax, olive oil, castor oil, coconut oil, and shea butter are often used for this purpose”.
