There are two things in my life I will rarely be without. Firstly, my insulated water bottle that provides me with ice-cold water for an impressively long time and secondly, lip balm. Yes, I am a confessed lip balm-aholic reapplying constantly throughout the day.
I have a lip balm stashed away in every possible location: my desk, by my bed, in my bathroom, in my living room, in my handbag and in most of my jacket pockets - so I can lather up whenever my pout is feeling parched.
I’ve sampled hundreds of formulas. Some make grand claims but end up being all talk and no trousers whereas others, detailed below, are ones that I now cannot live without. These are formulas packed with nourishing and conditioning ingredients that can transform your lips from dry and cracking to soft and with a subtle sheen.
Alongside the area around your eyes, your lips are one of the most delicate areas and can be hugely affected by external aggressors, dehydration and the change in weather. Whether it is bright sunshine, the depths of winter or you are spending more time inside and thus have to contend with air conditioning or central heating, this can have a huge impact on the condition of our lips.
We asked expert dermatologist Dr Daron Seukeran at sk:n Clinics, for his tips on keeping your pouts perfect no matter the season.
What causes dry lips?
Dry lips are usually due to a lack of hydration, so drinking lots of water is really important. They can also be caused by cold weather, being outdoors for an extended period of time, or some people just tend to have drier lips than others.
How can we prevent and treat dry lips?
To keep your lips smooth and hydrated, simply apply a moisturising lip balm on a regular basis – ensure you are taking it with you everywhere.
What to look for in a great lip balm
A good lip balm should be packed with hydrating, moisturising properties. So look out for ingredients like jojoba oil and beeswax. It is often better to use a non-fragranced lip balm, as some people are sensitive to this, such as those with eczema.
See our pick of the lip balms to add to your beauty arsenal below.
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Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm lip balm
This absolutely heavenly lip balm from Summer Fridays deserves its place on your bedside table, desk, in your handbag or wherever you store your most prized product. It is glossy but not sticky and impressively long-lasting. The vanilla aroma is subtle but stunning but there’s also poppy, brown sugar and vanilla beige. It’s formulation is vegan - packed with plant-derived shea and murumuru butters - and so nourishing. Use as an overnight lip mask or during the day to fight against your parched pout.
Buy now £24.00, Revolve
Malin + Goetz Lip Moisturizer
Giving you a much-welcomed soft minty tingle upon application, this lip balm has a gel texture and lathers onto lips, conditioning and smoothing as it goes. The formula is long-lasting and the applicator is a dream. The product contains super nourishing fatty acids that form a protective layer across your lips. Pair easily with your favourite shade of lippy.
Buy now £12.00, Space NK
Glossier Balm Dotcom
If you’ve not heard of Glossier’s Balm Dotcom - where have you been? Much like anything the Instagram-favourite label releases, it’s a cult sensation. The delicious flavours are matched only by the impressive staying power of the balm. There’s a revolving door of new flavour releases, but the hero iterations is the Original (which also doubles as a skin-boosting salve). Other favourites include the mango that will take you right back to your childhood, rose, birthday balm and berry. Some are clear but others carry a slight or sheer tint. They are formulated with the nourishing benefits of castor oil, beeswax and lanolin.
Buy now £10.00, Glossier
Charlotte Tilbury Hyaluronic Happikiss
If you are a fan of the staying power and beautiful tints of the Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks but want to treat your lips to the care of a balm, the legendary makeup artist has answered your prayers with with the launch of her new Happikiss Lipstick. The lipstick balm is packed with hydrating hyaluronic acid, C-peptides with anti-ageing benefits and passioline butter, a passion fruit seed oil that is bursting with nourishing benefits.
The formula has a lovely texture when applied, feeling thick and moisturising on application. It’s long-lasting, leaves a lovely shine and has impressive colour pay off.
There are 10 shades including the cult Pillow Talk.
Buy now £27.00, Charlotte Tilbury
Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Kiss Cupuacu Lip Butter
We may not be able to jet set off to far-flung destinations but this lip balm from Brazilian-inspired brand Sol de Janeiro will transport you away to somewhere far sandier and most definitely with a caipirinha in hand. The formula is extremely nourishing with a combination of cupuaçu, açaí and coconut oil. It leaves a natural slight sheen that doesn’t feel overly glossy.
Buy now £16.00, lookfantastic
Carmex Strawberry Lip Balm SPF15 Tube
Carmex will have likely played a huge role in your lip balming routine since your school days. There’s a reason that its formulations have stood the test of time: they just work. In fact, so popular are the balms that 137 are sold every minute. While the Original will always have a place in our heart (and pockets), we prefer the fruity twist of the Strawberry. There’s also Cherry and Vanilla and all are available in tube or pot form.
Buy now £3.10, Boots
Eve Lom Kiss Mix
Applying Eve Lom’s Kiss Mix balm is a luxurious experience. The product combines zinc oxide with tingling menthol to create a lathering formula ideal for chapped lips. Our go-to for applying just before bed, it works wonder in transforming your pout as you sleep. It is also impressively long-lasting and comes with subtle tinted variations.
Buy now £18.00, Space NK
111SKIN Meso Infusion Lip Duo Pen
This science-backed lip-smackingly good product was developed by legendary Harley Street cosmetic surgeon Dr Yannis Alexandrides and features a two-step application process. Step one, twist the top to release the mask. This is a pumping formulation to enhance lips without any needles necessary. The second step is packed with conditioning and nourishing ingredients and leaves you with a high-shine finish. The key ingredient? Bakuchiol, a natural alternative to retinol, bursting with all the same powerhouse properties minus the irritation.
Buy now £40.00, Cult Beauty
Burt's Bees Coconut & Pear Lip Balm
Another true lip balm classic, the Burt Bees products centre around the nourishing ingredient of beeswax. It offers impressive moisturisation with long-lasting effects. For this specific flavour, the balm is given a coconut and pear twist, but there are many others to choose from too. All the ingredients are entirely natural.
Buy now £4.49, Boots
Drunk Elephant Lippe Balm
Cult US-import Drunk Elephant may be best known for its skincare but there’s a dark horse hiding among the range in the form of the Lippe Balm. As with all the products, the formulation is free from any nasties and instead is formulated with vitamins A, D and E that give a hearty dose of antioxidant benefits as well as Shea butter for nourishment. It’s moisturising without feeling too heavy. Layer it up as needed.
Buy now £15.00, Space NK
NIVEA Lip Balm
Proving that luxury doesn’t always have to come with a high price-tag, we’ve long been a fan of Nivea’s Original balm for its thick, moisturising effects that’s a godsend for parched lips no matter the season. It has a velvety smooth finish when applied and has long-lasting protection.
Buy now £2.39, Superdrug
Verdict
When it comes to lip balms, we live by the motto that the more, the merrier. We keep one in just about every possible location so we will never be without our fix. Choosing between the above is not an easy task but for the delicious scent, long-lasting moisturising benefits and the sheer joy that is brought through application, Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm takes the cake.
