I Went on a Mission to Find the Best Lip Balms—These 20 Made the Cut

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(Image credit: @amaka.hamelijnck )

I'm a little bit obsessed with lip balm. Currently, I have upwards of 20 tubes, bullets, and tins. Some of them are littering my nightstand. Some of them are strewn across my bathroom vanity. Others are in the bottom of my bag or sitting in the console of my car. As a beauty editor, this isn't exactly unheard of, but it's about more than that. I have always had dry lips that feel tight and uncomfortable if I go a day or two without applying a cushiony, moisturizing salve. If I go longer than that, they start to look thin and dull. After that, my fine lines look more pronounced.

To stop this cycle, I took it upon myself to test every opened and unopened lip balm I had on hand. My goal was to pit each formula against one another until I found the ones that moisturized, softened, smoothed, and plumped my lips long-term. If a formula didn't drench my lips in moisture, I didn't want it. If it didn't smooth roughness, I tossed it aside. If it didn't last long enough, I didn't give it a second thought. At the end of my testing, I was left with 20 formulas. Keep scrolling to see the winners across every category and concern.

The Top Picks

  • Best Overall Lip Balm: Ghlee Healing Ghee Lip Balm
  • Best Lip Balm for Very Dry Lips: Nuxe Rêve de Miel Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm
  • Best Tinted Lip Balm: Tower28 Beauty JuiceBalm Vegan Tinted Lip Balm
  • Best Drugstore Lip Balm: Burt's Bees Moisturizing Lip Balm
  • Best SPF Lip Balm: Coola Classic Liplux Organic Lip Balm SPF 30
  • Best Medicated Lip Balm: Blistex Lip Medex External Analgesic Lip Protectant
  • Best Luxury Lip Balm: Rouge Hermès Lip Care Balm
  • Best pH-Reactive Lip Balm: Prada Beauty Moisturizing Lip Balm in Astral Pink

Best Overall Lip Balm: Ghlee Healing Ghee Lip Balm

Best Lip Balm for Very Dry Lips: Nuxe Rêve de Miel Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm

Best Tinted Lip Balm: Tower 28 Beauty JuiceBalm Vegan Tinted Lip Balm

Best Drugstore Lip Balm: Burt's Bees Moisturizing Lip Balm

Best SPF Lip Balm: Coola Classic Liplux Organic Lip Balm SPF 30

Best Medicated Lip Balm: Blistex Lip Medex External Analgesic Lip Protectant

Best Luxury Lip Balm: Rouge Hermès Lip Care Balm

Best pH-Reactive Lip Balm: Prada Beauty Moisturizing Lip Balm in Astral Pink

More Editor-Approved Lip Balms

This article was originally published at an earlier date and has been updated.

Kaitlyn McLintock
Associate Beauty Editor

Kaitlyn McLintock is an Associate Beauty Editor at Who What Wear. Although she covers a wide range of topics across a variety of categories, she specializes in celebrity interviews and skincare and wellness content. Having lived in Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, she recently relocated back to her home state of Michigan where she works remotely. Prior to Who What Wear, she freelanced for a variety of industry-leading digital publications, including InStyle, The Zoe Report, Bustle, Hello Giggles, and Coveteur. Before that, she held a long-term internship and subsequent contributor position at Byrdie. When she's not writing, researching, or testing the latest and greatest beauty products, she's working her way through an ever-growing book collection, swimming in the Great Lakes, or spending time with family.