Can lip balm make your lips drier? Here are 5 actually nourishing lip balms
I don’t know about you, but it feels like my lips are chapped 24/7 — no matter the season.
And it feels like no matter how much lip balm I slather on, my lips are still dry. Drier, even.
Which begs the question: Does using lip balm actually make your lips drier? Here’s everything you need to know about lip balm.
Does using lip balm make your lips drier?
The short answer is that yes, lip balm can make your lips drier — depending on the ingredients.
According to Health, some lip balms contain specific ingredients and fragrances that are actually making your lips drier. And if you find yourself swiping on lip balm a couple times a day, they can become “especially harmful.”
Board-certified cosmetic dermatologist Michele Green told Health, “(Lip balm) should be applied to the lips when they feel dry or chapped and can be re-applied throughout the day, (but certain) ingredients can lead to increased dryness when overused.”
Here are some lip balm ingredients to avoid, according to CNN:
Menthol: A mild anesthetic, menthol can “can strip off the thin skin layer on the lips.”
Camphor: Similar to menthol, camphor is meant to “ease any burning sensation on the lips,” but it will dry out your lips.
Beeswax: While it can help “lock in moisture,” those allergic or sensitive to beeswax can “get drier and itchier lips.”
Salicylic acid: This can change the pH balance of your lips, making them dehydrated. It is also an exfoliant, which can strip “a lot of the moisture barrier” of your lips.
You should also avoid phenol and lanolin, according to Health.
What are the best lip balm ingredients?
Green notes that, while lip balms can increase “moisture retention,” they “do not penetrate the lips to add hydration.”
Green says that lip oils, rather than lip balms, are able to “penetrate the lips and provide intense hydration, keeping the lips moisturized longer.”
Shea butter and petroleum jelly can help your dry lips, Health reported.
Green told Health, “Lip balms with occlusives such as petroleum jelly or shea butter can help prevent moisture loss throughout the day, (and) using a lip mask at night with hydrating ingredients is also excellent for providing intense hydration overnight.”
Green suggests looking for lip balms with the following ingredients:
Beeswax (for those who are not irritated by it).
Shea butter.
Hyaluronic acid.
Vitamin E.
Petroleum jelly.
Dermatologist Dr. Reshmi Kapoor, founder of Brooklyn Dermatology, told CNN that she tells her clients to use petroleum when needed, but recommends that they apply it liberally at night. “I tell patients to layer it on their lips overnight like a cream cheese on a bagel.”
Additionally, Kapoor recommends looking for lip products with SPF, like titanium oxide or zinc oxide, because “lips (are) prone to skin cancer” and “the sun’s UV rays can dry them out.”
What is the most hydrating lip balm?
These are the best nourishing and hydrating lip balms, according to the experts.
5. Burt’s Bees Original Beeswax Lip Balm
Price: $6.12 on Amazon for a two-pack.
Burt’s Bees is a classic for a reason. According to Health, its original beeswax lip balm has natural, nourishing ingredients, like beeswax, coconut oil and sunflower oil. But if you’re sensitive to beeswax, you might want to avoid this one.
4. Laneige Lip Glowy Balm
Price: $19.00 on Amazon.
If you’re looking for a lip balm with a little more gloss, Laneige’s Lip Glowy Balm is a great choice. It’s packed with nourishing ingredients, like shea butter and murumuru butter.
3. eos SPF 30 Coconut Lip Balm
Price: $3.69.
If you’re looking for an everyday lip balm with extra sun protection, look no further than eos’s SPF 30 Lip Balm. It has natural, hydrating ingredients, like beeswax, shea butter, sunflower oil and more.
2. Vaseline Lip Therapy Original
Price: $22.14 on Amazon.
Vaseline’s Lip Therapy is a great option for everyday use or for an overnight lip mask. It’s 100% petroleum, which helps your lips and any other dry patches you might have on your skin.
1. Aquafor Lip Repair Lip Balm with Sunscreen
Price: $4.79 on Amazon.
Aquafor Lip Repair Lip Balm with Sunscreen is a dermatologist-recommended lip balm for everyday use. It has SPF 30 and is free of dyes, parabens and fragrances — all things that would dry out your lips.
