We Tested Exfoliating Lip Scrubs — Trust These 8 for Makeout-Ready Lips
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Give your lips a little TLC.
InStyle / Janelle Jones
Stop what you’re doing right now and feel your lips. Do they feel tight, dry, or uncomfortable? Do chapped lips prevent you from wearing your favorite lipstick ? If you answered yes to these questions, you need to add a good lip balm and lip scrub to your regimen.
Lip care isn’t new, but you many not have a lip scrub in your vanity. A semi-solid balm that contains particles, a lip scrub is designed to mechanically exfoliate your lips by gently removing dead and dry skin. Dr. Ava Shamban, a board-certified dermatologist in Beverly Hills, explains, “A lip scrub will basically buff away dry, flaking, and cracked skin, restoring and revealing a softness and smooth feeling surface to the lips.” InStyle tested 23 popular scrubs to find the eight very best formulas. We ranked formulas based on texture, efficacy, and value. We also noted how a scrub feels and tastes when using it. Find our top picks ahead.
Best Overall: Fresh Sugar Lip Polish Exfoliator
What We Love
The subtle exfoliation doesn’t dry out lips.
What We Don’t Love
The brown sugar crystals leave a sticky film on lips.
My little sister is very anti-intensive skincare and beauty regimens. If it’s more than two steps, she instantly gets disinterested. However, she's willing to add an extra step to her routine for the right product. The one lip scrub I keep stocked for my picky sister is the Fresh Sugar Lip Polish. Testers agree this product is a winner. This formula is jam-packed with moisturizing ingredients like jojoba oil and vitamin E that keeps the product from getting too grainy.
This lip scrub differs from others on the market for its use of brown sugar crystals instead of regular sucrose for the exfoliating portion. “The texture and feel are great," one tester notes, adding that the formula did get sticky prior to wiping it off. Make sure you wash your hands before dipping your fingers into the circular pot to limit bacteria and apply the scrub all over your lips to gently scrub away any flakiness. Prepping your lips for dry weather or a makeup look makes a noticeable difference, and this exfoliator can be used multiple times per week.
Size: 0.35 ounces | Key Ingredients: Brown sugar crystals, jojoba oil, shea butter, vitamin E
Best Splurge: Dior Addict Lip Sugar Scrub
What We Love
It’s mess-free with a roll-up balm tube for easy application.
What We Don’t Love
The formula is not as hydrating as others on this list.
We love that this product acts like a scrub, wears like a gloss. Plus, it's all the rage on #BeautyTok, with its own spotlight and over 90 million views. I have three tubes of this buttery lip exfoliating product, and can attest the hype around this product is real.
InStyle testers were also enthusiastic about this balm-like scrub, noting, “The texture and feel of the product are very soft." She adds that the exfoliating grains are effective, even though the sugar crystals are blended into the formula. "They're not hard or unpleasant," she notes. "It’s not at all sticky or tacky and glides on smoothly and easily.”
Because the exfoliating sugar crystals are melted into the beeswax and mango balm, they don't have to be wiped off. It has a velvety texture that wears like a gloss, so you can keep the product on as long as you like.
Size: 0.12 ounces | Key Ingredients: Synthetic beeswax, vitamin E, mango seed butter
Best Value: Chapstick Total Hydration Conditioning Lip Scrub
What We Love
The tiny but mighty exfoliating beads won’t leave any sticky residue.
What We Don’t Love
This scrub is part of a collection that recommends multiple steps, which can be tedious.
An InStyle tester was so amazed by this conditioning lip scrub that it got her on the lip care bandwagon, “I can now see the appeal of using a lip scrub in the mornings,” she confirms. This formulation relies on natural ingredients like shea butter and maracuja oil to condition lips as the sugar beads scrub away dead skin and flakiness. “The tiny exfoliating beads were more effective than expected. The beads aren’t visible until the product touches your lips, but then you can slowly start to see and feel them dissolve,”another tester notes, adding that the product "moisturized without the oiliness or tackiness. I would say the scrub holds true to its name."
Size: 0.27 ounces | Key Ingredients: Sucrose, shea butter, beeswax, peppermint oil, vitamin E, maracuja oil
Best Drugstore : Burt's Bees Conditioning Lip Scrub with Exfoliating Honey Crystals
What We Love
The signature beeswax and other ingredients are 100 percent natural.
What We Don’t Love
Sugar crystals begin to clump together after initial use on the lips.
Burt’s Bees created an excellent introduction into the world of lip scrubs with this conditioning exfoliator, another natural favorite on this list. You can pick this up at a drugstore price almost anywhere and know it will work. “My lips were left feeling super hydrated, and the texture reminded me of a lip oil once the product was warmed from the temperature of my lips,” says a tester. The scrub-to-oil effect is a product of natural ingredients, such as castor seed oil, vegetable oil, and beeswax, that melt into lips.
Some exfoliating formulas might contain sugar crystals that dissolve on the lips as you rub, but that’s where this one differs. One tester saw the mixture begin to stick together with the base ingredient of honey, “The exfoliator became clumpy after about 45 seconds.” Some extra wiping might be necessary, but we don't mind because the honey crystals leave a glossy and nourishing sensation on the lips.
Size: 0.25 ounces | Key Ingredients: Honey, castor seed oil, vegetable oil, beeswax
Best for Flaky Lips: Sara Happ The Lip Scrub
What We Love
This scrub comes in four different scents.
What We Don’t Love
The exfoliating portion is harsher than expected.
If your lips get so chapped they start to bleed, you'll need a scrub that can heal sensitive skin, while safely removing flakiness. Even though this formula has a grainy consistency initially, it breaks down to remove dead skin and create a smooth foundation. Dr. Shamban loves this scrub for the differing sucrose grains that penetrate deep. “It is packed with 100 antioxidants, ferulic acid, vitamin B, vitamin E, and rice bran (which has elements to increase circulation to the lip area).”
Although it's not edible, this scrub contains vanilla bean, brown sugar, pink grapefruit, and sparkling peach flavors that are totally delicious, making the scrub process a treat.
Size: 0.5 ounces | Key Ingredients: Sucrose, grape seed oil, vitamin E, jojoba oil
Best Moisturizing: French Girl Rose Lip Polish Lip Scrub
What We Love
The semi-plumping spearmint and peppermint are subtle, but effective.
What We Don’t Love
It’s not suitable for on-the-go use.
Finely ground sugar crystals exfoliate deeply, scrubbing lips in a way that plumps as the spearmint and peppermint leaves skin with a slight tingle. This scrub makes an excellent foundation for lipstick, as one tester notes, “My lips look and feel noticeably softer than before I used the scrub."
This formula gets its moisturizing powers cocoa and shea butter. We love how tightly packed the product is, increasing its value, but we also note that the scrub can get messy. “You may find bits of the scrub spreading all around your mouth area. It's best used for at-home lip prep,” recommends our tester.
Size: 1 ounces | Key Ingredients: Sucrose, shea butter, sunflower seed oil, spearmint, peppermint
Best Multipurpose: Dr. PAWPAW Scrub & Nourish Duo Pot
What We Love
The convenient double-sided packaging offers an easy two-step system.
What We Don’t Love
You’ll want to re-apply through the day for extra chapped lips.
Dr. PawPawis an Australian brand known for versatile products, like this one. This multipurpose tube is double-sided, with a scrub on the top and a soft balm on the bottom. “It adds loads of hydration while removing dry skin on the lips. I love that it includes a lip balm along with the lip scrub,” says one InStyle tester.
Castor oil works to heal chapped lips with the brand’s signature carica papaya fruit extract giving lips hydration with a pleasing scent. “It leaves lips incredibly soft and smooth. I felt comfortable exfoliating with it for longer,” says another tester. As an added bonus, you can use this product as an all-purpose balm. I carry it in my manicure kit to prep my nail bed for cuticle removal, and it doesn't leave my fingers feeling greasy or sticky.
Size: 0.5 ounces | Key Ingredients: Castor oil, sunflower seed oil, olive oil, carica papaya fruit extract
Best Natural: Handmade Heroes All Natural Vegan Coconut Lip Scrub
What We Love
The moisture is long-lasting, and you won't need to use it long to feel its effects.
What We Don't Love
The thick formula gets very messy.
With neutral plastic packaging and a short-list of ingredients, you're making a conscious choice when using this scrub. A tester was impressed by this product that left lips velvety for hours after use: "My lips feel softer after using, and I don't feel the need to apply chapstick as consistently as I normally do throughout the day," she says.
Coconut is the hero ingredient, which gives it a dense texture and keeps the sugar from clumping while effortlessly melting on the lips. Our tested notes that the grit of the coconut sugar makes the product extra effective, even though it might feel harsh at first.
Size: 1.23 ounces | Key Ingredients: Sweet almond, coconut oil, avocado oil, vitamin E
What to Keep in Mind
Ingredients: Humectants like glycerin and hyaluronic acid attract water to penetrate dry skin, while emollients like shea butter and vitamin E create a protective film to seal in nourishment.
Consistency: Some lip scrubs are more grainy than others. If you’re dealing with a lot of damage on your lips, consider a lip scrub product with a less grainy texture as your lips heal. Dr. Shamban says a good lip scrub will have a combination of a mechanical (sugar or microbeads) or a chemical (like fruit acids or enzymes) exfoliant with humectants and emollients.
Application: A finger will work just fine to apply lip scrub. Dr. Shamban says you don't need the TikTok famous-silicone brush, but notes it won't harm your lips. While some products come with an applicator, you can also pick up an extra set on Amazon.
Your Questions, Answered
Can you over-exfoliate lips?
“Yes, you can over-exfoliate,” explains Dr. Shamban. She notes that scrubs can be troublesome for some depending on how damaged lips are and how excessive you’re scrubbing. She explains skin on the lips is only three to five layers, compared to the 15 to 16 layers on the face (and that's one reason why face exfoliators are different). Less protection from outside factors can cause lips to peel, chap, and feel dry more frequently if not cared for properly. A lip scrub can help exfoliate the dead skin cells and peel the outer layer of skin from the lips, says Dr. Shamban.
As with any skincare product, if your skin starts to feel inflamed or bleed after use, stop using the product and consider a less grainy scrub.
Is there a proper way to use a lip scrub? Any after-care?
Make sure you wash your hands first. Generally, it’s a good practice to always cleanse your hands before using any skincare or makeup products with your fingers. Dr. Shamban recommends gently applying the product with a silicone applicator or your finger, back and forth on each lip or in circular motions on closed lips.
“To get the most benefit from a lip scrub, leave it on and wait a minute before removing,” says Dr. Shamban. She adds that masks are safe to stay on for five minutes or more. When we tested the best lip scrubs, many reviewers left masks on for multiple minutes to get the whole scrub experience. Like our testers, you can remove the scrub with a warm cloth. After you remove the scrub, apply a moisturizing balm to seal in hydration.
Why Shop With Us
Alexis Gaskin is a commerce writer at InStyle covering beauty and fashion. As a self-proclaimed liquid lipstick fanatic, her lips get dry a lot so she always makes sure to have a lip scrub on hand — she takes soft lips very seriously.
For this story, she poured over in-house testers' reviews and spoke to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Ava Shamban on how to exfoliate properly to get the best results.
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