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It’s a handbag essential designed to help treat dry and chapped lips all year round. Yet, not all lip balms are quite as moisturising as one might hope.
Weekly, there are new formulas, scents and flavours from the ever-growing bucket of popular skincare brands going viral.
However, some popular lip balm products can actually leave your lips drier than they were to begin with by stripping them of their natural moisture layers and creating a barrier dependence.
Ingredients such as menthol and camphor, found in some of the popular Carmex products, can ‘create a cycle where lips feel temporarily soothed but then become dry again very quickly’, according to Dr Kasim Usmani.
He told the Daily Mail: ‘The lips are incredibly delicate. Unlike the rest of the skin, they don’t have oil glands, so they struggle to hold onto moisture naturally.
‘When you repeatedly apply products containing ingredients like menthol, camphor, alcohol or strong fragrance, you can gradually disrupt the lip barrier and trigger irritation.
‘The irony is that many of these ingredients are included because they create that cooling or tingling sensation people associate with “working”.’
So, as the lip balm market continues to expand rapidly, which products are worth investing in and which may actually not be as good as they would have you believe?
Read on to discover which popular lip balms are the real deal and which are perhaps better left on the supermarket shelf…
As the lip balm market continues to expand rapidly, which products are worth investing in and which may actually not be as good as they would have you believe?
THE PRODUCTS TO QUESTION, ACCORDING TO THE EXPERTS
When considering which lip balm to purchase, both Dr Usmani and Carly Cochrane, a beauty expert at Cosmetify, advise checking the ingredient formulas first and foremost.
In particular, ingredients such as menthol, camphor, alcohol, phenol and salicylic acid should be avoided at all costs.
Dr Usmani explained: ‘Carmex is one product that often gets discussed because it contains camphor and menthol.
‘Some people tolerate it absolutely fine, but in patients with sensitive lips, eczema-prone skin or barrier damage, I do find it can sometimes create a cycle where lips feel temporarily soothed but then become dry again very quickly, leading to constant reapplication.’
He advised being cautious of ‘heavily fragranced or flavoured lip balms, peppermint-based formulas and lip plumping products’.
‘Other lip balms that can potentially be drying or irritating – especially in sensitive individuals – include strongly fragranced or flavoured formulas, peppermint-based balms, heavily “medicated” products and exfoliating lip treatments,’ Dr Usmani said.
‘Cinnamon, menthol and peppermint can all be surprisingly irritating on the lips, particularly during colder weather or if someone is already dehydrated.’
Beyond just the mere ingredients, Ms Cochrane suggested looking at the long-lasting level of hydration a lip balm has to offer, rather than just a superficial quick fix.
‘Many people assume that if they’re using lip balm, their lips are automatically hydrated, but not all lip balms offer the same level of long-lasting moisture,’ she noted.
‘Some formulas feel comforting at first, but that doesn’t always mean they’re effectively keeping lips hydrated throughout the day. The type of lip balm you choose can make a big difference in how long the results actually last.’
She added that while it can be tempting to want to apply a product numerous times, this doesn’t necessarily mean your lips are becoming more hydrated.
CARMEX Strawberry Lip Balm
Ingredients: Petrolatum, Lanolin, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Flavour, Cetyl Esters, Theobroma, Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Benzophenone-3, Paraffinum Liquidum, Camphor, Menthol, Vanillin, Contains Oxybenzone.
£3.59 Shop
Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm
Ingredients: Cera Alba, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Helianthusannuus Seed Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Lanolin, Tocopherol,Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Canola Oil(Huile De Colza), Limonene.
‘There’s also a hint of peppermint oil for a refreshing tingly sensation’
£4.69 Shop
Blistex Relief Cream
Active Ingredients: Aromatic Ammonia Solution 6.04%, Strong Ammonia Solution 0.10%, Liquefied Phenol 0.494%.
Also contains: White Soft Paraffin, Modified Lanolin, Sorbitan Palmitate, Polysorbate 40, Peppermint Oil, Sodium Saccharin, Ethanol 96%, Racemic Camphor, Cineole, Purified Water.
The product is also described as ‘medicated‘.
£3.99 Shop
Sugar Advanced Therapy Treatment Lip Balm
Ingredients: Cera Alba (Beeswax), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, C10-18 Triglycerides, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Decyl Esters, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Parfum (Fragrance), Crithmum Maritimum Extract, Prunus Domestica Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant) Seed Oil, Cera Carnauba (Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax), Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Triolein, Sucrose Tetrastearate Triacetate, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Glyceryl Dioleate, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ethyl Vanillin, Limonene, Citral, Benzyl Alcohol, Linalool, Geraniol <17313>Disclaimer: Fresh product ingredient listings are updated periodically. Before using a Fresh product, please read the ingredient list on the packaging of your product to be sure that the ingredients are appropriate for your personal use.
£24.00 Shop
THE PRODUCTS TO INVEST IN
In Dr Usmani’s view, the best lip balms to purchase are ‘usually the boring ones’.
‘I always tell patients that simple, fragrance-free products tend to outperform the trendy medicated formulas,’ he explained.
When looking for particular ingredients, Dr Usmani suggests opting for ‘petrolatum, ceramides and shea butter’ as these are ‘far more effective at protecting the skin barrier and locking moisture in without causing irritation’.
‘One thing I think people misunderstand is the idea that lip balm is ‘addictive’. Scientifically, lips don’t become addicted to balm,’ he explained.
‘What often happens is that someone develops mild ongoing irritation from certain ingredients, so they feel the need to keep reapplying product to relieve the discomfort.’
However, Dr Usmani also noted that ‘not every person will react the same way’, and that while some lip balms may irritate those more prone to sensitive skin or allergies, others ‘tolerate these products perfectly well’.
He added: ‘Others may develop irritant contact dermatitis or allergy over time. This is why patients often say, “I’ve used this for years and suddenly it’s irritating me”.’
To achieve more smooth and flawless lips, he suggests ‘stripping everything back and using a very bland barrier ointment for a couple of weeks’.
Meanwhile, Ms Cochrane noted that if you want more moisturised lips, ‘simple, protective formulas packed with ingredients like shea butter, glycerin, and petroleum jelly’.
‘Ceramide and peptide lip balms are also great options, as they do more than just hydrate; they help strengthen the skin barrier and prevent moisture loss for softer, healthier-looking lips,’ she added.
L’Occitane Shea Butter Lip Balm
Ingredients: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Oleic/Linoleic/Linolenic Polyglycerides, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Cera Alba/Beeswax, Hydrogenated Rapeseed Oil, C10-18 Triglycerides, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Parfum/Fragrance, Tocopherol, Linalool, Benzyl Benzoate.
£10.00 Shop
Eucerin Dry Skin Acute Lip Balm
Ingredients: Octyldodecanol, C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Caprylic-Capric-Triglyceride, Glycerin, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Panthenol, Aqua, Butylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract, Calcium Pantothenate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Oenothera Biennis Oil, C20-40 Alkyl Stearate, Cera Alba, Magnesium Stearate, Magnesium Sulfate, BHT.
£6.00 Shop
Glossier Balm Doctom Lip Balm
Ingredients: PETROLATUM, RICINUS COMMUNIS (CASTOR) SEED OIL, BEESWAX/CERA ALBA/CIRE D’ABEILLE, LANOLIN, FLAVOR/AROMA, THEOBROMA GRANDIFLORUM SEED BUTTER, ORYZA SATIVA (RICE) BRAN EXTRACT, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) EXTRACT, ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS (ROSEMARY) LEAF EXTRACT, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, TOCOPHEROL, BHT, STEVIA REBAUDIANA LEAF/STEM EXTRACT, IRON OXIDES (CI 77491), RED 7 LAKE (CI 15850), RED 27 LAKE (CI 45410), RED 30 LAKE (CI 73360), BLUE 1 LAKE (CI 42090).
£16.00 Shop
A spokesperson for Carmex said: ‘For more than 80 years, Carmex has been a trusted lip care brand used by consumers around the world, with more than one billion lip balm units sold globally.
‘Carmex products are formulated to moisturize and help protect lips. Ingredients such as menthol and camphor are used at low levels in Carmex formulations and are included to provide the sensory experience and soothing feel — known by many consumers as the “Carmex Tingle” — associated with the brand.
‘These ingredients have long been widely used in lip care products and, at the levels used in Carmex products, are considered safe and appropriate for cosmetic lip care use.
‘Millions of consumers around the world continue to use Carmex products as part of their daily lip care routine.
‘While high concentrations of menthol or camphor in some products may contribute to irritation or dryness for certain individuals, our finished formula has been evaluated in a controlled clinical study, which demonstrated statistically significant improvements in lip hydration, dryness, smoothness and overall healthy appearance following use.
‘These findings support that Carmex products moisturize and improve lip condition, rather than contribute to dryness.’
A spokesperson for Blistex said: ‘The performance of any skincare product is determined by the sum total of all its ingredients working together, not by the isolated effect of any individual component.
‘To characterise Blistex Relief Cream as a “drying” product based solely on the presence of camphor and peppermint oil overlooks the full formulation, which contains several well-established moisturising ingredients.
‘These include white soft paraffin (petrolatum) and modified lanolin, both widely recognised in dermatology and skincare for their emollient and occlusive properties, which help to retain moisture in the skin.
‘Blistex Relief Cream has been trusted by generations of consumers in the UK, and that trust is reflected in the product’s consistently high ratings across major online retail platforms. This long-standing consumer confidence speaks to the product’s efficacy and tolerability in real-world use.
‘We would be concerned that singling out individual ingredients without acknowledging the broader formulation context could present a misleading picture.’
