A Review: Which Lip Balm Is the Best? We’ve Tried Them Out and We Know!

The ideal lip balm pampers and nourishes your lips, helps you survive all of your meetings, hikes and the sun by the sea as well as the wind in the mountains, and also makes the perfect base for your favourite lipstick. We’ve tested different balms to make your decision making easier.

What Kind of Lip Balm Do We Want?

The best lip balm nourishes the lips without feeling sticky, moisturises and softens them and possibly adds a subtle tint or visually enlarges them. If you like natural nourishing ingredients, look for balms and pomades formulated with beeswax, honey, shea butter, chamomile or avocado oil. And ideally with SPF, of course.

The lip balms I tested have enjoyed the summer in the city, by the sea and in the countryside with me. I tried to apply them to my lips after exfoliation and under similar conditions. And what were the outcomes of our lip balm test?

Carmex Classic 

What I liked most: Carmex Classic is called the legend among lip balms for a reason. As one of the most popular lip balms, it promises to keep your lips moisturised all day long. It also works wonders on cold sores. I’d recommend it to anyone who has dry lips prone to flaking. It’s very moisturising, has a delicate and pleasant scent and lasts a long time. I love to use it during outdoor activities. Formulated with cocoa butter and SPF, it nourishes the lips intensively and prevents sun damage. Its formula is also waterproof, which makes the lip balm ideal for sports. And the price? Amazing!

Pros: Provides intensive hydration and is long-lasting (even overnight), good price.

Cons: I’m not the biggest fan of the tingling that mint leaves on your lips.

Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Nighttime Rescue Lip Oil-Serum

What I liked most: Everything! The Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Nighttime Rescue Lip Oil-Serum lip oil is primarily for night-time but I also use it during the day. I appreciate the beautiful packaging, the design, and the handy applicator that makes it super-easy to apply. Formulated with lavender and rose oil, this serum really smooths the lips and, with the help of collagen, fills in lip lines as promised. So it will leave your mouth feeling beautifully soft and smooth in the morning as well as at any other time.

Pros: Smooths, nourishes, works.

Cons: The price (but it’s worth it). Also, make sure that the lid is on properly when you’re done with it. At times I managed to moisturise things that clearly didn’t need this kind of luxury treatment. 

Burt’s Bees Lip Treatment

What I liked most: What I love about the overnight Burt’s Bees Lip Treatment is its 100% natural formula, cute packaging in the form of a little container and how gentle it is gentle, leaving your lips healthy and nourished (and not just in the morning). It also has a wonderful scent and aside from applying it at night, I also like to use it as a lipstick primer thanks to its non-sticky and non-greasy texture. It also contains ceramides, which help reduce the appearance of fine lines.

Pros: Natural formula, pleasant scent and texture, price, a wide selection of lip products from this brand. 

Cons: The product comes in a little tub, so some may not like applying it with their fingers. 

Bioderma Atoderm Lévres

What I liked most: This is a safe bet! The Bioderma Atoderm Lévres restorative and nourishing day treatment is primarily formulated for dry lips and you’ll also appreciate it if you have skin prone to atopic dermatitis or eczema. It contains 3 ingredients that lips love: shea butter, avocado oil and petroleum jelly, so it does a truly great job at regenerating and soothing the lips. I appreciated its practical packaging, especially while travelling, and the fact that it’s easy to apply and can also be used on the eyelids. 

Pros: It’s fragrance-free and hypoallergenic, so it’s very well tolerated. 

Cons: Doesn’t contain SPF.

Neutrogena Lip Care

What I liked most: Neutrogena Lip Care reminds me most of a more gentle version of the classic tallow balm. It’s a classic we’ve come to expect from Neutrogena – a lip balm based on a Norwegian formula developed by dermatologists which caters especially to those with dry and chapped lips. It softens and moisturises the lips and improves their appearance; you just have to reapply it more often (at least in my case).

Pros: Has a subtle scent, contains SPF 20, provides good hydration without leaving an oily film. 

Cons: Even though the balm feels nice, it’s not moisturising enough for me.

Did you find our lip balm review helpful? This small but handy beauty product should have its special place in your handbag or backpack and on your bedside table. Have you also noticed that lip balms are like socks? They mysteriously disappear and reappear in places where you wouldn’t expect them.