{"id":1698444,"date":"2026-01-07T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1698444"},"modified":"2026-01-07T13:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T10:00:00","slug":"weve-lost-the-plot-on-lip-balm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1698444","title":{"rendered":"We’ve Lost the Plot on Lip Balm"},"content":{"rendered":"

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If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.\n<\/p>\n

We’ve Lost the Plot on Lip Balm<\/h1>\n

The category is more popular\u2014and more confusing\u2014than ever.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
By<\/span><\/p>\n
Lindy Segal <\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Lindy\"Lindy<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nLindy Segal\n<\/div>\n
\n

Lindy is a seasoned beauty and lifestyle journalist with over 12 years of experience. Lindy has held editor positions at Glamour and People, and her byline has also appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, Fashionista, Fast Company and other esteemed publications.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\nByrdie’s Editorial Guidelines\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Published on January 07, 2026 08:00AM<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\n
\n
\"A\"A<\/div>\n<\/div>
<\/p>\n

Stocksy \/ Byrdie<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n

My New York apartment is littered with lip balms. As a beauty editor, I have the privilege of trying out new product launches as part of my job, and lip balm is one of the easiest to test\u2014which is convenient, because it\u2019s also become one of the most frequent.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

In 2025, seemingly every brand joined the lip balm club, from Rare Beauty and Patrick Ta to Louis Vuitton. But as the category has grown, it has also become increasingly confusing: In addition to traditional balms and treatments, there are also lip oils, glazes, butters, nectars, and even milks, all competing for makeup-bag real estate. And reaching for a tube has started to feel like a game of lip balm roulette: Will what I put on actually<\/em> help my dry lips, or will it simply add a glossy shine? In some cases, I\u2019m not sure what I apply should even qualify as a balm at all.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not the one who gets to make those decisions, though. Take a look at Ulta’s \u201clip balms and treatments<\/u>,\u201d which currently has over 400 results. Of the 20 products featured at the top when sorted by bestsellers, none are a traditional stick format, and six are actually butters, serums, and masks. So where does the line get drawn?\n<\/p>\n

\u201cTraditionally, lip balms have been very different from what we\u2019re talking about today,\u201d says Emmy Ketcham, head chemist and co-founder of skincare brand Experiment<\/u>. \u201cThey were more oils, butters, waxes-based. We are moving toward a much wider lens of what could be called a ‘lip balm.’\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"tray\"tray<\/div>\n<\/div>
<\/p>\n

@summerfridays\/Instagram<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The shift can partially be attributed to Summer Fridays, whose $24 Lip Butter Balms<\/u> have an ultra-glossy finish and come in a range of shades and scents. The brand is one of five that has a veritable chokehold on the market: \u201cSummer Fridays, Laneige, Rhode, Dior, and Glossier are responsible for over 50% of [prestige] units sold,\u201d says Melissa Munnerlyn, co-founder and CEO of commerce intelligence platform Daash<\/u>.\n<\/p>\n

So while lip, as a category, has always been popular (I\u2019m a proud member of the Lip Smackers Generation myself), it now represents a bigger piece of the pie: a whopping 16% of the units sold within prestige skincare, according to Munnerlyn.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels like every brand is not only launching a lip product, but a whole range of lip products\u2014different colors, different scents, different aesthetics,\u201d says Muneeb Shah, MD<\/u>, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Remedy Skin. The brand launched a single lip balm, Remedy for Dry Lips<\/u>, within its initial debut back in March 2024. \u201cI\u2019ve had to resist the urge to launch multiple products in multiple shades,\u201d he says, saying that doing so would negate their skin-health-first ethos. \u201cIt takes a lot of discipline as a founder, because you see so much growth from launching these.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Other brands haven\u2019t been so judicious. According to Munnerlyn, over 50 new lip balm products have launched in 2025 alone\u2014and yet, so little of them actually seem to do their job. So how, exactly, did we get here? Ahead, we unpack.\n<\/p>\n

What Caused the Lip Balm Boom? <\/span><\/h2>\n

In a word: COVID. Culturally, we became obsessed with skincare circa 2020, and hybrid skincare-makeup products\u2014serum foundations, primers, pretty much everything Rhode makes\u2014started trending. According to Ketcham, lip was an easy way in\u2014both for brands and shoppers. \u201cWhen people are looking for something that feels like a treatment but also has an aesthetic effect, lips are pretty obvious,\u201d she says.\n<\/p>\n

Unlike science-y serums or expensive moisturizers, lip care also happens to be fun. It\u2019s an impulse buy\u2014the kind that can make you feel better just having it in your bag. \u201cSkincare [can get] kind of boring, and lip is a place where people feel like they can play a bit and express themselves in different ways,\u201d adds Shah.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"Hailey\"Hailey<\/div>\n<\/div>
<\/p>\n

@rhode\/Instagram<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you want a product in two colors or flavors, or to try more than one brand at once, the limit does not exist. \u201cPeople will buy five balms before they ever buy a second foundation,\u201d says Alexis Androulakis, a beauty product developer and one half of The Lipstick Lesbians<\/u>. Plus, she notes that it\u2019s a truly universal product, for every age range and skin type. \u201cEveryone uses a lip balm.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

But What Makes a Lip Balm a Lip Balm? <\/span><\/h2>\n

In my purse right now there are four products: Vaseline Lip Therapy<\/u>, Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Balm<\/u>, Drunk Elephant Lippe Balm<\/u>, and Ole Henriksen Pout Preserve Peptide Lip Treatment<\/u>. Each is vastly different, and yet all are, technically, lip balms.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom a formulator\u2019s perspective, a lot of what we think of as skincare categories aren\u2019t real,\u201d explains Ketcham. \u201cThere isn\u2019t a true definition of what a lip balm should be. There\u2019s no rubric that [says] it has to check these boxes.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Still, some products are undoubtedly lip balm-ier than others even though ingredient-wise, there tends to be a lot of crossover. \u201cThe primary ingredient primary positioning is dominated by three ingredient stories: peptides, shea butter, and squalane,\u201d says Munnerlyn.\n<\/p>\n

One major variable is the texture: All the experts agree that the platonic ideal should act as an occlusive, meaning it forms a layer to seal in hydration. But the best formulas go beyond that. \u201cThe thicker something is, the more it reads as a balm. The thinner something is, the more it reads like an oil or a gloss,\u201d says Androulakis, adding that even though they’re marketed as such, \u201cLip oils are not balms. They\u2019re sheer and rely on high-gloss materials.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"Laneige\"Laneige<\/div>\n<\/div>
<\/p>\n

@laneige_us\/Instagram<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ketcham builds on that definition, adding that a good lip balm should be substantive, meaning it doesn\u2019t disappear when you\u2019re moving your mouth a lot, and should actually hydrate the lips. \u201cMost lip balms don\u2019t have water in them, they are a mix of oils, waxes, and balms,\u201d she explains. \u201cSo they nourish lips and prevent water loss, but they aren\u2019t able to add hydration to the lips.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

As Androulakis puts it, the difference is less about what\u2019s inside a product, and more in the experience of using it. \u201cThis category is so enmeshed now that it is almost impossible to cleanly separate glosses from balms based on formula alone. They share so many similar ingredients,\u201d says Androulakis. \u201cWhat really separates them is the sensory experience: how they feel, how they wear, and how they shine.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Does It Even Matter? <\/span><\/h2>\n

Well, it depends. If you want a lip balm to soothe your chapped lips, there\u2019s a lot of fluff out there to distract you. But for a lot of beauty fans, hype is just as important. \u201cLip is a status category. The emotional experience of pulling a product out of your bag matters just as much as the formula,\u201d says Androulakis.\n<\/p>\n

She points to Rhode\u2019s Peptide Lip Treatments<\/u>, which have repeatedly sold out and inspired a viral phone case despite complaints about its texture. \u201cRhode had a peptide balm that went grainy and literally felt like an exfoliator, but they didn\u2019t lose market share,\u201d she says. \u201cThat alone shows how powerful and status-driven this category is.\u201d (Worth noting: They\u2019ve since been reformulated since entering Sephora this year.)\n<\/p>\n

However, one potential downside to trendy lip products containing ingredients like flavors, fragrances, and essential oils is that they could make the lips feel worse<\/em>.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cYou put these ingredients on the lips, which cause low-level inflammation,\u201d explains Shah. \u201cBecause they\u2019re in a glossy base, they feel good when you put them on, but you\u2019ll notice your lips will feel drier and drier.\u201d In rare and extreme cases, products can even cause discoloration if ingredients have a photoreaction\u2014that is, react when exposed to sunlight. \u201cI think where they\u2019re missing the mark, from a derm perspective, is the allergens that these products have,\u201d says Shah. \u201cBut on the flip side, [brands are] operating within their brand thesis.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

If my inbox is any indication, lip balm isn\u2019t going to shrink as a category\u2014and as trends evolve from ultra-glossy to matte and blurred, what qualifies as one will likely only get less defined. \u201cI think we\u2019ll continue to see more types of products be called ‘lip balms,’\u201d predicts Munnerlyn.\n<\/p>\n

So, What “Lip Balms” Actually Work? <\/span><\/h2>\n

If a true balm is what you want, we\u2019ve done the market research for you. Here are eight lip balms\u2014not glosses, not oils\u2014you can trust.\n<\/p>\n

Aquaphor Lip Repair <\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
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\"Aquaphor\"Aquaphor<\/div>\n<\/div>
<\/p>\n

Aquaphor<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n
<\/p>\n
$6<\/span><\/div>\n

$5 at Ulta<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Androulakis says this iconic product is \u201chard to beat\u201d at the drugstore. \u201cThe tube is not cute and the plastic tip is not giving luxury, but it works. It loads in the hydration, and then you can layer Vaseline<\/u> on top to lock it in with that occlusive barrier. They work differently, but together they are extremely effective.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Experiment Softwear <\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
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\"Experiment\"Experiment<\/div>\n<\/div>
<\/p>\n

Experiment World<\/p>\n

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\n
$16 at Sephora<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Ketcham used Accutane in her 20s, which completely dried out her lips. So when formulating Softwear, she wanted to create a product with that community in mind to offer hydration, cushion, and gentle exfoliation in one. \u201cI wanted something that could cocoon your lips, so you don\u2019t feel those little crusties,\u201d she says.\n<\/p>\n

Remedy for Dry Lips <\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
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\"Remedy\"Remedy<\/div>\n<\/div>
<\/p>\n

Remedy<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n
$16 at Remedyskin.com<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Shah\u2019s formula \u201chas a cult following, but it\u2019s not trendy or sexy,\u201d he says. It\u2019s just as much about what it does contain (ceramides, squalane, dimethicone, petrolatum) as what it doesn\u2019t <\/em>(flavors, fragrances, and essential oils). \u201cWe also look at the most common allergens, and when we formulate we make sure we don\u2019t use any of those,\u201d he explains.\n<\/p>\n

Violette_FR Balm Amour <\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\"Violette\"Violette<\/div>\n<\/div>
<\/p>\n

Violette FR<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n
$26 at Sephora<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Androukis reaches for this peptide-infused formula \u201cwhen I want something sensorial and elevated.\u201d She also likes the experience of using it: \u201cHer ceramic tip is one of my favorites and it completely changes the application.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Eadem Le Chouchou Lip Softening Balm <\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\"Eadem\"Eadem<\/div>\n<\/div>
<\/p>\n

Eadem<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n
$24 at Sephora<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

For tinted balms, Androukis loves Eadem\u2019s sheer, shiny, and softening formulas. \u201cEadem is also one of my favorites because it represents that next generation of treatment balms with exfoliation built in,\u201d she explains.\n<\/p>\n

Lawless Beauty Forget The Filler Overnight Lip Plumping Mask <\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\"Lawless\"Lawless<\/div>\n<\/div>
<\/p>\n

Lawless<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n
$22 at Sephora<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

In the lip mask wars, this jar from Lawless Beauty is my top contender. It\u2019s just the right thickness, not sticky, and leaves my lips soft and smooth when I wake up in the morning. Does it plump my lips? I don\u2019t know about that, but I don\u2019t need it to.\n<\/p>\n

Image Skincare Ormedic Balancing Lip Enhancement Complex <\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\"Image\"Image<\/div>\n<\/div>
<\/p>\n

Image Skincare<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n
$29 at Imageskincare.com<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The tube is small, but Image Skincare\u2019s peptide-infused lip balm is probably my personal favorite everyday balm. Long-lasting, buttery, and with just the slightest <\/em>sheer pink tint, it\u2019s somehow worth the (admittedly steep) price.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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        <\/main><\/p>\n

        \n
        \n
        \n

        If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.\n<\/p>\n

        We’ve Lost the Plot on Lip Balm<\/h1>\n

        The category is more popular\u2014and more confusing\u2014than ever.<\/p>\n

        \n
        \n
        \n
        By<\/span><\/p>\n
        Lindy Segal <\/p>\n
        \n
        \n
        \n
        \"Lindy\"Lindy<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
        \nLindy Segal\n<\/div>\n
        \n

        Lindy is a seasoned beauty and lifestyle journalist with over 12 years of experience. Lindy has held editor positions at Glamour and People, and her byline has also appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, Fashionista, Fast Company and other esteemed publications.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

        \nByrdie’s Editorial Guidelines\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
        Published on January 07, 2026 08:00AM<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
        \n
        \n
        \n
        \n
        \"A\"A<\/div>\n<\/div>
        <\/p>\n

        Stocksy \/ Byrdie<\/p>\n

        <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

        \n

        My New York apartment is littered with lip balms. As a beauty editor, I have the privilege of trying out new product launches as part of my job, and lip balm is one of the easiest to test\u2014which is convenient, because it\u2019s also become one of the most frequent.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

        In 2025, seemingly every brand joined the lip balm club, from Rare Beauty and Patrick Ta to Louis Vuitton. But as the category has grown, it has also become increasingly confusing: In addition to traditional balms and treatments, there are also lip oils, glazes, butters, nectars, and even milks, all competing for makeup-bag real estate. And reaching for a tube has started to feel like a game of lip balm roulette: Will what I put on actually<\/em> help my dry lips, or will it simply add a glossy shine? In some cases, I\u2019m not sure what I apply should even qualify as a balm at all.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

        I\u2019m not the one who gets to make those decisions, though. Take a look at Ulta’s \u201clip balms and treatments<\/u>,\u201d which currently has over 400 results. Of the 20 products featured at the top when sorted by bestsellers, none are a traditional stick format, and six are actually butters, serums, and masks. So where does the line get drawn?\n<\/p>\n

        \u201cTraditionally, lip balms have been very different from what we\u2019re talking about today,\u201d says Emmy Ketcham, head chemist and co-founder of skincare brand Experiment<\/u>. \u201cThey were more oils, butters, waxes-based. We are moving toward a much wider lens of what could be called a ‘lip balm.’\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

        \n
        \n
        \"tray\"tray<\/div>\n<\/div>
        <\/p>\n

        @summerfridays\/Instagram<\/p>\n

        <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

        The shift can partially be attributed to Summer Fridays, whose $24 Lip Butter Balms<\/u> have an ultra-glossy finish and come in a range of shades and scents. The brand is one of five that has a veritable chokehold on the market: \u201cSummer Fridays, Laneige, Rhode, Dior, and Glossier are responsible for over 50% of [prestige] units sold,\u201d says Melissa Munnerlyn, co-founder and CEO of commerce intelligence platform Daash<\/u>.\n<\/p>\n

        So while lip, as a category, has always been popular (I\u2019m a proud member of the Lip Smackers Generation myself), it now represents a bigger piece of the pie: a whopping 16% of the units sold within prestige skincare, according to Munnerlyn.\n<\/p>\n

        \u201cIt feels like every brand is not only launching a lip product, but a whole range of lip products\u2014different colors, different scents, different aesthetics,\u201d says Muneeb Shah, MD<\/u>, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Remedy Skin. The brand launched a single lip balm, Remedy for Dry Lips<\/u>, within its initial debut back in March 2024. \u201cI\u2019ve had to resist the urge to launch multiple products in multiple shades,\u201d he says, saying that doing so would negate their skin-health-first ethos. \u201cIt takes a lot of discipline as a founder, because you see so much growth from launching these.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

        Other brands haven\u2019t been so judicious. According to Munnerlyn, over 50 new lip balm products have launched in 2025 alone\u2014and yet, so little of them actually seem to do their job. So how, exactly, did we get here? Ahead, we unpack.\n<\/p>\n

        What Caused the Lip Balm Boom? <\/span><\/h2>\n

        In a word: COVID. Culturally, we became obsessed with skincare circa 2020, and hybrid skincare-makeup products\u2014serum foundations, primers, pretty much everything Rhode makes\u2014started trending. According to Ketcham, lip was an easy way in\u2014both for brands and shoppers. \u201cWhen people are looking for something that feels like a treatment but also has an aesthetic effect, lips are pretty obvious,\u201d she says.\n<\/p>\n

        Unlike science-y serums or expensive moisturizers, lip care also happens to be fun. It\u2019s an impulse buy\u2014the kind that can make you feel better just having it in your bag. \u201cSkincare [can get] kind of boring, and lip is a place where people feel like they can play a bit and express themselves in different ways,\u201d adds Shah.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

        \n
        \n
        \"Hailey\"Hailey<\/div>\n<\/div>
        <\/p>\n

        @rhode\/Instagram<\/p>\n

        <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

        If you want a product in two colors or flavors, or to try more than one brand at once, the limit does not exist. \u201cPeople will buy five balms before they ever buy a second foundation,\u201d says Alexis Androulakis, a beauty product developer and one half of The Lipstick Lesbians<\/u>. Plus, she notes that it\u2019s a truly universal product, for every age range and skin type. \u201cEveryone uses a lip balm.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

        But What Makes a Lip Balm a Lip Balm? <\/span><\/h2>\n

        In my purse right now there are four products: Vaseline Lip Therapy<\/u>, Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Balm<\/u>, Drunk Elephant Lippe Balm<\/u>, and Ole Henriksen Pout Preserve Peptide Lip Treatment<\/u>. Each is vastly different, and yet all are, technically, lip balms.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

        \u201cFrom a formulator\u2019s perspective, a lot of what we think of as skincare categories aren\u2019t real,\u201d explains Ketcham. \u201cThere isn\u2019t a true definition of what a lip balm should be. There\u2019s no rubric that [says] it has to check these boxes.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

        Still, some products are undoubtedly lip balm-ier than others even though ingredient-wise, there tends to be a lot of crossover. \u201cThe primary ingredient primary positioning is dominated by three ingredient stories: peptides, shea butter, and squalane,\u201d says Munnerlyn.\n<\/p>\n

        One major variable is the texture: All the experts agree that the platonic ideal should act as an occlusive, meaning it forms a layer to seal in hydration. But the best formulas go beyond that. \u201cThe thicker something is, the more it reads as a balm. The thinner something is, the more it reads like an oil or a gloss,\u201d says Androulakis, adding that even though they’re marketed as such, \u201cLip oils are not balms. They\u2019re sheer and rely on high-gloss materials.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

        \n
        \n
        \"Laneige\"Laneige<\/div>\n<\/div>
        <\/p>\n

        @laneige_us\/Instagram<\/p>\n

        <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

        Ketcham builds on that definition, adding that a good lip balm should be substantive, meaning it doesn\u2019t disappear when you\u2019re moving your mouth a lot, and should actually hydrate the lips. \u201cMost lip balms don\u2019t have water in them, they are a mix of oils, waxes, and balms,\u201d she explains. \u201cSo they nourish lips and prevent water loss, but they aren\u2019t able to add hydration to the lips.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

        As Androulakis puts it, the difference is less about what\u2019s inside a product, and more in the experience of using it. \u201cThis category is so enmeshed now that it is almost impossible to cleanly separate glosses from balms based on formula alone. They share so many similar ingredients,\u201d says Androulakis. \u201cWhat really separates them is the sensory experience: how they feel, how they wear, and how they shine.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

        Does It Even Matter? <\/span><\/h2>\n

        Well, it depends. If you want a lip balm to soothe your chapped lips, there\u2019s a lot of fluff out there to distract you. But for a lot of beauty fans, hype is just as important. \u201cLip is a status category. The emotional experience of pulling a product out of your bag matters just as much as the formula,\u201d says Androulakis.\n<\/p>\n

        She points to Rhode\u2019s Peptide Lip Treatments<\/u>, which have repeatedly sold out and inspired a viral phone case despite complaints about its texture. \u201cRhode had a peptide balm that went grainy and literally felt like an exfoliator, but they didn\u2019t lose market share,\u201d she says. \u201cThat alone shows how powerful and status-driven this category is.\u201d (Worth noting: They\u2019ve since been reformulated since entering Sephora this year.)\n<\/p>\n

        However, one potential downside to trendy lip products containing ingredients like flavors, fragrances, and essential oils is that they could make the lips feel worse<\/em>.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

        \u201cYou put these ingredients on the lips, which cause low-level inflammation,\u201d explains Shah. \u201cBecause they\u2019re in a glossy base, they feel good when you put them on, but you\u2019ll notice your lips will feel drier and drier.\u201d In rare and extreme cases, products can even cause discoloration if ingredients have a photoreaction\u2014that is, react when exposed to sunlight. \u201cI think where they\u2019re missing the mark, from a derm perspective, is the allergens that these products have,\u201d says Shah. \u201cBut on the flip side, [brands are] operating within their brand thesis.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

        If my inbox is any indication, lip balm isn\u2019t going to shrink as a category\u2014and as trends evolve from ultra-glossy to matte and blurred, what qualifies as one will likely only get less defined. \u201cI think we\u2019ll continue to see more types of products be called ‘lip balms,’\u201d predicts Munnerlyn.\n<\/p>\n

        So, What “Lip Balms” Actually Work? <\/span><\/h2>\n

        If a true balm is what you want, we\u2019ve done the market research for you. Here are eight lip balms\u2014not glosses, not oils\u2014you can trust.\n<\/p>\n

        Aquaphor Lip Repair <\/span><\/h2>\n
        \n
        \n
        \"Aquaphor\"Aquaphor<\/div>\n<\/div>
        <\/p>\n

        Aquaphor<\/p>\n

        <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

        \n
        <\/p>\n
        $6<\/span><\/div>\n

        $5 at Ulta<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

        Androulakis says this iconic product is \u201chard to beat\u201d at the drugstore. \u201cThe tube is not cute and the plastic tip is not giving luxury, but it works. It loads in the hydration, and then you can layer Vaseline<\/u> on top to lock it in with that occlusive barrier. They work differently, but together they are extremely effective.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

        Experiment Softwear <\/span><\/h2>\n
        \n
        \n
        \"Experiment\"Experiment<\/div>\n<\/div>
        <\/p>\n

        Experiment World<\/p>\n

        <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

        \n
        $16 at Sephora<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

        Ketcham used Accutane in her 20s, which completely dried out her lips. So when formulating Softwear, she wanted to create a product with that community in mind to offer hydration, cushion, and gentle exfoliation in one. \u201cI wanted something that could cocoon your lips, so you don\u2019t feel those little crusties,\u201d she says.\n<\/p>\n

        Remedy for Dry Lips <\/span><\/h2>\n
        \n
        \n
        \"Remedy\"Remedy<\/div>\n<\/div>
        <\/p>\n

        Remedy<\/p>\n

        <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

        \n
        $16 at Remedyskin.com<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

        Shah\u2019s formula \u201chas a cult following, but it\u2019s not trendy or sexy,\u201d he says. It\u2019s just as much about what it does contain (ceramides, squalane, dimethicone, petrolatum) as what it doesn\u2019t <\/em>(flavors, fragrances, and essential oils). \u201cWe also look at the most common allergens, and when we formulate we make sure we don\u2019t use any of those,\u201d he explains.\n<\/p>\n

        Violette_FR Balm Amour <\/span><\/h2>\n
        \n
        \n
        \"Violette\"Violette<\/div>\n<\/div>
        <\/p>\n

        Violette FR<\/p>\n

        <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

        \n
        $26 at Sephora<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

        Androukis reaches for this peptide-infused formula \u201cwhen I want something sensorial and elevated.\u201d She also likes the experience of using it: \u201cHer ceramic tip is one of my favorites and it completely changes the application.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

        Eadem Le Chouchou Lip Softening Balm <\/span><\/h2>\n
        \n
        \n
        \"Eadem\"Eadem<\/div>\n<\/div>
        <\/p>\n

        Eadem<\/p>\n

        <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

        \n
        $24 at Sephora<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

        For tinted balms, Androukis loves Eadem\u2019s sheer, shiny, and softening formulas. \u201cEadem is also one of my favorites because it represents that next generation of treatment balms with exfoliation built in,\u201d she explains.\n<\/p>\n

        Lawless Beauty Forget The Filler Overnight Lip Plumping Mask <\/span><\/h2>\n
        \n
        \n
        \"Lawless\"Lawless<\/div>\n<\/div>
        <\/p>\n

        Lawless<\/p>\n

        <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

        \n
        $22 at Sephora<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

        In the lip mask wars, this jar from Lawless Beauty is my top contender. It\u2019s just the right thickness, not sticky, and leaves my lips soft and smooth when I wake up in the morning. Does it plump my lips? I don\u2019t know about that, but I don\u2019t need it to.\n<\/p>\n

        Image Skincare Ormedic Balancing Lip Enhancement Complex <\/span><\/h2>\n
        \n
        \n
        \"Image\"Image<\/div>\n<\/div>
        <\/p>\n

        Image Skincare<\/p>\n

        <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

        \n
        $29 at Imageskincare.com<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

        The tube is small, but Image Skincare\u2019s peptide-infused lip balm is probably my personal favorite everyday balm. Long-lasting, buttery, and with just the slightest <\/em>sheer pink tint, it\u2019s somehow worth the (admittedly steep) price.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

        \n
        \n
        Read more:<\/div>\n
          \n
        • News<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Trends & Innovation<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n
          \n
          \n
          \n
          \n
          \"A\"A<\/div>\n<\/div>
          <\/p>\n

          Stocksy \/ Byrdie<\/p>\n

          <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          \n

          My New York apartment is littered with lip balms. As a beauty editor, I have the privilege of trying out new product launches as part of my job, and lip balm is one of the easiest to test\u2014which is convenient, because it\u2019s also become one of the most frequent.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

          In 2025, seemingly every brand joined the lip balm club, from Rare Beauty and Patrick Ta to Louis Vuitton. But as the category has grown, it has also become increasingly confusing: In addition to traditional balms and treatments, there are also lip oils, glazes, butters, nectars, and even milks, all competing for makeup-bag real estate. And reaching for a tube has started to feel like a game of lip balm roulette: Will what I put on actually<\/em> help my dry lips, or will it simply add a glossy shine? In some cases, I\u2019m not sure what I apply should even qualify as a balm at all.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

          I\u2019m not the one who gets to make those decisions, though. Take a look at Ulta’s \u201clip balms and treatments<\/u>,\u201d which currently has over 400 results. Of the 20 products featured at the top when sorted by bestsellers, none are a traditional stick format, and six are actually butters, serums, and masks. So where does the line get drawn?\n<\/p>\n

          \u201cTraditionally, lip balms have been very different from what we\u2019re talking about today,\u201d says Emmy Ketcham, head chemist and co-founder of skincare brand Experiment<\/u>. \u201cThey were more oils, butters, waxes-based. We are moving toward a much wider lens of what could be called a ‘lip balm.’\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

          \n
          \n
          \"tray\"tray<\/div>\n<\/div>
          <\/p>\n

          @summerfridays\/Instagram<\/p>\n

          <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          The shift can partially be attributed to Summer Fridays, whose $24 Lip Butter Balms<\/u> have an ultra-glossy finish and come in a range of shades and scents. The brand is one of five that has a veritable chokehold on the market: \u201cSummer Fridays, Laneige, Rhode, Dior, and Glossier are responsible for over 50% of [prestige] units sold,\u201d says Melissa Munnerlyn, co-founder and CEO of commerce intelligence platform Daash<\/u>.\n<\/p>\n

          So while lip, as a category, has always been popular (I\u2019m a proud member of the Lip Smackers Generation myself), it now represents a bigger piece of the pie: a whopping 16% of the units sold within prestige skincare, according to Munnerlyn.\n<\/p>\n

          \u201cIt feels like every brand is not only launching a lip product, but a whole range of lip products\u2014different colors, different scents, different aesthetics,\u201d says Muneeb Shah, MD<\/u>, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Remedy Skin. The brand launched a single lip balm, Remedy for Dry Lips<\/u>, within its initial debut back in March 2024. \u201cI\u2019ve had to resist the urge to launch multiple products in multiple shades,\u201d he says, saying that doing so would negate their skin-health-first ethos. \u201cIt takes a lot of discipline as a founder, because you see so much growth from launching these.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

          Other brands haven\u2019t been so judicious. According to Munnerlyn, over 50 new lip balm products have launched in 2025 alone\u2014and yet, so little of them actually seem to do their job. So how, exactly, did we get here? Ahead, we unpack.\n<\/p>\n

          What Caused the Lip Balm Boom? <\/span><\/h2>\n

          In a word: COVID. Culturally, we became obsessed with skincare circa 2020, and hybrid skincare-makeup products\u2014serum foundations, primers, pretty much everything Rhode makes\u2014started trending. According to Ketcham, lip was an easy way in\u2014both for brands and shoppers. \u201cWhen people are looking for something that feels like a treatment but also has an aesthetic effect, lips are pretty obvious,\u201d she says.\n<\/p>\n

          Unlike science-y serums or expensive moisturizers, lip care also happens to be fun. It\u2019s an impulse buy\u2014the kind that can make you feel better just having it in your bag. \u201cSkincare [can get] kind of boring, and lip is a place where people feel like they can play a bit and express themselves in different ways,\u201d adds Shah.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

          \n
          \n
          \"Hailey\"Hailey<\/div>\n<\/div>
          <\/p>\n

          @rhode\/Instagram<\/p>\n

          <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          If you want a product in two colors or flavors, or to try more than one brand at once, the limit does not exist. \u201cPeople will buy five balms before they ever buy a second foundation,\u201d says Alexis Androulakis, a beauty product developer and one half of The Lipstick Lesbians<\/u>. Plus, she notes that it\u2019s a truly universal product, for every age range and skin type. \u201cEveryone uses a lip balm.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

          But What Makes a Lip Balm a Lip Balm? <\/span><\/h2>\n

          In my purse right now there are four products: Vaseline Lip Therapy<\/u>, Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Balm<\/u>, Drunk Elephant Lippe Balm<\/u>, and Ole Henriksen Pout Preserve Peptide Lip Treatment<\/u>. Each is vastly different, and yet all are, technically, lip balms.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

          \u201cFrom a formulator\u2019s perspective, a lot of what we think of as skincare categories aren\u2019t real,\u201d explains Ketcham. \u201cThere isn\u2019t a true definition of what a lip balm should be. There\u2019s no rubric that [says] it has to check these boxes.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

          Still, some products are undoubtedly lip balm-ier than others even though ingredient-wise, there tends to be a lot of crossover. \u201cThe primary ingredient primary positioning is dominated by three ingredient stories: peptides, shea butter, and squalane,\u201d says Munnerlyn.\n<\/p>\n

          One major variable is the texture: All the experts agree that the platonic ideal should act as an occlusive, meaning it forms a layer to seal in hydration. But the best formulas go beyond that. \u201cThe thicker something is, the more it reads as a balm. The thinner something is, the more it reads like an oil or a gloss,\u201d says Androulakis, adding that even though they’re marketed as such, \u201cLip oils are not balms. They\u2019re sheer and rely on high-gloss materials.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

          \n
          \n
          \"Laneige\"Laneige<\/div>\n<\/div>
          <\/p>\n

          @laneige_us\/Instagram<\/p>\n

          <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          Ketcham builds on that definition, adding that a good lip balm should be substantive, meaning it doesn\u2019t disappear when you\u2019re moving your mouth a lot, and should actually hydrate the lips. \u201cMost lip balms don\u2019t have water in them, they are a mix of oils, waxes, and balms,\u201d she explains. \u201cSo they nourish lips and prevent water loss, but they aren\u2019t able to add hydration to the lips.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

          As Androulakis puts it, the difference is less about what\u2019s inside a product, and more in the experience of using it. \u201cThis category is so enmeshed now that it is almost impossible to cleanly separate glosses from balms based on formula alone. They share so many similar ingredients,\u201d says Androulakis. \u201cWhat really separates them is the sensory experience: how they feel, how they wear, and how they shine.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

          Does It Even Matter? <\/span><\/h2>\n

          Well, it depends. If you want a lip balm to soothe your chapped lips, there\u2019s a lot of fluff out there to distract you. But for a lot of beauty fans, hype is just as important. \u201cLip is a status category. The emotional experience of pulling a product out of your bag matters just as much as the formula,\u201d says Androulakis.\n<\/p>\n

          She points to Rhode\u2019s Peptide Lip Treatments<\/u>, which have repeatedly sold out and inspired a viral phone case despite complaints about its texture. \u201cRhode had a peptide balm that went grainy and literally felt like an exfoliator, but they didn\u2019t lose market share,\u201d she says. \u201cThat alone shows how powerful and status-driven this category is.\u201d (Worth noting: They\u2019ve since been reformulated since entering Sephora this year.)\n<\/p>\n

          However, one potential downside to trendy lip products containing ingredients like flavors, fragrances, and essential oils is that they could make the lips feel worse<\/em>.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

          \u201cYou put these ingredients on the lips, which cause low-level inflammation,\u201d explains Shah. \u201cBecause they\u2019re in a glossy base, they feel good when you put them on, but you\u2019ll notice your lips will feel drier and drier.\u201d In rare and extreme cases, products can even cause discoloration if ingredients have a photoreaction\u2014that is, react when exposed to sunlight. \u201cI think where they\u2019re missing the mark, from a derm perspective, is the allergens that these products have,\u201d says Shah. \u201cBut on the flip side, [brands are] operating within their brand thesis.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

          If my inbox is any indication, lip balm isn\u2019t going to shrink as a category\u2014and as trends evolve from ultra-glossy to matte and blurred, what qualifies as one will likely only get less defined. \u201cI think we\u2019ll continue to see more types of products be called ‘lip balms,’\u201d predicts Munnerlyn.\n<\/p>\n

          So, What “Lip Balms” Actually Work? <\/span><\/h2>\n

          If a true balm is what you want, we\u2019ve done the market research for you. Here are eight lip balms\u2014not glosses, not oils\u2014you can trust.\n<\/p>\n

          Aquaphor Lip Repair <\/span><\/h2>\n
          \n
          \n
          \"Aquaphor\"Aquaphor<\/div>\n<\/div>
          <\/p>\n

          Aquaphor<\/p>\n

          <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          \n
          <\/p>\n
          $6<\/span><\/div>\n

          $5 at Ulta<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

          Androulakis says this iconic product is \u201chard to beat\u201d at the drugstore. \u201cThe tube is not cute and the plastic tip is not giving luxury, but it works. It loads in the hydration, and then you can layer Vaseline<\/u> on top to lock it in with that occlusive barrier. They work differently, but together they are extremely effective.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

          Experiment Softwear <\/span><\/h2>\n
          \n
          \n
          \"Experiment\"Experiment<\/div>\n<\/div>
          <\/p>\n

          Experiment World<\/p>\n

          <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          \n
          $16 at Sephora<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

          Ketcham used Accutane in her 20s, which completely dried out her lips. So when formulating Softwear, she wanted to create a product with that community in mind to offer hydration, cushion, and gentle exfoliation in one. \u201cI wanted something that could cocoon your lips, so you don\u2019t feel those little crusties,\u201d she says.\n<\/p>\n

          Remedy for Dry Lips <\/span><\/h2>\n
          \n
          \n
          \"Remedy\"Remedy<\/div>\n<\/div>
          <\/p>\n

          Remedy<\/p>\n

          <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          \n
          $16 at Remedyskin.com<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

          Shah\u2019s formula \u201chas a cult following, but it\u2019s not trendy or sexy,\u201d he says. It\u2019s just as much about what it does contain (ceramides, squalane, dimethicone, petrolatum) as what it doesn\u2019t <\/em>(flavors, fragrances, and essential oils). \u201cWe also look at the most common allergens, and when we formulate we make sure we don\u2019t use any of those,\u201d he explains.\n<\/p>\n

          Violette_FR Balm Amour <\/span><\/h2>\n
          \n
          \n
          \"Violette\"Violette<\/div>\n<\/div>
          <\/p>\n

          Violette FR<\/p>\n

          <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          \n
          $26 at Sephora<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

          Androukis reaches for this peptide-infused formula \u201cwhen I want something sensorial and elevated.\u201d She also likes the experience of using it: \u201cHer ceramic tip is one of my favorites and it completely changes the application.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

          Eadem Le Chouchou Lip Softening Balm <\/span><\/h2>\n
          \n
          \n
          \"Eadem\"Eadem<\/div>\n<\/div>
          <\/p>\n

          Eadem<\/p>\n

          <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          \n
          $24 at Sephora<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

          For tinted balms, Androukis loves Eadem\u2019s sheer, shiny, and softening formulas. \u201cEadem is also one of my favorites because it represents that next generation of treatment balms with exfoliation built in,\u201d she explains.\n<\/p>\n

          Lawless Beauty Forget The Filler Overnight Lip Plumping Mask <\/span><\/h2>\n
          \n
          \n
          \"Lawless\"Lawless<\/div>\n<\/div>
          <\/p>\n

          Lawless<\/p>\n

          <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          \n
          $22 at Sephora<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

          In the lip mask wars, this jar from Lawless Beauty is my top contender. It\u2019s just the right thickness, not sticky, and leaves my lips soft and smooth when I wake up in the morning. Does it plump my lips? I don\u2019t know about that, but I don\u2019t need it to.\n<\/p>\n

          Image Skincare Ormedic Balancing Lip Enhancement Complex <\/span><\/h2>\n
          \n
          \n
          \"Image\"Image<\/div>\n<\/div>
          <\/p>\n

          Image Skincare<\/p>\n

          <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          \n
          $29 at Imageskincare.com<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

          The tube is small, but Image Skincare\u2019s peptide-infused lip balm is probably my personal favorite everyday balm. Long-lasting, buttery, and with just the slightest <\/em>sheer pink tint, it\u2019s somehow worth the (admittedly steep) price.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

          \n

          My New York apartment is littered with lip balms. As a beauty editor, I have the privilege of trying out new product launches as part of my job, and lip balm is one of the easiest to test\u2014which is convenient, because it\u2019s also become one of the most frequent.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

          In 2025, seemingly every brand joined the lip balm club, from Rare Beauty and Patrick Ta to Louis Vuitton. But as the category has grown, it has also become increasingly confusing: In addition to traditional balms and treatments, there are also lip oils, glazes, butters, nectars, and even milks, all competing for makeup-bag real estate. And reaching for a tube has started to feel like a game of lip balm roulette: Will what I put on actually<\/em> help my dry lips, or will it simply add a glossy shine? In some cases, I\u2019m not sure what I apply should even qualify as a balm at all.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

          I\u2019m not the one who gets to make those decisions, though. Take a look at Ulta’s \u201clip balms and treatments<\/u>,\u201d which currently has over 400 results. Of the 20 products featured at the top when sorted by bestsellers, none are a traditional stick format, and six are actually butters, serums, and masks. So where does the line get drawn?\n<\/p>\n

          \u201cTraditionally, lip balms have been very different from what we\u2019re talking about today,\u201d says Emmy Ketcham, head chemist and co-founder of skincare brand Experiment<\/u>. \u201cThey were more oils, butters, waxes-based. We are moving toward a much wider lens of what could be called a ‘lip balm.’\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

          \n
          \n
          \"tray\"tray<\/div>\n<\/div>
          <\/p>\n

          @summerfridays\/Instagram<\/p>\n

          <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          The shift can partially be attributed to Summer Fridays, whose $24 Lip Butter Balms<\/u> have an ultra-glossy finish and come in a range of shades and scents. The brand is one of five that has a veritable chokehold on the market: \u201cSummer Fridays, Laneige, Rhode, Dior, and Glossier are responsible for over 50% of [prestige] units sold,\u201d says Melissa Munnerlyn, co-founder and CEO of commerce intelligence platform Daash<\/u>.\n<\/p>\n

          So while lip, as a category, has always been popular (I\u2019m a proud member of the Lip Smackers Generation myself), it now represents a bigger piece of the pie: a whopping 16% of the units sold within prestige skincare, according to Munnerlyn.\n<\/p>\n

          \u201cIt feels like every brand is not only launching a lip product, but a whole range of lip products\u2014different colors, different scents, different aesthetics,\u201d says Muneeb Shah, MD<\/u>, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Remedy Skin. The brand launched a single lip balm, Remedy for Dry Lips<\/u>, within its initial debut back in March 2024. \u201cI\u2019ve had to resist the urge to launch multiple products in multiple shades,\u201d he says, saying that doing so would negate their skin-health-first ethos. \u201cIt takes a lot of discipline as a founder, because you see so much growth from launching these.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

          Other brands haven\u2019t been so judicious. According to Munnerlyn, over 50 new lip balm products have launched in 2025 alone\u2014and yet, so little of them actually seem to do their job. So how, exactly, did we get here? Ahead, we unpack.\n<\/p>\n

          What Caused the Lip Balm Boom? <\/span><\/h2>\n

          In a word: COVID. Culturally, we became obsessed with skincare circa 2020, and hybrid skincare-makeup products\u2014serum foundations, primers, pretty much everything Rhode makes\u2014started trending. According to Ketcham, lip was an easy way in\u2014both for brands and shoppers. \u201cWhen people are looking for something that feels like a treatment but also has an aesthetic effect, lips are pretty obvious,\u201d she says.\n<\/p>\n

          Unlike science-y serums or expensive moisturizers, lip care also happens to be fun. It\u2019s an impulse buy\u2014the kind that can make you feel better just having it in your bag. \u201cSkincare [can get] kind of boring, and lip is a place where people feel like they can play a bit and express themselves in different ways,\u201d adds Shah.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

          \n
          \n
          \"Hailey\"Hailey<\/div>\n<\/div>
          <\/p>\n

          @rhode\/Instagram<\/p>\n

          <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          If you want a product in two colors or flavors, or to try more than one brand at once, the limit does not exist. \u201cPeople will buy five balms before they ever buy a second foundation,\u201d says Alexis Androulakis, a beauty product developer and one half of The Lipstick Lesbians<\/u>. Plus, she notes that it\u2019s a truly universal product, for every age range and skin type. \u201cEveryone uses a lip balm.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

          But What Makes a Lip Balm a Lip Balm? <\/span><\/h2>\n

          In my purse right now there are four products: Vaseline Lip Therapy<\/u>, Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Balm<\/u>, Drunk Elephant Lippe Balm<\/u>, and Ole Henriksen Pout Preserve Peptide Lip Treatment<\/u>. Each is vastly different, and yet all are, technically, lip balms.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

          \u201cFrom a formulator\u2019s perspective, a lot of what we think of as skincare categories aren\u2019t real,\u201d explains Ketcham. \u201cThere isn\u2019t a true definition of what a lip balm should be. There\u2019s no rubric that [says] it has to check these boxes.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

          Still, some products are undoubtedly lip balm-ier than others even though ingredient-wise, there tends to be a lot of crossover. \u201cThe primary ingredient primary positioning is dominated by three ingredient stories: peptides, shea butter, and squalane,\u201d says Munnerlyn.\n<\/p>\n

          One major variable is the texture: All the experts agree that the platonic ideal should act as an occlusive, meaning it forms a layer to seal in hydration. But the best formulas go beyond that. \u201cThe thicker something is, the more it reads as a balm. The thinner something is, the more it reads like an oil or a gloss,\u201d says Androulakis, adding that even though they’re marketed as such, \u201cLip oils are not balms. They\u2019re sheer and rely on high-gloss materials.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

          \n
          \n
          \"Laneige\"Laneige<\/div>\n<\/div>
          <\/p>\n

          @laneige_us\/Instagram<\/p>\n

          <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          Ketcham builds on that definition, adding that a good lip balm should be substantive, meaning it doesn\u2019t disappear when you\u2019re moving your mouth a lot, and should actually hydrate the lips. \u201cMost lip balms don\u2019t have water in them, they are a mix of oils, waxes, and balms,\u201d she explains. \u201cSo they nourish lips and prevent water loss, but they aren\u2019t able to add hydration to the lips.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

          As Androulakis puts it, the difference is less about what\u2019s inside a product, and more in the experience of using it. \u201cThis category is so enmeshed now that it is almost impossible to cleanly separate glosses from balms based on formula alone. They share so many similar ingredients,\u201d says Androulakis. \u201cWhat really separates them is the sensory experience: how they feel, how they wear, and how they shine.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

          Does It Even Matter? <\/span><\/h2>\n

          Well, it depends. If you want a lip balm to soothe your chapped lips, there\u2019s a lot of fluff out there to distract you. But for a lot of beauty fans, hype is just as important. \u201cLip is a status category. The emotional experience of pulling a product out of your bag matters just as much as the formula,\u201d says Androulakis.\n<\/p>\n

          She points to Rhode\u2019s Peptide Lip Treatments<\/u>, which have repeatedly sold out and inspired a viral phone case despite complaints about its texture. \u201cRhode had a peptide balm that went grainy and literally felt like an exfoliator, but they didn\u2019t lose market share,\u201d she says. \u201cThat alone shows how powerful and status-driven this category is.\u201d (Worth noting: They\u2019ve since been reformulated since entering Sephora this year.)\n<\/p>\n

          However, one potential downside to trendy lip products containing ingredients like flavors, fragrances, and essential oils is that they could make the lips feel worse<\/em>.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

          \u201cYou put these ingredients on the lips, which cause low-level inflammation,\u201d explains Shah. \u201cBecause they\u2019re in a glossy base, they feel good when you put them on, but you\u2019ll notice your lips will feel drier and drier.\u201d In rare and extreme cases, products can even cause discoloration if ingredients have a photoreaction\u2014that is, react when exposed to sunlight. \u201cI think where they\u2019re missing the mark, from a derm perspective, is the allergens that these products have,\u201d says Shah. \u201cBut on the flip side, [brands are] operating within their brand thesis.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

          If my inbox is any indication, lip balm isn\u2019t going to shrink as a category\u2014and as trends evolve from ultra-glossy to matte and blurred, what qualifies as one will likely only get less defined. \u201cI think we\u2019ll continue to see more types of products be called ‘lip balms,’\u201d predicts Munnerlyn.\n<\/p>\n

          So, What “Lip Balms” Actually Work? <\/span><\/h2>\n

          If a true balm is what you want, we\u2019ve done the market research for you. Here are eight lip balms\u2014not glosses, not oils\u2014you can trust.\n<\/p>\n

          Aquaphor Lip Repair <\/span><\/h2>\n
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          \n
          \"Aquaphor\"Aquaphor<\/div>\n<\/div>
          <\/p>\n

          Aquaphor<\/p>\n

          <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          \n
          <\/p>\n
          $6<\/span><\/div>\n

          $5 at Ulta<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

          Androulakis says this iconic product is \u201chard to beat\u201d at the drugstore. \u201cThe tube is not cute and the plastic tip is not giving luxury, but it works. It loads in the hydration, and then you can layer Vaseline<\/u> on top to lock it in with that occlusive barrier. They work differently, but together they are extremely effective.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

          Experiment Softwear <\/span><\/h2>\n
          \n
          \n
          \"Experiment\"Experiment<\/div>\n<\/div>
          <\/p>\n

          Experiment World<\/p>\n

          <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          \n
          $16 at Sephora<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

          Ketcham used Accutane in her 20s, which completely dried out her lips. So when formulating Softwear, she wanted to create a product with that community in mind to offer hydration, cushion, and gentle exfoliation in one. \u201cI wanted something that could cocoon your lips, so you don\u2019t feel those little crusties,\u201d she says.\n<\/p>\n

          Remedy for Dry Lips <\/span><\/h2>\n
          \n
          \n
          \"Remedy\"Remedy<\/div>\n<\/div>
          <\/p>\n

          Remedy<\/p>\n

          <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          \n
          $16 at Remedyskin.com<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

          Shah\u2019s formula \u201chas a cult following, but it\u2019s not trendy or sexy,\u201d he says. It\u2019s just as much about what it does contain (ceramides, squalane, dimethicone, petrolatum) as what it doesn\u2019t <\/em>(flavors, fragrances, and essential oils). \u201cWe also look at the most common allergens, and when we formulate we make sure we don\u2019t use any of those,\u201d he explains.\n<\/p>\n

          Violette_FR Balm Amour <\/span><\/h2>\n
          \n
          \n
          \"Violette\"Violette<\/div>\n<\/div>
          <\/p>\n

          Violette FR<\/p>\n

          <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          \n
          $26 at Sephora<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

          Androukis reaches for this peptide-infused formula \u201cwhen I want something sensorial and elevated.\u201d She also likes the experience of using it: \u201cHer ceramic tip is one of my favorites and it completely changes the application.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

          Eadem Le Chouchou Lip Softening Balm <\/span><\/h2>\n
          \n
          \n
          \"Eadem\"Eadem<\/div>\n<\/div>
          <\/p>\n

          Eadem<\/p>\n

          <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          \n
          $24 at Sephora<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

          For tinted balms, Androukis loves Eadem\u2019s sheer, shiny, and softening formulas. \u201cEadem is also one of my favorites because it represents that next generation of treatment balms with exfoliation built in,\u201d she explains.\n<\/p>\n

          Lawless Beauty Forget The Filler Overnight Lip Plumping Mask <\/span><\/h2>\n
          \n
          \n
          \"Lawless\"Lawless<\/div>\n<\/div>
          <\/p>\n

          Lawless<\/p>\n

          <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          \n
          $22 at Sephora<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

          In the lip mask wars, this jar from Lawless Beauty is my top contender. It\u2019s just the right thickness, not sticky, and leaves my lips soft and smooth when I wake up in the morning. Does it plump my lips? I don\u2019t know about that, but I don\u2019t need it to.\n<\/p>\n

          Image Skincare Ormedic Balancing Lip Enhancement Complex <\/span><\/h2>\n
          \n
          \n
          \"Image\"Image<\/div>\n<\/div>
          <\/p>\n

          Image Skincare<\/p>\n

          <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          \n
          $29 at Imageskincare.com<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

          The tube is small, but Image Skincare\u2019s peptide-infused lip balm is probably my personal favorite everyday balm. Long-lasting, buttery, and with just the slightest <\/em>sheer pink tint, it\u2019s somehow worth the (admittedly steep) price.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

          Source URL: https:\/\/www.byrdie.com\/weve-lost-the-plot-on-lip-balm-11871773<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. We’ve Lost the Plot on Lip Balm The category is more popular\u2014and more confusing\u2014than ever. By Lindy Segal Lindy Segal Lindy is a seasoned beauty and lifestyle journalist with over 12 years of experience. Lindy has held editor positions at Glamour and People, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1698445,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[83,226],"class_list":["post-1698444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-byrdie-com","tag-crawlmanager"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1698444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1698444"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1698444\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1698445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1698444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1698444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1698444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}