28 Best Lip Balms for Dry and Chapped Lips in 2020

There are no dry lips Aquaphor can’t fix. Whenever my lips, Cupid’s bow, and edges of my nostrils are at their worst from dry winter days or severe allergies, Aquaphor is there to save the day. Its formula is quite sticky, so, that being said, a little goes a long way. 

You've heard of lip balms but have you heard of lip conditioners? Well, get ready to make the switch with NOK's Lip Conditioner in Bergamot Ginger. The consistency is a bit thicker than your usual lip balm but the combination of Bergamot Ginger serves as a natural exfoliant that adjusts to your body temperature, leaving your lips extra soft and luscious. Plus, it's 100% vegan and under $10. 

Would it be a best lip-balm roundup if we didn’t include Glossier’s Balm Dotcom? We think not. This Instagram-favorite brand lives up to its hype. Teen Vogue’s current favorite? The berry flavor — it leaves a nice tint on your lips while also getting the job done. 

Available in five colors, Hue Noir's perfect Moisture Lip Butter is the ideal balm for when you want to add a tinted yet sheer touch to your look without sacrificing moisture.

When you need heavy-duty moisture, enter Avène’s Cold Cream Nourishing Lip Balm. Its hypoallergenic, paraben-free, soap-free, and gluten-free formula provides immediate relief whenever I have eczema flare-ups on my upper lip. Plus, its creamy consistency leaves a protective coat on your lips without highlighting all the flakes. 

You've probably seen KNC's all-natural collagen infused lip masks all over IG but we're here to tell you that you can't sleep on their lip balms! Available in two scents (rose and mint), this cute and effective lip balm will keep your pout super plump thanks to its combination of moringa and kukui oil.

If everybody swears by Weleda’s Skin Food, you know that its Skin Food Lip Butter is just as good. Made with a blend of sunflower seed oil and other natural extracts, this product immediately melts into your lips and can be used with or without makeup. 

No matter how many lip balms appear on the market, sometimes you just gravitate towards the originals — like Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm. Not only is it affordable (you can purchase this four pack for under $10), but it just works. Its beeswax formula, which includes a hint of peppermint oil, is enough to soothe even the driest of lips. We stan. 

This nourishing lip balm might be in pre-order but it's worth the wait – especially if your dry, peeling lips need some TLC. How so? Thanks to its star ingredient, an African plum oil named ximenia, this balm is long lasting and nourishing enough for every day and overnight usage.

Just how you change your beauty routine every season, you need to alternate your lip balm, too. So, when the days get longer, you need to have a lip balm that can’t only protect your skin from the dry temperatures, but also from the sun. Nowadays, many lip balms come with SPF, but my favorite is hands-down Supergoop’s AcaiFusion Lip Balm with SPF 30. Why? Well, the tube makes it very easy to apply, and it’s worth the amount of product it has. I used it religiously last summer and still have enough product left!

Let's say you've got all the lip balms you need to throw in all your different bags. Now, all you need is a balm to add to your AM and PM routines. Cue Pholk's Werkacita Beauty Balm. Thanks to its natural (and edible) ingredients, this product is hydrating enough to use from head to toe but also lightweight enough to use safely on your lips, too. 

The combination of CBD, shea, murumuru butter, and vitamin C in this balm really helps to deeply moisturize your lips and even your mustache area (take it from someone with extremely dry skin). Best part? You can splatter it on without worrying you'll look greasy. And, before you ask, no, it doesn't tint green. Despite the appearance on the tube, this balm goes on clear!

Another oldie but goodie? Carmex’s Classic lip balm. It's been Kelsey Borovinsky’s, Teen Vogue’s senior data analyst, ride or die since day one. Made with a blend of cocoa butter and beeswax (and then some), you only have to reapply this lip balm under three times a day to start seeing a difference. 

We all know shea butter is the holy grail when it comes to moisturizing and one brand that has taken this star ingredient to another level is hanahana beauty. Their she balm comes in a compact tin container perfect for your daily commute. But what's best is that their shea balm formula actually seals the moisture in your lips so you'll actually see the difference on your lips as you continue to use it!

We’re not saying this might be our favorite new lip balm of 2020, but this just might be our favorite new lip balm of 2020. It’s not a gloss nor a lip balm, but something better. It’s the top lip treatment in Japan and it launched in America back in November, so that’s why you probably haven’t heard of it…but that needs to change ASAP. According to cosmetic chemist James Hammer, the UZ lip treatment is formulated to keep your lips hydrated even when you’re not wearing it, thanks to the lactic acid in its ingredients. Sign us up! 

What makes this lip balm “multitasking”? Well, it contains properties that heal dry and cracked skin, boosts moisture retention, fights environmental and sun damage, all while softening your lips.  

It’s not named number-one for no reason. Kiehl’s lip balm is one you and your lips can trust any time of the year. 

There are so many uses for coconut oil, and one of our favorites is applying it on our lips. However, coconut oil can get messy fast. That’s why Sol de Janeiro’s Brazilian Kiss Cupuacu Lip Butter is our favorite coconut-oil-based lip balm. With its balm consistency and natural ingredients, it restores your lips’ elasticity after a few uses. 

It’s hard to find a tinted lip balm that doesn’t add color to your lips, but Smith’s Rosebud Salve enhances your natural lip color while also successfully preventing your lips from chapping. Don’t believe us, though, it’s Sharon Toohey’s fave (aka the head of the makeup department of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before). Plus, the tint is so lightweight that you can also apply it on your cuticles — and even your unruly eyebrows. 

If you’ve been using this lip balm since your middle-school days, we don’t blame you. It’s a drugstore favorite because it works and actually does make your lips feel as soft as a baby’s. 

If you want a lip balm that can easily double as a gloss, look no further. C.O. Bigelow Mentha Supreme 2X Lip Shine leaves your lips looking “luscious and shiny,” per an Amazon review. However, if you’re not a fan of mint scents, then you might want to skip. 

When I asked the Teen Vogue team which were some of their favorite lip balms, our junior designer Liz Coulbourn said without skipping a beat, “Bag balm changed my life!” So, when I looked it up and saw the glowing reviews on Amazon, I knew I had to share. Similar to Vaseline, it’s made with petroleum jelly, so you can expect that same thick consistency. 

We all know we eat our lip balms and lipsticks. It’s not on purpose, though — but it should at least taste good, right? If you want a lip balm that isn’t waxy and that has an orange-vanilla scent, we suggest you try out Bite Beauty’s Agave+ Daytime Vegan Lip Balm. 

No matter how lightweight a lip balm is, you can always tell you just applied something on your lips to fight off the flakiness. However, It Cosmetics’s Je Ne Sais Quoi Lip Balm has that, dare I say it, je ne sais quoi. It manages to keep your lips looking as natural (and moisturized) as possible. Teen Vogue’s research manager Yulia Khabinsky highly recommends it. 

This fragrance-free, rich butter balm with colloidal oatmeal will help calm and soothe the driest of lips. 

When your lips are dry, you’re most likely dry almost everywhere — because winter spares nobody! If you want a lip balm you can use on your elbows, hands, or patches of your face, Lanolips 101 ointment is ideal for all your dry woes.