Our lips need protection, too.
By Brittany Burhop Fallon and Leiana Foye
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If you’re like me, you constantly reapply lip balm throughout the day. It’s a deskside ritual—and full-blown habit—and if I don’t have lip balm with me wherever I am, I feel lost. Working from home has its benefits, but with no commute to speak of, I haven’t been as diligent about using lip balms with SPF because I’m outside much less. Now that warmer weather is approaching and beckoning me from my desk, I find myself sifting through my lip stash to make sure I’m fully stocked.
Do lip balms with SPF actually work?
In a word, yes. And re-applying often is a must. Louisville, KY dermatologist Tami Buss Cassis, MD, recently lamented to NewBeauty, “I just don’t think we realize what a terrible job we are doing protecting our lips and how quickly SPF wears off.”
“It is very important to protect your lips with sunscreen, because sun exposure leads to collagen destruction, resulting in thinner, sun-damaged lips. It can also lead to skin cancer,” says Fresno, CA dermatologist Kathleen Behr, MD, who recommends an SPF 30.“If you do get diagnosed with skin cancer on the lips, it is very important to get lip carcinoma treated early because it has a higher risk of metastasizing due to the increased vascularity of the lips. Squamous cell carcinoma appears on the lip as a rough patch, growth or persistent sore. I see more skin cancer on the lips in men, because they do not wear lipstick or gloss, which can be protective.”
What should you look for in a lip balm with SPF?
- SPF protection: An SPF of at least 30, as Dr. Behr recommends, is a good jumping off point—it blocks 97 percent of the sun’s rays. (Anything higher is only trying to block out that remaining three percent.) If your favorite lip balm with SPF falls below SPF 30, don’t panic. Plymouth, MA dermatologist and spokesperson for The Skin Cancer Foundation, Ramzi Saad, MD previously explained to NewBeauty that reapplication in a timely manner is what’s key—regardless of SPF level. For a lip balm with a lower SPF, just remember to reapply it frequently throughout the day.
- A hydrating, non-drying formula: Because the skin on our lips is much more delicate and susceptible to damage like chapping and flaking, it’s important to look for lip balms that actually hydrate. Julian Sass, a cosmetic scientist and product formulator, recently explained to NewBeauty, “In my experience, the best lip balms are those that have water and some sort of humectant, like glycerin, proplyene glycol or propanediol.”
- A formula you’ll actually enjoy wearing: The best SPF is one you’ll actually look forward to putting on, and the same goes for your lip balm with SPF. Whether that means tinted, scented, an oil formula or anything in between, make sure it’s the one you’re going to re-apply eagerly.
14 lip balms with SPF to keep your lips protected this summer (and all year long).
1 / 14
Sun Bum Original SPF 30 Sunscreen Lip Balm ($4)
With broad-spectrum SPF 30 and moisturizing aloe vera and vitamin E, this frequently sold-out lip balm is the go-to for soft, smooth and protected lips. Choose from eight delicious fruity flavors: banana, kiwi, coconut, pineapple, watermelon, mango, pomegranate and key lime.
Type: Balm
Active ingredients: Avobenzone 3%, homosalate 10%, octisalate 5%, octocrylene 8%
SPF: 30
2 / 14
Tatcha The Kissu Lip Tint SPF 25 ($34)
With silk protein, botanical lanolin and mineral and chemical UV filter, Tatcha’s lip tint luxuriously hydrates and protects lips in three your-lips-but-better shades. One to two coats go on sheer, or you can seamlessly build up the color to a deeper hue for a noticeably gorgeous tint.
Type: Tint
Active ingredient: Octisalate 4.7%, zinc oxide 15%
SPF: 25
3 / 14
Aquaphor Lip Protectant + Sunscreen ($5.50)
The OG skin soother for dry, chapped lips now has SPF protection. The nourishing, and now protective, formula includes shea butter, is fragrance-free and dermatologist-approved for sensitive skin. I personally have at least four of these tubes in my apartment at all times.
Type: Liquid balm
Active ingredients: Petrolatum 31%, avobenzone 3%, octinoxate 6.75%, octisalate 4.5%, octocrylene 2%, oxybenzone 5.4%
SPF: 30
4 / 14
COOLA Original Liplux® Lip Balm Sunscreen ($12)
This certified-organic lip balm is formulated with COOLA’s antioxidant-rich Plant Protection® complex containingCupuaçu Butter andraspberry and jojoba seed oil to nourish and hydrate lips. If you can find it in stock, there’s a tinted version and zinc-oxide-based tinted balms ($18), too.
Type: Balm
Active ingredients: Avobenzone 2.9%, octisalate 4.9%, octocrylene 7.6%
SPF: 30
5 / 14
ATTITUDE Sunly Tinted Lip Balm SPF 15 ($8)
This EWG-certified, clean lip balm is made with non nano zinc oxide and is enriched with coconut and argan oils to restore supple, healthy lips. It comes in one universally-flattering tint that blends effortlessly, leaving behind no white cast.
Type: Tinted balm
Active ingredient: Zinc oxide 10%
SPF: 15
6 / 14
Paula’s Choice Lipscreen SPF 50 ($13)
If you’re looking for a no-frills, no-fragrance, straight-forward lip balm, look no farther than Paula’s Choice Lipscreen SPF 50. Its formula includes olive oil, jojoba oil and shea butter to moisturize dry, rough lips, and it boasts a higher SPF than others on our list.
Type: Balm
Active ingredient: Avobenzone 3%, homosalate 5%, octocrylene 2.5%, octisalate 5%
SPF: 50
7 / 14
ThriveCausemetics Sunproof IntensiveLipBalmSPF24 ($18)
New on the market is this 100-percent reef-safe, non-sticky lip balm from Thrive Causemetics that wraps lips in serious moisture, thanks to Hydro Mask Matrix technology, mango seed butter and a trio of rich oils: argan, maracuja and sweet cherry. It comes in two delicious flavors, Fresh Mint and Sweet Tangerine, and both apply clear and velvety-smooth.
Type: Liquid balm
Active ingredients: Homosalate 10%, octisalate 5%, avobenzone 3%
SPF: 24
8 / 14
eos The Guardian 100% Natural SunscreenLipBalm ($2.50 each)
First, let me start by saying I love just about every flavor combination eos dreams up, but coconut and watermelon are two I can never get enough of for summer. Broad-spectrumSPF30 mineral sun protection at this price point is hard to beat, and the brand’s SuperShield shea complex keeps lips moisturized so you don’t have reapply all the time. (But it tastes so good, you might want to!) It’s also water-resistant up to 80 minutes, so feel free to jump in and cool off knowing your lips are sealed from the sun.
Type: Balm
Active ingredient: Zinc oxide 10%
SPF: 30
9 / 14
EltaMD UV Lip Balm Broad-Spectrum SPF 36 ($17)
Creamy and long-lasting (you don’t need to apply it every 15 minutes like some lip balms), this formula contains a mix of 7.5-percent octinoxate and 7-percent zinc oxide, in addition to 5-percent Hydromanil, which delivers immediate and long-term moisture. It’s a great option for those prone to dry or chapped lips. Brooke Shields recently opened up about the pre-cancer her dermatologist found on her lip, and now she swears by this lip balm, saying she doesn’t go a day without it.
Type: Liquid balm
Active ingredients: Octinoxate 7.5%, Zinc oxide 7% percent
SPF: 36
10 / 14
MD Solar Sciences Hydrating Sheer Lip Balm SPF 30 ($25)
For those who prefer a hint of color, this vegan formula is an editor-favorite. Chock-full of shea, avocado and olive butters, as well as avocado oil for another layer of silky moisture, it comes in seven shades that look good on everyone, and it stays put all day. (Although experts do recommend reapplying every two hours, as you would traditional sunscreen).
Type: Tinted balm
Active ingredients: Homosalate 10%, octisalate 5%, avobenzone 3%
SPF: 30
11 / 14
Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 ($10 each)
One of my personal favorite lip balms year-round, this super silky one is adored by men and women alike and comes in a variety of flavors to suit every preference: Natural Mint & Shea Butter, Shea Butter & Vitamin E, Lemon & Shea Butter, Pineapple Mint (this one is so good), Black Tea & Blackberry, and Grapefruit & Ginger.
Type: Liquid balm
Active ingredients: Avobenzone 3%, octinoxate 7.5%, petrolatum 40.2%
SPF: 25
12 / 14
Colorescience Lip Shine SPF 35 ($42)
With five pretty, wearable shades and five-star reviews, this gloss is Dr. Behr’s favorite. It also comes backed by the rigorous sun-protection studies and research Colorescience is known for. Broad-spectrum 6.6 percent zinc oxide combined with the brand’s trademarked Maxi-Lip Peptide to condition and plump the lips, makes for a winning formula. It also contains vitamin E to defend against free radicals and hyaluronic acid to hydrate.
Type: Tinted gloss
Active ingredient: Zinc oxide 6.6%
SPF: 35
13 / 14
Supergoop! PLAY Lip Balm SPF 30 with Acai ($12)
This beach bag essential continues to get rave reviews for its texture, moisturizing factor—shea butter is the key ingredient here—and nourishing properties that give parched lips major TLC. Plus, it meets the dermatologist-recommended SPF 30 threshold. This is one formula you’ll quickly fall in love with and run to tell all your friends about.
Type: Liquid balm
Active ingredients: Avobenzone 3%, homosalate 10%, octocrylene 10%, octisalate 5%
SPF: 30
14 / 14
Burt’s Bees All-Weather SPF 15 Moisturizing Lip Balm ($8 for two)
Burt’s Bees’ cult-favorite conditioning lip balm now includes zinc-infused sun protection so you can wear it year-round. You get the same beloved matte finish and 100-percent natural ingredients the formula is known for, but with an extra level of UV defense.
Type: Balm
Active ingredient: Zinc oxide 11%
SPF: 15
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