10 Lip Balm Benefits + Why You Should Use It

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Lip balm is a lip care product staple in everyone’s beauty kits. Who hasn’t had at least one tube of lip balm over the years? 

Cropped view of woman applying lip balm on lips

Some people have several lip balms at one time because you can really never have too much.

After all, lip balm isn’t just for cosmetic purposes. It’s also a functional beauty product that helps keep your lips moisturized and nourished, especially during the winter when your lips lose their natural moisture and get chapped.

Chapped and dry lips can be unhealthy and painful. And lip balm is an essential product that can instantly hydrate and fix them.

Convinced to always keep your favorite balm handy to enjoy lip balm benefits? If you need more reasons to love this ubiquitous beauty product, we’ve got you covered!

Let’s take a closer look at what causes chapped lips, what lip balm is used for, the different types of lip balm, and the benefits of using lip balm every day.

Why Do Lips Get Chapped?

To understand why we need lip balm, let’s look at why lips get chapped in the first place.

Many people experience dry or cracked lips regularly. The medical term for chapped lips is cheilitis, characterized by extreme dryness, cracks, and even fissures on the lips.

Many reasons can cause dry and cracked lips. Here are some of the most common ones:

Weather

Environmental factors are some of the most common causes of chapped lips, such as extreme weather or sudden weather changes. 

The wind is a primary culprit in causing chapped lips, but cold weather, dry air, or excessive heat can also cause windburned lips or chapped sunburned lips.

Wetness

Another reason your lips get dry is if you lick them excessively. When you constantly lick your lips, you are trying to hydrate them with your saliva, but the opposite is actually happening.

Saliva evaporates faster and leaves lips even drier than before. 

Plus, saliva has enzymes that are much too harsh for the skin on your lips and can cause discomfort and dryness.

Irritation or Allergies

Allergies or contact with irritants are another common cause of cracked lips. Sometimes you use lip products that leave your lips tingling. 

As much as possible, it’s best to avoid aggravating the skin on your lips.

Health Conditions

A less common cause of dry lips is various underlying medical conditions like vitamin deficiencies or thyroid disease, which may cause dry mouth.

There are many reasons for chapped lips. But no matter what the culprit is, if you suffer from dry lips, it’s best to treat them as soon as possible to prevent further cracking, bleeding, and discomfort.

One of the best ways to rehydrate and nourish your lips is with a reliable lip balm product.

What Is Lip Balm?

Lip balm is a product that treats dry lips. It’s made mainly of wax and emollient to relieve the symptoms of cracked lips.

Cropped view of cheerful girl holding lip balm near lips isolated on grey

Many lip balms also contain SPF to protect the lips against the sun. Other good ingredients can include hemp seed oil and castor seed oil. Dimethicone lip balm is also good for forming a barrier to help retain moisture.

But lip balm isn’t just for hydration. Other uses for lip balm include treatment for skin problems like lip eczema and cold sores.

Lip balm is applied to the lips to create a protective thin layer of moisture on the lips. This layer helps protect your lips against environmental triggers, nourishes them, and helps them retain essential moisture.

Why Is Lip Balm Essential to Your Lip Care Routine?

It’s always important to take care of your skin. And that’s true whether it’s the skin on your hands and legs or the skin on your lips.

Skin care is an essential part of every beauty routine, and it’s important not just for your looks but for your health too. 

That’s why you should consistently follow a good skincare routine and make a commitment to keeping your skin healthy, nourished, and hydrated.

A reliable lip balm product is a necessity to keep your lips healthy and hydrated. Moreover, several lip balm products also contain vitamins and antioxidants that can strengthen your lips while protecting them.

But, as always, too much of a good thing isn’t necessarily good for you. 

While you should use lip balm regularly, you should also practice moderation. If not, your lips may get lazy and stop producing adequate hydration on their own.

The best way to use lip balm is when you wake up, after eating, and before going to sleep to keep your lips hydrated while you sleep.

This is especially important if you notice that you sleep with your mouth open as this will make your lips even drier.

You can also use lip balm as a windburn lip treatment or a treatment for other lip issues caused by environmental triggers.

Types of Lip Balm

Now that you know how vital lip balm is, we’ll take you through the different types of lip balm available.

There’s more than just the standard hydrating lip balm now, and it’ll be more effective if you find the right kind of lip balm to suit your specific needs.

Regular

A classic lip balm contains emollients and waxes formulated to nourish your lips while keeping them supple and youthful without additional ingredients.

Our recommended product: Burt’s Bees Lip Balm

Sun Protection 

Smiling woman in bikini with lip balm on beach

These lip balms are formulated with sun protection to shield your lips from the sun’s damaging rays. It’s best if they contain a minimum of SPF 15.

Our recommended product: Palmer’s Coconut Oil Formula Lip Balm Duo 

Organic  

Organic lip balm is lightweight and made with only natural ingredients like beeswax, cocoa butter, and several vitamins and minerals.

Our recommended product: eos 100% Natural & Organic Lip Balm Sticks 

Tinted 

Colorful lip balms combine lip balm benefits with color. It’s a great way to add color to your lips while nourishing them. Some tinted lip balms are a good alternative to everyday lipstick.

Our recommended product: Pacifica Beauty Color Quench Tinted Lip Balm 

Medicated

A lip balm with a medicated formula is made to treat specific lip conditions and is usually only applied in the morning and evening.

Our recommended product: Blistex Medicated Lip Balm

Flavored

Flavored lip balm is a fun way to enjoy lip products with unique flavors alongside moisturizing components.

Our recommended product: ChapStick Classic Cherry Lip Balm

Plumping

There’s also a lip balm similar to a lip plumping gloss or lipstick made to make your lips look fuller. But these may harm your lips because some contain irritants that temporarily cause your lips to swell. 

Be cautious when using these, and make sure you choose a good-quality product with other beneficial ingredients.

Our recommended product: Hyalogic Hydrating Lip Plumping Balm

Top 10 Lip Balm Benefits

Now that you know more about lip balm and its importance for lip care, let’s enumerate the top 10 benefits of regular lip balm use.

Moisturizes your lips

Smiling woman putting lip balm care beauty isolated in white background

The main benefit of lip balm is providing essential moisture and hydration to your lips. If your lips are properly nourished, they are healthier and happier. Plus, regular lip balm use helps soften the lips and restore their natural oils and moisture.

Heals dry and cracked lips

Sometimes, our lips get chapped. It happens even with the best preventive care. When this happens, lip balm can help soothe the lips and help them heal faster.

Exfoliates the lips

Several lip balms can help gently exfoliate the dead skin cells from your lips, resulting in healthier, glowing lips that don’t look dull.

Acts as a great lipstick primer

A good lip balm can act as a wonderful primer for lipstick. Do you ever notice that sometimes your lipstick doesn’t glide on smoothly? It may be because your lips aren’t smooth. 

Applying a lip balm before your lip color can help ensure smooth color coverage.

Offers sun protection

Exposure to the harmful rays of the sun, especially during the summer, can make your lips dry. Applying lip balm with SPF will not only hydrate your dry and chapped pout but also protect your lips from the sun’s UV rays.

Can give a subtle hint of color 

Tinted lip balms are a popular lip balm choice. These tinted balms can give your lips a gorgeous hint of color and hydrate them simultaneously.

Brightens lips

Using lip balm regularly can help exfoliate and address hyperpigmentation, dark spots, and even dull lips. Over time, the result is a brighter, softer, and more supple pucker.

Protects lips from damage

Alongside moisturizing and healing, lip balm can also create a protective barrier that shields your lips from harmful UV rays and constant exposure to other environmental triggers like windburn, cold, and more.

Helps protect new skin cells

When you sleep, your lips regenerate and produce new skin cells. However, doing this can cause your lips to lose moisture. So using a lip balm before bed can keep your lips moisturized while they flush out toxins. This protects newly produced skin cells.

Offers benefits at an affordable price

Skin care can be pretty pricey and certain products can be hard to find (for example, you may not find your particular facial serum in just any store). However, lip balm is both affordable and accessible, making it easy to care for your lips.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it okay to use lip balm every day?

Yes. But also in moderation. Apply if your lips feel dry but don’t use it excessively because if you do, your lips may stop producing natural moisture and become even drier.

When should I use lip balm?

The best time to use lip balm are in the morning and the evening. Using it in the evening really helps give your lips moisture while you sleep. You can also use it after eating or if the weather is really cold or dry.

Can lip balm lighten dark lips?

Yes. There are even some formulated for this specific purpose. Lip balm can help lighten lips by improving lip health and removing dead skin cells to showcase the brighter and healthier skin underneath.

Can lip balm make lips pink?

Yes. There are tinted moisturizing lip balms that can make your lips appear pinker.

Lip Balm Is the Essential Lip Care Product

Lip balm is an essential beauty product that everyone should have at home or in their beauty stash. It’s a great way to keep your lips hydrated and supple every day while keeping them safe from environmental triggers.

A woman with brown hair smiling while holding a lip balm isolated in white background.

While there are similarities among most lip balm products, you may still have to go through a few to find one you really love. And once you do, you’ll definitely keep coming back.

Do you have a favorite lip balm? Share your pick!

Love healthy skin care? We do too! 

Check out these articles for our favorites:

Authors

  • A young woman in a pink shirt is posing for a picture.

    Michelle has had a lifelong love affair with makeup. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Communications /Journalism, she began an illustrious career as a writer. Michelle penned a beauty and lifestyle national newspaper column for over a decade and became the Beauty Editor for Chalk Magazine and Editor-in-Chief for Metro Weddings for over nine years, working with some of the biggest makeup artists and trusted beauty brands in the business. During this time, she also completed a course in Creative Artistic Makeup Design and worked as a freelance makeup artist, beauty editor, and writer.

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  • A smiling woman wearing glasses and a tattoo.

    With ten years in the beauty industry, Kelly Goforth has mastered the art of hair and makeup. Trained at The Redken Exchange in NYC and mentored by industry legends like Sam Villa and Lauren Hagan, she's a sought-after bridal specialist in Colorado Springs. From managing a Denver salon to now offering bridal hair, makeup, and airbrush spray tans, Kelly's expertise shines.

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