The lip balms, scrubs, and treatments that you remember from elementary school have come a long way. Today's products don't just look cute—they're also packed with the hydrating and moisturizing ingredients that you're used to seeing in skin-care products. They work to soften your lips and exfoliate dead skin while leaving your pout plump and smooth.
If you're looking for a new go-to for softer and smoother lips, you've come to the right place. Below, we've rounded up our absolute favorite lip-care products—from scrubs to balms—that you'll be excited to dab on every single day.
Ama Kwarteng, Beauty Editor
The Kissu Lip Mask
After I finish my nighttime skin-care routine and before I hit the sheets, I coat my lips in this lightweight mask. Thanks to a formula filled with ingredients like Japanese peach extract, rose extract, and Japanese camellia oil, it soothes dry and irritated lips on contact and seals in moisture for long-lasting hydration.
Lip Butter Balm
This balm definitely lives up to its name. The formula features a combination of shea and murumuru seed butter to drench your lips in moisture as well as vegan waxes that smooth flakes away and lock in hydration. I layer it on even when my lips aren't chapped—the balm has a mirror-like glean, giving it the photo-ready finish of a lip gloss.
Dior Addict Lip Sugar Scrub
With small grains of sugar inside its moisturizing formula, this scrub-balm hybrid pulls double duty. The exfoliating granules melt into a glowing balm, effortlessly exfoliating away flakes and leaving your lips tinted, smooth, and plump.
Sumiko Wilson, Beauty Fellow
Balm Dotcom
As one of the purveyors of minimalist makeup, it's no surprise that Glossier has perfected the art of the balm. It only takes a small dab to get super-hydrated, subtly shiny lips that'll actually last, thanks to the combo of beeswax, castor oil, and lanolin. Though I prefer the clear original, you can opt for a sheer tint with flavors like Berry, Rose, and—its latest addition—Cookie Butter. If you like to travel light, this is a must-have—it doubles as a skin salve, so when I'm wearing a tiny purse, I carry this instead of a hand lotion.
Supa Scrub Set
Ever since I started using KNC's Supa Scrub Set, flaky lips have been a thing of the past. Every few days, I scrub it on during my nighttime routine and I always wake up with a soft, pillowy pout. Though the tube is on the tinier side, a little dab of the shea butter-infused formula goes a very long way, so you'll be able to hang onto this for a while.
Lip Sleeping Mask
The Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask is to lip care what the Anastasia Beverly Hill Brow Wiz is to eyebrows—everybody uses it. But, it's a holy grail for a reason. Despite what its name implies, this is a day- or night-friendly treatment that instantly does the job of several swipes of lip balm. It also leaves a shimmery finish, so you can swap out your go-to gloss.
Leya Kaufman, Head of Brand & Publisher
Rouge Volupté Shine Lipstick Balm
This YSL Rouge Volupté Shine is the ideal "lipstick with benefits." It's definitely more of a full-coverage lipstick than a soothing salve, but sometimes, when I add a touch of color to my lips, it's like an instant confidence boost. So, if that isn't a treatment worth leaning into, I don't know what is.
Lip Comfort Oil
In the same vein, lip oils have totally changed my life. I'm more likely to reapply and ward off cracked lips in the colder months when I know I'm showing off the added benefit of color. Clarins Lip Comfort Oil glides on and leaves a subtle stain long after it absorbs. This was my first lip oil and while I hate playing favorites, it's definitely one of the products I still swear by.
KissKiss Roselip Tinted Lip Balm
I love a hybrid product that offers a sheer shade and doubles as a hydrating lip-plumping balm. I'm always on the lookout for products that can subtly enhance my pout. This Guerlain KissKiss Roselip Tinted Lip Balm does just that. As a bonus, the quilted white packaging on this superhero product also makes an hourly self-care ritual feel luxurious.
Sasha Alexander, Senior Manager, Brand Partnerships
Lip Fetish Sheer Colour Balm
Pat McGrath's Lip Fetish Sheer Colour Balm is my go-to for dewy-tinted lips. The balms are silky smooth, buildable, and so easy to re-apply (no pocket mirror or blurry iPhone camera needed). I always keep Clear and Flesh 3 with me so I can add the slightest color pop to my look if needed while staying extra moisturized (no flakiness).
Maraya Fisher, Fashion Fellow
Lip Scrub
The Lush bubblegum lip scrub was one of the first beauty products I ever bought—I remember because my little sister ate half the pot in one sitting. Years later, it is still a winter essential, though I have switched to the honey flavor. With castor sugar and jojoba oil, the scrub is exfoliating, moisturizing, and, thankfully, completely edible.
Coconut Lip Glossy
I was first introduced to the Kopari Moisturizing Lip Glossy by my friend, who is a bit of a lip balm connoisseur, and I have never looked back. It is ultra-hydrating with shea butter, organic coconut oil, and plant-derived squalane, and it leaves a nonsticky, glossy finish
Dior Addict Lip Glow Balm
There is a reason Dior Addict Lip Glow has achieved cult status. This lip balm makes me feel dangerously luxurious—suddenly I want every texture in my life to feel this good, and next thing I know, I'm researching cashmere socks and sheets with obscenely high thread counts. This time of year, I love the shade Mahogany for a subtle, vampy pout.
Porter Simmons, Social Media Associate
Crystal Lip Gloss
Anastasia may be known for its brow kits, but don't sleep on its other products or you'll be missing out. This gloss is my go-to, no matter the occasion. It's clear, which makes it perfect if you want a little beauty pick-me-up before rushing out for an errand. It also does the trick for a night out if you want some shine without overdoing it. It tastes great, which admittedly is my No. 1 make or break with any lip product.
Lip Therapy
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. After working in the beauty industry I've tried my fair share of lip products and still find myself coming back to basics. I stick one of these mini Vaselines everywhere — purses, coat pockets, you name it. It's hydrating, scentless, affordable, and your hair won't get stuck in it on a windy day. What more could you ask for?
Stay Vulnerable Glossy Lip Balm
I didn't realize how much I loved this product until a friend borrowed it moments before discovering she had a cold sore (she was more than happy to pocket it). I'm not the kind of person that can rock a bold lip, so I love that the Nearly Neutral color looks natural while still giving the desired oomph I want from a gloss.
Photo: Courtesy of Instagram/@aissatadiallo
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