15 Hydrating Lip Balms That’ll Actually Get the Job Done in 2025

There are very few universal truths, but one of them has to be that everybody hates chapped lips. That’s why there are seemingly endless lip balms to choose from, all claiming they can get rid of your dry, flaky, cracked skin. So how do you know which ones really work (and which are just for show)?

To help you find lip balms that are truly hydrating and healing, we spoke with dermatologists, chatted with SELF staffers, and combed through our past Healthy Beauty Award winners (all of which we extensively tested). Shop our favorite multitasking lippies and soothing balms below.

Our top picks

1. Best Overall: Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm
2. Best Budget: Vaseline Lip Therapy Cocoa Butter
3. Best for Sensitive Skin: CeraVe Healing Ointment
4. Best Lipstick Alternative: Tower 28 JuiceBalm Tinted Lip Balm
5. Best Lip Oil: Ami Colé Lip Treatment Oil
6. Best Lip Mask: Fenty Skin Plush Puddin’ Intensive Recovery Lip Mask
7. Best Glossy Lip Balm: Hourglass Phantom Volumizing Glossy Lip Balm
8. Best with Lanolin: Lanolips 12-Hour Overnight Lip Mask
9. Best Tinted Lip Balm: Yves Saint Laurent Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Stick
10. Best Cracked Lips: La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Lips

FAQs about buying hydrating lip balms

Shop the best hydrating lip balms

Between everyday life and our annual Healthy Beauty Awards, we’ve tested dozens of lip balms. Now we’re ready to let you in on the very best of them. Drum roll please….

Best Overall: Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm

Pros

• Very creamy texture
• Hygienic, portable packaging
• Available in clear and tinted shades

Cons

• A little pricey

I reach for this shea-butter-based lip balm every day. It has a velvety texture and gives my lips a healthy-looking sheen with a few swipes. I love that it feels as thick and moisturizing as a lip mask—which also means it doesn’t wear off right away—but comes in a slim tube that makes the product easier to apply (and is more portable than a bulky jar).

There are lots of sheer shades and scents to choose from: My favorite is the clear vanilla balm, which smells subtly sweet, while SELF’s senior commerce editor adores the red, fruity-scented Cherry shade.

Best Budget: Vaseline Lip Therapy Cocoa Butter

Pros

• Good for sensitive skin
• Container lasts a long time

Cons

• A little greasy

Regular ol’ Vaseline is great for preventing hydration loss, but it’s not going to make a huge difference if your skin is already dry and flaky. That’s why we recommend trying this version that has moisturizing and soothing cocoa butter in addition to barrier-reinforcing petrolatum. “It’s been my tried and true for years,” one SELF tester says. “The little container lasts me forever.”

Best for Sensitive Skin: CeraVe Healing Ointment

Pros

• Can be used on any dry skin
• Won’t irritate sensitive skin
• Budget-friendly
• Fragrance-free

Cons

• Some might find it too greasy

When your lips are really angry, simple products are best. Dr. Kunin swears by CeraVe’s Healing Ointment, and one of our testers says it’s the only product she’ll use when her lips are ultra-dry, chapped, or otherwise irritated. It’s loaded with ceramides to help repair damaged skin, while petrolatum seals in moisture—plus, it’s fragrance-free, so it won’t bother sensitive skin. Bonus: You can apply this ointment almost anywhere on your body, like parched patches on your face, dry cuticles, or even cracked heels.

Best Lipstick Alternative: Tower 28 JuiceBalm Tinted Lip Balm

Pros

• Very pigmented
• Easy to apply
• Thin, creamy formula

Cons

• Might not be moisturizing enough for some

Sometimes, you want a pop of color that’s less drying than a traditional lipstick. That’s where a tinted lip balm comes in, like this Healthy Beauty Award winner from Tower 28. One of our testers calls the JuiceBalm “phenomenal” and “very hydrating,” due to a combo of shea butter and marula oil.

This stick requires zero fuss. “You don’t have to worry about harsh or imperfect lines—you can swipe it on without a mirror, smack your lips together, and trust that it looks great,” they said. “I’ll rebuy this—which I’ve never said about a balm, let alone a tinted one.” It’s available in four pretty shades: nude (a pinky brown color), berry, pink, and coral.

Best Lip Oil: Ami Colé Lip Treatment Oil

Pros

• Very glossy finish
• Large applicator holds a lot of product

Cons

• A little sticky

Our tester appreciated how easy this Healthy Beauty Award winner was to use, thanks to its large doe foot applicator that holds a load of product. “I LOVED that. It made putting on the gloss even easier and quicker, and [it] meant that a single dip into the bottle was enough to apply all over,” they wrote. It contains a nourishing combo of baobab, passion fruit, and camellia seed oils to leave your lips feeling delightfully soft.

Best Lip Mask: Fenty Skin Plush Puddin’ Intensive Recovery Lip Mask

Pros

• Thick, creamy texture
• Helps with flakiness
• Hygienic packaging

Cons

• A little sticky
• On the pricey side

This restorative mask is packed with moisturizing fruit and plant oils that helped our tester, who was dealing with “hella chapped” skin from a prescription retinoid, keep flaking and cracking at bay. “This is the only thing besides my favorite cocoa butter stick that legitimately moisturizes my lips,” they say. “Rihanna put her whole Rihannussy into this, and I would like to personally thank her for it.”

Best Glossy Lip Balm: Hourglass Phantom Volumizing Glossy Lip Balm

Pros

• Very glossy finish
• Creamy texture
• Sheer, buildable color

Cons

• Makes lips tingle at first, which some might find irritating
• Very pricey

If you love a glassy-lip look but can’t stand sticky lip gloss, you need to try this luxurious balm from Hourglass. I have three shades, and at least one is with me at all times. They glide on without ever looking patchy, and you can build up the pigment and shine with more swipes. Plus, because it includes shea butter and a wide range of plant oils, this balm meets gloss will make your lips feel just as juicy and hydrated as they look.

Best Longevity: Lanolips 12-Hour Overnight Lip Mask

Pros

• Stays in place for hours
• Very moisturizing
• Fragrance-free

Cons

• Doesn’t have a traditional applicator

Nobody has time to apply lip balm a zillion times a day—and this Lanolips mask is proof that a good balm can stay put. Its star ingredient is lanolin, which is known for its major soothing abilities. It’s also loaded with moisturizing ingredients, like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and vitamin E, to make sure your lips stay plump and protected.

It’s been a serious game changer for one Healthy Beauty Award tester: “I work in a hospital and have to wear a mask for many hours, which dries out my lips,” they say. “After having this on all day, my lips stayed moisturized, thanks to its super thick consistency.”

Best for Cracked Lips: La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Lips

Pros

• Non-greasy
• Gives lips a healthy sheen
• Fragrance-free

Cons

• Not the cutest tube

This balm “made a night and day difference” in one tester’s “chronically chapped lips.” It has an ointment-like texture but with zero greasiness, which also means it doesn’t look too shiny. It provides instant relief to cracked lips, with calming ingredients like panthenol. “It worked so well that I barely had to reapply,” our tester adds.

Best Tinted Lip Balm: Yves Saint Laurent Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Stick

Pros

• Nice range of colors
• Subtle but buildable tint
• Glossy finish

Cons

• Very pricey

“I personally like this when I want my lips to look a little more alive, but not makeup-y,” one tester says. “It’s super hydrating—one or two swipes does the trick for the work day.” You can also easily build it up if you want more color—the “glassy shine,” as YSL calls it, will stay.

More great lip balms

Is it cool if we keep going? Shop even more editor-favorite lip balms below.

Fresh Lip Sugar Hydrating Lip Balm

Pros

• Very moisturizing formula
• Tastes good

Cons

• Jar packaging isn’t as sanitary

Hear us out: No one is suggesting that you eat your lip balm, but a product’s flavor can play a huge role in how much you like it. At least, that’s why this balm caught one tester’s attention. “It’s really hydrating and tastes good, which I think is rare,” she says about her favorite version (caramel). She also confirms that it’s highly moisturizing, with lots of vitamin E.

Aquaphor Lip Repair Lip Balm with Sunscreen SPF 30

Pros

• Protects lips from the sun
• Fragrance-free

Cons

• Chemical sunscreen might irritate sensitive skin

If you think chapped lips are bad, you definitely don’t want to deal with sunburnt ones.This version of Aquaphor has the same holy grail formula as the original, but with added sunscreen ingredients (avobenzone, octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene, and oxybenzone) to battle UV rays. “I keep a tube next to my keys—that way, I’ll always remember to put it on before leaving the house,” one tester said during our Healthy Beauty Award trials. “That’s how much I love this product!”

Eos Watermelon Frosé & Lychee Martini 2-Pack Lip Balm

Pros

• Great scents
• Budget-friendly
• Stays put for a long time

Cons

• Ulta shoppers say it might not be moisturizing enough for some

Anyone else have a purse full of those egg-shaped, pastel-colored EOS balms from back in the day? Well, they’re still around—sans the spherical shape (but just as fun). “The [twist-up] packaging is brilliant in all of its childlike glory,” one SELF tester says, adding that the flavors and scents are “divine.” These balms will also keep your lips juicy, with nourishing sunflower seed and coconut oils.

Sunnie The Protector SPF 36

Pros

• Mineral SPF won’t bother sensitive skin
• Smooths lips

Cons

• Contains fragrance that might be irritating

This Healthy Beauty Award–winning balm contains UV-blocking zinc oxide, a mineral-based sunscreen that won’t irritate sensitive skin. It’s also packed with moisturizing ingredients like olive and avocado oils (good sources of vitamin E), as well as protective petrolatum.