The 10 Best SPF Lip Balms for Protecting Your Lips
Sorry, but there’s another part of your body that needs its own sunscreen: your lips. Anyone who has experienced sunburn or chapped lips knows that your lips are just as susceptible to damage as the rest of your face, and, obviously, they’re also spending the same amount of time in the sun. Thankfully, there are affordable and great SPF lip products on the market. Like, a lot of them. In the process of finding the best way to protect my lips from sun damage, I’ve tried glosses, balms, and even lipsticks.
The criteria for a good lip SPF aren’t all that different from a good sunscreen. Besides avoiding a white cast (yes, it’s possible), I wanted something that felt and looked good. I also considered the taste; if it’s on your lips all day, the last thing you want is a bitter taste. Here are the ones that measured up. We’ve also tapped Connie Yang, a board-certified dermatologist and Dermstore Medical Advisory Board member, to share her favorites. Read on to shop our picks.
so, you want an spf lip balm?
➼ Our top picks
➼ More tried-and-true favorites
➼ FAQs
Our top picks
The Best Color Options
Naturium Phyto-Glow Lip Balm SPF 45
Ingredients: Avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate | Colors: 5 | SPF 45
Naturium made its best-selling lip balm even better with SPF. With a range of sheer, lustrous colors, this could easily replace your go-to lip oil or gloss. The formula is lightweight and shiny, and it left my lips feeling moisturized.
A Minty Lip Sunscreen
Prequel Lip Visor Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Ingredients: Avobenzone, octinoxate | Colors: 2 | SPF 30
Prequel’s Lip Visor is glossy and minty. The tingly mint doesn’t feel or taste overwhelming, so you won’t mind layering it with lip liner. It made my lips look a little plumper, and I didn’t detect a sunscreen aftertaste.
More tried-and-true favorites
A Classic Lip Sunscreen
Aquaphor Lip Protectant with SPF 30
Ingredients: Avobenzone, octinoxate, octisalate | Colors: Clear | SPF 30
You can’t go wrong with Aquaphor, and the balm is one of my go-tos. Similar to the best seller in the classic tub, this lip sunscreen is a scentless, flavorless balm that seals in moisture and provides a layer of protection that lasts hours.
Another Glossy Pick
CAY SKIN Isle Lip Balm SPF 30
Ingredients: Avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate | Colors: 6 | SPF 30
Since launching this SPF balm, Cay Skin has expanded it with six glossy, sheer shades that make sun protection seem less like a chore. The applicator isn’t my favorite, but the lip-oil-style formula makes up for it. It’s easy to grab and reapply, and since it’s so moisturizing, you don’t have to reapply that often.
A Tinted Lip Sunscreen
Undefined R&R Sun Glaze Lippie SPF 40
Ingredients: Zinc oxide | Colors: 2 | SPF 40
For a tinted option, Undefined’s Lip Glaze is a more opaque product than many others I tried. You only need one layer to get color payoff, and the color isn’t patchy or streaky. This is lighter than a balm or an oil but still feels moisturizing.
A Shimmery Lip Sunscreen
Lanolips Sun Balm SPF 30 Untinted
Ingredients: Avobenzone, octinoxate | Colors: Clear | SPF 30
If you’d rather have shimmer and sheen instead of straight-up shine, this is your best bet. With a very sweet scent and slight tropical flavor, this balm is easy to reapply all day. Its light formula feels like Aquaphor, but the scent and shimmer make it feel a little less medicinal.
A Lightweight Tinted Gloss
Ultra Violette Sheen Screen SPF 50 Hydrating Sunscreen Lip Balm
Ingredients: Avobenzone, octinoxate | Colors: 2 | SPF 50
Since the buzzy Aussie brand landed in the U.S., I’ve been thoroughly testing the brand’s best-selling SPF products. This lip balm is just as good as its other sunscreens. It comes in two very sheer shades and looks like a gloss but doesn’t have the usual sticky, heavy feel. It’s unflavored and has a light scent, though I did get the teeniest bit of sunscreen aftertaste.
A Multitasking Lip Balm
Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Color Balm
Ingredients: Zinc oxide | Colors: 8 | SPF 50
Dr. Yang loves this tinted balm for lips and cheeks since it adds color while protecting your skin. “It comes in eight different shades and, unlike many non-tinted mineral lip balms, this one does not leave a white cast,” she says.
A Plumping Gloss
Colorescience Peptide Lip Shine SPF 30
Ingredients: Zinc oxide | Colors: 5 | SPF 30
Another one of Dr. Yang’s picks comes from the brand Colorescience. It has zinc oxide for SPF protection, with additional moisture and shine. “It has added peptides to support collagen and elastin and hyaluronic acid for a hydrated plump,” she says.
Another Classic Balm
iS Clinical Liprotect SPF 35
Ingredients: Zinc oxide | Colors: clear | SPF 35
Dr. Yang recommends this easy sheer balm option. It’s boosted with zinc and titanium oxide for sheer sun protection and hydration. “It contains coconut oil and vitamin E to help moisturize and protect with added antioxidant protection,” she says.
FAQs
Our experts: