16 Luxe Lipcare Options That Nourish, Protect, and Create More Kissable Lips

Everything about this new lipcare line is incredibly thoughtful, from the formulations to the packaging to the ultra-sustainable clean beauty ethos. This lip kit includes five doses of a hibiscus-flavored sugar scrub, as well as an unscented lip balm. Along with looking cool—the scrub is delivered in stamped capsules, and the balm is in an amber glass container with a cork lid—the packaging is plastic free. The glass and cork are sourced from renewable resources and manufactured with responsible partnerships. But it’s the kit itself that is the star. The scrub is made with fresh fruits and flowers and a very fine organic sugar milled to the company’s exact crystal size requirements and formulated to change to a creamy foam texture when exfoliation is complete to help you avoid over-scrubbing. The balm, meanwhile, has a wonderful, lasting texture, thanks to ingredients like mango and moringa butters, macadamia and avocado oils, liposoluble vitamin C, sunflower-derived vitamin E, a special blend of red algae actives, and d-alpha tocopherol, the world’s only vegan vitamin D3. The Unscented kit is ideal for those who don’t care for fragrance, but the Blackberry and Spearmint kits are quite enticing, as well. Also cool is the fact that this is a professional line, so an Abature treatment in the spa includes the scrub and balm, as well as a serum application and massage using chakra stones. I also love the name, Abature, which is the French word for the path a deer makes as it passes through the woods.

This line of lip balms recently debuted in the U.S. from Australia, and it’s the Aussie ingredients that make it stand out, including extra virgin olive oil and Manuka beeswax, both from Western Australia. The formula allows water-based honey to blend with oil and wax into a solid form without any artificial chemicals. The balms are made without parabens, phthalates, petrolatum, or sodium laurel sulfate (SLS) and are not tested on animals. They also come in nine flavors, including Manuka Honey, Pawpaw, Coconut, Cocoa Butter, Peppermint, Hemp & Lemongrass, Tinted Rose, Vanilla, and Manuka Honey with Sunscreen. I received an assortment of flavors, and my fave was Paw Paw, which features papaya seed oil. I gave my mom the Coconut after she burned her lips following an outdoor tennis session, and her lips immediately felt soothed. The next day, all side effects of the sunburn were gone.

I’m loath to admit it, but in spite of nearly two decades of pretty meticulous skincare practices, I have started to notice some of those fine vertical lip lines around my lips. So, I was intrigued to test out this lip solution. It is formulated with a patented complex and offers clinical studies that demonstrate reduced appearance of fine lines and enhanced appearance of lip contours, adding up to 40 percent more moisture-volume with repeat usage. I applied it at night on and around my lips and found it to be long-lasting and offered a texture that was both soothing and helped plump those fine lines.

I’m a big fan of hyaluronic acid, so it’s not surprising that I found this lip balm, which is infused with the brand’s proprietary HylaFusion hyaluronic acid complex, to be moisturizing and nourishing. Other ingredients, including jojoba oil for restoring elasticity and smoothness, protective beeswax, and softening olive oil that offers antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, further add to its appeal. It’s a great solution for dry, distressed skin.

An excellent option for dry, chapped skin, this balm is both moisturizing and protective. Bisabolol is an anti-inflammatory ingredient that increases skin hydration and soothes irritation, rose hip seed oil is a natural emollient and an anti-inflammatory that preserves skin’s elasticity and refines texture, and vitamin E is a nourishing and calming antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. Another aspect of this balm that I liked is that it is multipurpose and ideal to apply to dry patches across the body and face.

I’m too scared of needles and of the dreaded trout pout that results from bad injections to sign up for actual injectable lip filler. But I love to have fuller lips, so I’m here for plumping lip treatments. This one from Grande Cosmetics quickly became one of my favorites, as this overnight mask resulted in visibly fuller lips the next morning. I’m not alone—when this mask debuted, it sold out at Sephora in less than a week, and a consumer study showed that 97 percent of users saw fuller lips after two weeks. Its effectiveness can be attributed to proprietary ingredients including Volulip, which boosts collagen and offers a plumping effect, and DuraQuench, which locks in moisture, as well as several other hydrating and plumping ingredients. I also love the refreshing berry mojito flavor, which comes courtesy of lychee fruit extract.

An important part of lipcare is sun protection, so I like that this balm has SPF, courtesy of 15 percent zinc oxide. I’m also a fan of the clean, gender-neutral scent, the bamboo dispenser, and the smooth, buttery texture. I also appreciate the sustainable focus— all of the brand’s formulas are 100 percent naturally derived, globally sourced, and organically grown in Long Beach, NY. Plus, 1 percent of proceeds of all Meadow and Bark sales go to charities supporting environmental causes, women’s rights, and cancer research.

The founder of Organic Male, who happens to be a dear friend of mine, lives in Colorado and is one of the most active people I know, no matter the season. So, it was important for him to formulate a lipcare solution for himself and his clients that keeps lips nourished and hydrated in even the most extreme conditions. He achieved his goal with the fabulous solution that is crafted with omega fatty acid-rich baobab oil, cleansing and detoxifying tea tree, and cooling peppermint, which invigorates the lips and stimulates healthy skin. Another cool aspect of this product is the packaging. It’s flatter, more aerodynamic shape means it fits perfectly into pockets, which makes it particularly appealing to men and women who are on the go. I first tried this balm during a summer trip to Colorado and found it to be the ideal, long-lasting solution to beat the dry heat and altitude and to carry on hikes and other outdoor adventures.

I love the benefits of an overnight mask and the sweet scent of tropical ingredients, which is why I really enjoyed this effective treatment that resulted in softer, fuller, and smoother lips. Each night, I applied it on and around my lips to address fine lines and to plump the skin, and I noticed a visible difference in my lips every morning when I woke up. Designed to boost collagen, this mask is infused with cold-pressed dilo and coconut oils as well as natural peptides. I appreciate that this non-GMO mask is free of gluten, parabens, phthalates, and sulfates. I also use the brand’s Coconut Sugar Lip Polish a few times a week to buff away dry, flakey skin and help the Sleeping Masque penetrate even deeper.

This new lip balm from Qür (pronounced “cure”) is fun to use and innovative—it has a patented smooth, rounded shape; flat profile; and gentle-slide mechanism, avoiding the need to remove a cap or twist. It also comes in a two-pack, so you can mix things up depending on your mood. My fave was the Balance & Journey pack, which featured one citrus-flavored and one vanilla option. I also love that it is SPF 15; is made with healing ingredients including shea butter, almond oil, jojoba oil, and coconut oil; and it’s free from parabens, PEGs, phthalates, silicones, sulfates, and animal testing. I also love the brand’s Clip Balms, which come in flat packaging that easily clips to belts, sports bras, purses, backpacks, and yoga pants, making them ideal for those who are on the go.

This simple lip balm is an ideal alternative to petroleum products that often leave lips drier long-term. Instead, simple, clean plant ingredients work together to provide an effective, nourishing, vegan lipcare option. I particularly like the subtle chocolate scent of the balm that comes courtesy of organic fair trade cocoa butter. The cruelty-free, animal-free lip balm comes in a plastic-free sustainable tin and features candelilla wax in place of beeswax, providing a smooth application that is totally plant-derived. As an added bonus, the brand is a certified B Corporation, is certified vegan by Vegan.org, and is a 1% for the Planet member.

Aside from the countless benefits of this product, I love the color. It’s a perfect sheer nude that I would wear regardless of what it does for my lips. Thankfully, it’s as effective as it is attractive. It offers sheer, hydrating protection that soothes dry, cracked lips and promotes plump, smooth skin using patented coated mineral actives. It also shields from UV light, blue light, infrared radiation, activity induced heat, and pollution with a reef-friendly, broad-spectrum SPF 30. As an added benefit, it features no parabens, fragrances, or animal cruelty.

I found myself going back again and again to this luxurious leave-on lip mask. Its blend of hyaluronic acid, omega-rich fatty acids derived from raspberry seed oil, and antioxidant-rich Moroccan pomegranate extract was incredibly effective for my lips. Even on my driest days, when I applied before bed, I woke up with plump, hydrated, and rejuvenated lips. I’m not the only one. A study of users showed 100 percent experienced immediate improvement in moisturization, 96 percent showed immediate improvement in smoothness, and 100 percent demonstrated strengthened lip barrier function two weeks after starting use. Though recommended for use at night, I also used it in the day because I like the glossy pink look that stayed shiny for hours.

This daily lip treatment, which I found to be both effective and long-lasting, is a more clinical treatment that helps reduce the appearance of lip bleed lines, improves lip volume, aids in the prevention of lipstick feathering, and even enhances the effects of professional dermal fillers. It contains a peptide designed to reduce the appearance of wrinkles around lips, as well as a proprietary ingredient called Atelcollagen, which increases lip volume without unpleasant stinging. It is also infused with soothing avocado oil and vitamin E to hydrate and rejuvenate for smooth, luscious lips.

I love this lip whip for being a perfect marriage between clean beauty and glam. The packaging is pretty, but even lovelier is the warm gold color that both moisturizes and leaves the perfect hint of shimmery color on the lips. Another unique aspect of this product is its hero ingredient, moringa, which is rich in zeatin, known for stimulating cell division, growth, and delaying the aging of cells. Moringa is also packed with essential fatty acids and antioxidants that fight free radicals that cause premature aging. Paired with cocoa butter, it penetrates deeply into the skin and replenishes essential amino acids and nutrients. Plus, it is vegan and free of parabens and sulfates, and True Moringa works directly with a network of 3,000 smallholder farmers throughout Ghana, providing sustainable livelihoods through access to credit, agricultural training, nutrition programs, and fair wages.

Like many busy women, I appreciate a good multitasking product that works well and saves time. So, it’s not surprising that I really loved this product, which features both a sheer tint and a clear balm. The lightweight gel tint was perfect for both cheeks and lips, while the clear balm is great paired with the tint. Alone, it can also be used for moisturizing the skin, adding a gloss to eyelids, taming brows, and even wrangling hair flyaways. My favorite color is Honeymoon, a rosy nude, but there are three other shades available, including Suite Talker, a nude peach; Be Mine, a watermelon pink; and Rendezvous, a peony pink.