There’s pretty much nothing I’m obsessed more with than lip balms…well let me clarify, ORGANIC lip balms. Why slather your lips with synthetics, parabens and health-compromising toxins when you can nourish your lips with organic butters and oils? I’m rounding them all up here—coupon codes too!
IN THIS POST:
- Ingredients to celebrate in organic lip balm
- Ingredients to consider in organic lip balm
- My favorite organic lip balm
- Best vegan lip balm
- Best budget vegan lip balm
- Best gluten free lip balm
- Best budget organic lip balm
- Best overnight lip treatment
- Best for severely chapped lips
- Best eco friendly packaging
- Best all around lip balm
Lip balms = LIFE! Who’s with me!? I rarely leave my house without one not to mention I have them stashed in my car, bag, bathroom, kids backpacks…So I’m pretty much always within an arms reach of conditioned lips. Needless to say, there’s nothing I’m obsessed with more than organic lip balms.
And all the people said YESSSS! Why? Well the skin on our lips is actually composed differently than the skin on the rest of our body in two ways.
First, the stratum corneum (the most outer layer of skin), is thinner on our lips. And second, our lips have a lack of melanin (which gives lips a red hue).
The lack of melanin and thinner skin makes lips more susceptible to sunspots and skin cancer. Also, our lips have no sweat glands, no hair follicles, and no sebaceous glands. And this is why we get chapped lips!
RELATED: The best natural face moisturizers.
Ingredients to celebrate in organic lip balm
So in my book, there are two types of lip balms. Balms made with nourishing organic oils and butters OR balms made from synthetics like petroleum, preservatives like parabens and health-compromising ingredients like chemical fragrances. The choice is ours!
Obvi, we’re over the moon if we can find organic ingredients. It’s not always the case, but we’re looking there to start. We’re also looking for emollient ingredients that attract water from the air, and help hold it in, hydrating your kisser from top to bottom (lip).
- Butters, like cocoa seed butter, shea butter and more.
- Oils, like coconut oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, red raspberry seed oil can provide some additional antioxidants and other nutrients to support the thin skin of lips.
- Waxes, like candelilla, jojoba and beeswax, can help that balm stay put! We’re looking for ingredients that help prevent evaporation of moisture from the skin and also protect skin from irritation. This type of skincare ingredient is categorized as an “occlusive” because of the way it functions. Some vegan ingredients that act like occlusives are vegetable waxes (candelilla and jojoba).
You’ll usually see a combo of these in a lip balm, with different varieties and formulations producing different consistencies and feels (from a drier balm in a twist-up tube to a more liquid version in a squeeze tube). A butter+wax+oil=a lip balm you can love!
Ingredients to consider in organic lip balm
- Mineral oil, typically listed as petrolatum or paraffin. Fatty acids from petroleum are absorbed through the skin, stored in our adipose tissue, not metabolized, and not excreted. Mineral oil snuck into food and cosmetics has led to mineral oil being the largest contaminant in human tissue (1).
- Synthetic fragrances or flavors listed as fragrance or perfume or flavor or aroma. Sooo common in lip balms.
- Questionable preservatives like chlorphenesin (2), parabens (3), and unregulated Phenoxyethanol (4).
- Carmine. If you’re out for vegan, you’ll want to avoid colorants that are derived from insects, like carmine, a common sub for synthetic colors. The insects used to make carmine are called cochineal. They’re native to Latin America but mainly farmed in Peru, where millions of tiny insects are harvested every year to produce the coloring (5).
- Synthetic dyes: Specifically FD&C or D&C synthetic colorants. These colors, originally derived from coal tar and now petroleum (6), have been linked to cancer (6), neurotoxicity, genotoxicity (7), and concerns with long-term safety (8). Most dyes, including Yellow 5, have been banned in Europe (9).
- Chemical UV Absorbers like… Avobenzone, which is genotoxic (10) (Sevinc et al. 2017), phototoxic, photoallergenic (11), increases damaging free-radical production in the skin (12) and is highly photo-unstable (11). Oxybenzone, which is also genotoxic (13) and induces chromosomal aberrations (13), passes easily through human skin and accumulates in the bloodstream 339-419 times higher than the FDA limit (14) after a single use, and contains residual carcinogen benzophenone (15). Oxybenzone is also a phototoxicant (16) and America’s and Europe’s most common cause of phototoxicity and photoallergic contact dermatitis (PACD). Homosalate, which is genotoxic (17), induces oxidative stress in cells and damages mitochondrial membranes (18). Pregnant women are advised to practice caution while using homosalate because this UV absorber has been found to affect the survival of the placental cells that nourish the embryo. Octocrylene (OCR), which is a photoallergen (19) and it causes considerable DNA-damaging free-radical singlet oxygen production (20), enhancing UVA-induced cell damage (21).
RELATED: Looking for vegan lip balms? We’ve got you covered with our top vegan lip balm picks.
My favorite organic lip balm
So while we are on the subject….let me just come out and say it, I’m kinda obsessed with Maya Chia’s Waterless Wonder Balm. It can be used to treat a myriad of body parts and issues. Hands, cuticles, feet, elbows…you can even use it as a heavy-hitting face balm. The texture is creamy, silky, smooth and rich. And it’s healing, soothing and protective. And the ingredients? To die for.
Ingredients: Shea Butter, Supercritical Chia Oil, organic Apricot Kernel Oil, organic Sunflower Oil, Beeswax, Non-GMO Vitamin E, 2% essential oils or botanical extracts.
Maya Chia holds the US patent on supercritical chia seed extraction which is the cleanest extraction method on the block. This ensures we are getting all the benefits chia has to offer in its most natural state and you will only find it here with Maya Chia. Read my full Maya Chia review here.
Chia seed oil is a superfood for your skin. It’s stacked with saturated fatty acids which keeps skin cell membranes healthy and fights against free radical damage. Check out this 2010 study on the efficacy of topical n-3 fatty acid products containing just 4% chia oil on patients suffering from severe cases of dry, problematic, itchy skin. It “improved skin hydration, skin barrier function and reduced trans-epidermal water loss” in just two weeks – which sounds like the perfect recipe for a lip balm to me! (Scroll through the study to see the results).
I love the Waterless Wonder Balm for days but it’s especially great as a night lip treatment too. I wake up with lips feeling so smooth and soft. Like, I just can’t get enough. And of course it’s formulated without the use of parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, PEGs and SLSs.
The Waterless Wonder Balm makes for a spendy lip balm but I’ve had mine for over a year and I still have some left— it’s super concentrated and a little goes a long way.
Maya Chia Waterless Wonder Balm
This multi-purpose balm can be used to treat a myriad of body parts and issues. Hands, cuticles, feet, elbows…you can even use it as a heavy-hitting face balm. The texture is creamy, silky, smooth and rich. And it’s healing, soothing and protective.
RELATED: HENNÉ Organics Review
Buying guide: Best organic lip balms 2023
Best over night lip treatment: Fitglow Beauty Night Lip Serum | $48
LOVE this overnight to soften, hydrate and transform lips. Pomegranate plant sterols, beet extract and vegan collagen actually work to improve lip cell structure and fight signs of aging. Can you say bedside table staple!? This formula has almost a gummy consistency but the payoff is worth it. Great for overnight, not so much for daytime. With a hint of vanilla this formula is straight up transforming.
SAVE: Code NEWKNEW20 will save you 20% at Fitglow.
OLIO E OSSO Balm No. 1 | $28
A sheer waxy balm with a stiff consistency and almost a dry finish. I love this one because it’s fragrance-free and it stays put—like you put it on and it’s not going anywhere but it’s also not distracting either. Made with only four ingredients, great for lips, cheeks and kids faces too. You can even use it to tame eyebrows and beards.
OGEE Sculpted Lip Oil Clear | $22
This is actually a solid oil stick. When you take the cap off, it kind of look like a crayon. The Sculpted Lip Oil adds shine with a hint of mint via peppermint essential oil. They apply thin and finish with a nice slip. Available in several shades including a clear. Formulated with hyaluronic to help draw in moisture although some people report these have a drying effect on their lips. See all shades applied here! (Gluten free)
Best for severely chapped lips: Beneath Your Mask Remedy Conditioning Lip Balm | $22
Kinda obsessed with this formula. First of all, the packaging is in a SLEEK aluminum black squeeze tube – talk about chic. Second, this formula is INTENSE. It’s designed to moisturize, condition, soften and protect and it does all of that with a hint of lavender. It’s CRAZY THICK—think Vaseline on roids. You really have work to get it out of the tube but I love that because this formula doesn’t play. GREAT for dry, peeling and chapped lips.
Keep scrolling for more AND while you’re at it, check out this video that details my favorite organic lip balms here!
Best gluten free + best overall: Sparitual Citrus Cardamon Moisture Balm | $23
My total daytime fave right now. I love this cubby, fatty tube. The citrus/cardamom scent is understated and elegant. The consistency is just right—not too thin, not too thick. And it’s gluten-free! You can use this all over your body but for me it’s reserved for lips only!
Henné Organics Lux Lip Balm V2 | $19
A certified organic, fragrance free, lux lip balm that comes in a sleek black tube. Medium consistency with a light creamy finish. Love it.
Bali Balm in Cinnamon & Burnt Orange | $33
This smelled so strong out of the tube I just knew I was going hate it but au contraire! It’s everything I love about fall jam packed into a lip balm. A little tingly, a lot of cinnamon, a hint of orange and thick, even moisture. It even comes with one of those old school Blistex slanted lip applicators.
28 LITSEA Melted Balm | $12
Yes, yes and YES! This balm is so beautiful and it’s made in my home state of Massachusetts! (Which by the way, no one can pronounce in the south—it always comes out sounding like some foul phrase—it’s actually pretty hillar because everyone says it with a straight face and I’m like; you just swore—haha!) Conditioning, creamy, not too heavy/not too light, smells minty and pretty. (Gluten free)
SAVE: Code THENEWKNEW will save you 10% at The Choosy Chick.
Best vegan + eco friendly lip balm: Meow Meow Tweet’s Vegan Lip Balm | $14
A multi-purpose chubby stick that can do no wrong. Think chapped cheeks, noses, lips, cracked hands and more. Comes in an eco-friendly, biodegradable paper tube. Coconut Cacao anyone!? Sold! (Gluten free)
Osmia Organics Lip Doctor | $12
Osmia can literally do no wrong and the same applies to their lip doctah! This no-frills formula is all business. It’s castor oil free (which some people are allergic to) and essential oil free—perfect for those with sensitivities. Formulated with a base of olive oil, the lip doctor leaves no lips behind! Nourishing, healing and calming. A great option for someone who is looking to swap out their Chapstick. Both of my kids have this in their school backpack. Do yourself a fave and buy two. (Gluten free)
Kari Gran Lip Whip in Naked Peppermint | $20
If you haven’t entered into the land of Kari Gran Lip Whips yet…GUUURRRL you are missing out! Creamy, conditioning and minty with the perfect amount of gloss. This balm is borderline a lipgloss. Packaged in a glass pot. They have tinted ones too. Super cute! (Gluten free)
Best budget vegan lip balm: Hurraw Lip Balm | $3.79
An all organic lip balm that comes in several flavors like lemon, mint, grapefruit…also available with SPF too. Goes on smooth, is super nourishing and smells amazing! Comes in a traditional application tube.
Best budget lip balm: Moroccan Magic Certified Organic Lip Balm | $3.99
This all-organic lip balm is divine! Comes in several trending flavors like rose, peppermint eucalyptus, lemon thyme and coconut almond. Available at CVS, Wegmans, Bed Bath & Beyond + Whole Foods. Certified organic. Comes in a traditional application tube.
LILFOX Gelsomino Luxury Lip Butter | $28
With scents of jasmine, French neroli, Italian bergamot, this lip balm doubles as a perfume balm. Talk about a 2 in 1!
Kosasport LipFuel Hyaluronic Lip Balm in Baseline | $18
This formula is charged with attracting water and sealing in nourishment while working to repair and plump. This sits heavier on the lips with a semi-matte finish. A little minty too. (Gluten free)
Which one of these organic lip balms is your favorite?
TNK Team Note: This article contains affiliate links. TNK uses affiliate links as a source for revenue to fund operations of the business and to be less dependent on branded content. TNK stands behind all product recommendations. Still have questions about these links or our process? Feel free to email us.
REFERENCES:
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Lisa
March 28, 2018Would love to try this! Sounds like a perfect in the car balm…some for the lips, the cuticles, etc. love the multipurpose and great ingredients!
Lisa Fennessy
March 28, 2018Red light central right here Lisa!
Angie
March 28, 2018Thanks for suggesting a lip balm with SPF – need a staple for my family while we’re at the beach (and everyday!).
Anne
March 29, 2018I’m so glad I found this post! My lips are in dire need of some good lip balm!
Steph H.
March 31, 2018I’ve never tried any of these! Super excited to start going down this list. Thanks for another great post to fill us in on all the best!
Lisa Fennessy
March 31, 2018Thanks Steph!
Stefanie
March 31, 2018Great post! I love Vapour Beauty’s balm. Maya Chia is on my list.
Andrea
March 31, 2018You are so in incredibly generous! I’m glad I found your feed and have been reading up!
Shana Miller
March 31, 2018Oh Wow! Maya Chia is on my bucket list of brands I NEED to try before I die! This giveaway is everything!!!
Leanna H
March 31, 2018How fascinating! I appreciate the time you take to better inform us as we make important skincare decisions – i am excited to share this resource with my friends. Thank you! Xoxo
Robin
April 1, 2018LOVE Maya Chia. My go to product. I have been getting tons of compliments on my skin…at age 65 no less. Now I need to add the waterless lip balm!
Lisa Fennessy
April 1, 2018Oh absolutely Robin!!!
Barbie
April 1, 2018I love everything lip balm!!!! Would love to try this one❤️
Lisa Fennessy
April 1, 2018Thanks to everyone who entered and a big CONGRATS to Michelle M. and Alicia D! You guys are each taking on a Maya Chia Waterless Wonder Balm! I emailed you both! xo!
Mila
January 30, 2020Such a helpful and comprehensive post!!! Thank you! I tried your meow meow tweet code, but it’s not working 🤷🏻♀️
Lisa
January 30, 2020I’m so sorry! That is supposed to be an evergreen code for my readers – I’ve already emailed them to check in. I’ll have this fixed ASAP! Thanks for reading! xo
Ki
November 15, 2020Do any of these have spf? I’m looking for a budget friendly, preferably vegan, lip balm with spf, would be very grateful for a suggestion.
Lisa
November 16, 2020Hi Ki! Check out Solara, All Good or Hurrah – they all have SPF options ; ) xo, Lisa