With the seasons changing, there’s no better time to prep your pout for the colder climes. Blurring the lines between make up and skin care, lip balms are an everyday essential that should hold prime position in your cosmetic case, handbag, desk… and pretty much anywhere else!
But don’t worry, here at Cult Beauty we’ve done the hard work for you. Thanks to the help of Cult Concierge expert, Sarah, we have the answers to your most asked questions, along with a round-up of the best lips balms right now.
WHAT ARE LIP BALMS
Lip balms replace lost moisture to the lips and create a protective barrier to prevent further damages. They typically have a wax-like consistency and are packed with a cocktail of nourishing ingredients – we’re talking everything from shea and murumuru butter to beeswax and natural oils.
WHY DO WE NEED LIP BALM
Lip balms can help restore some much-needed moisture to your lips, which can be lost through dry air, colder temperatures, and wind exposure. As your lip’s skin is so thin, it is more vulnerable than other parts of your body. So, with that in mind, the waxy formulas shields, smooths and soothes. Think of it as skin care for your pout.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU APPLY LIP BALM
While there are no set rules on how often you should apply your lip balm, we would say five times a day is a good starting point. For best practice, create your own routine to ensure you remember to stay consistent. Think about applying your first coat in the morning, last at night and then every few hours in between. But, if you’re anything like us, it’s the in between bit that you may struggle with. If that’s so, why not set daily reminders on your phone? Or strategically place your balm next to your water bottle? That way you can hydrate both your body and lips at the same time.
DIFFERENT LIP BALM TYPES
Just like all your beauty must haves, lip balms come in all shapes, sizes, formulas… and types. But what are the difference between these iterations?
SPF Lip Balms: Doing what they say on the tin, SPF lip balms have added protection against UV harmful rays, while helping prevent discolouration and premature signs of ageing.
SHOP SPF LIP BALMS >>> Tinted Lip Balms: Sitting somewhere between your make up and skin care, tinted lip balms are pigmented with colour – with options varying from rosy reds to neutral nudes. Unlike your typical tube of lipstick, these shades boost more of a sheer and subtle sign off.
SHOP ALL TINTED LIP BALMS >>> Lip Masks: Designed to last overnight (or all day long), lip masks can soften your skin for up to nine hours. Differentiating from your typical balms, these formulas are thicker to allow emollient ingredients to sink and absorb deeper into your lips.
SHOP ALL LIP MASKS >>> Lip Treatments: Yes, lip treatments and balms share many similarities, but there is one key difference between the two. While lip balms work hard to hydrate throughout the day and prevent cracking, treatments are packed with more potent ingredients to have longer-lasting results. Think of your balm as your daily moisturiser and the treatment as your weekly mask.
SHOP ALL LIP TREATMENTS >>> BEST LIP BALMS FOR CHAPPED LIPS
Doubling up as a glossy balm and overnight mask, Then I Met You's Honey Dew Lip Mask hugs your lips with a comforting blend of antioxidant-rich honeydew and naturally moisturising squalane. Aptly named, the formula is supercharged with honey to help to retain moisture and protect the skin barrier without casting an oily residue.
SHOP ALL THEN I MET YOU >>> A firm favourite for chapped lips, Nuxe’s Reve de Lip Balm delivers a dose of hydration to avoid dryness and dehydration. Designed with grapefruit essence to maintain optimum protection – particularly in the colder climes – the award-winning formula relieves discomfort and levels up your lip contour. The best bit though? It’s suitable for all skin types, so if you suffer from eczema or psoriasis, it soothes itchiness and encourages self-repair.
SHOP ALL NUXE >>> A viral sensation, it comes as no surprise that Summer Fridays’ Lip Butter Balm makes it into the top three best balms. Brimming with ultra-hydrating seed butters and botanical extracts, the blend naturally moisturises and conditions dry lips. Powered by murumuru butter, it’s rich in vitamins and overflowing with nourishing oleic acid to ensure long-lasting results. Plus, this trending tint is available in an array of shades suitable for all skin tones.
SHOP ALL SUMMER FRIDAYS >>> A Cult Conscious choice, Kinship’s Supermelt Hyaluronic Plumping Lip Treatment is a hybrid that leaves stressed lips softer and smoother, with a single swipe. Gently warming on application, this vegan balm melts into a silky oil that wraps your lips in nourishment. Infused with papaya enzyme, the multi-tasker gently exfoliates, banishing rough patches while clearing the way for a cocktail of ultra-hydrating- ingredients.
SHOP ALL KINSHIP >>> Lavishing your lips in luxury, Caudalie’s Vinotherapist Vegan Repairing Lip Balm feeds you with moisture for an all-round plumper pout. An experience for both your skin and senses, the velveteen formula features phyto-aromatic notes and is enriched with organic shea butter, panthenol and cork extract to protect the skin barrier function while limiting water loss. The result? Reinforced hydration, all day long!
SHOP ALL CAUDALIE >>>
Longing for luscious lips? Cue: LANEIGE’s Lip Sleeping Mask. Renowned for its unique Berry Fruit Complex, the bestselling formula swaths your pout with a oh-so sweet mixture of pomegranate, grape and raspberry juices. What’s more, adding to the hydrating line up of ingredients, the addition of vitamin C shields your skin from everyday external aggressors like pollution and weather.
SHOP ALL LANEIGE >>> Crafted to cast a subtle sheen and a lot of protection, Ultra Violette's Sheen Screen Hydrating Lip Balm SPF50 is an everyday essential to keep close at all times. Gliding on seamlessly, the sweet-smelling formula is mixed with cacao seed butter to leave your lips soft, smooth and with just a smidge of shine. Plus, avoiding the use of oxybenzone, octinoxate and nanoparticles to prevent bank bleaching, it’s coral reef safe too.
SHOP ALL ULTRA VIOLETTE >>> Now you have everything you need to know about the best lip balms, it’s time to pucker up, prep and perfect your pout!
SHOP ALL LIP BALMS >>> 
