Buying Guide for Lip Balms with SPF
Why buy lip balm with SPF?
There’s a love-hate relationship with the sun. On the one hand, you need just enough sun exposure to activate your body’s ability to synthesize vitamin D, but too much time in the sun can lead to sunburns or melanomas. Like your arms or legs, your lips are also at risk of excessive sun exposure. So, a good SPF-infused lip balm ensures that your smackers are protected.
What should you look for in a lip balm with SPF?
- SPF Factor: Unlike sunscreen that you put on the rest of your body, you can use a lower SPF for lip balm. Most experts recommend an SPF of 15 or higher, though.
- Color: While most people think of lip balms as clear products that hydrate your lips, you can find tinted lip balms, too. They come in a wide range of colors and washes. This means that you can find some lip balms with a more opaque shade and others that are quite sheer.
- Style: Do you prefer a lip balm in a swivel stick or one in a pot or tin? There’s no right or wrong answer; it’s a matter of which is more appealing to you. A swivel stick can be ideal if you dislike dipping your hands into a pot or pan of product. But if you’re the type who likes to multitask with your beauty products, a pot can sometimes also be ideal if you want to create a hint of dewy color on your cheeks.
- Scent: Consider whether you want a lip balm with a scent or unscented products. And, if you do want a scented lip balm, do you want it to be naturally scented, or are you okay with synthetic fragrance?
How frequently should you reapply SPF lip balm?
Like regular sunscreen, you should aim to reapply SPF-infused lip balm at least every two hours. However, if you’re in an environment where you’re sweating or around water, you’ll want to increase the frequency.
Our Picks for the Best Lip Balms with SPF
Pros: If you’re the low-maintenance beauty type, you’ll like the combination of a tinted lip balm with a broad spectrum SPF 30 protection. The COOLA Organic Mineral Sunscreen is ideal for daily use and is also a cruelty-free vegan solution. Choose from four sheer colors and enjoy how the cupuacu butter and mongongo oil help to smooth and moisturize your lips.
Cons: While pretty and protective, this single tube of this SPF lip balm is an expensive option.
Bottom Line: A hint of color and a protective SPF 30 infusion gives you kissably soft lips shielded from the sun for up to 80 minutes between applications. Plus, its vegan-friendly and cruelty-free designation makes it a guilt-free beauty choice.
Pros: If you’re familiar with the O’Keeffe brand, you know that their sole focus is on repairing your skin and improving its moisture barrier. Their Lip Repair lip balm offers SPF 35 protection while also healing parched, damaged lips thanks to the infusion of aloe vera. You’ll get an undetectable matte finish and sun protection that lasts up to 80 minutes between applications.
Cons: This lip balm can be quite waxy.
Bottom Line: If your lips have seen better days, O’Keeffe’s formula focuses on seven moisturizing ingredients, including aloe vera. This, along with a very affordable price point, makes this lip balm an accessible product.
Pros: For those who prefer to buy in bulk, this 24-pack of SPF-infused lip balms from Chap-Ice will keep your lips hydrated and protected for quite a while. You’ll get 12 tubes each of their cherry and unscented tubes. They’re formulated responsibly and include aloe and vitamin E for the ultimate lip hydration.
Cons: Discerning shoppers will realize that the SPF factor varies widely between the two scents. While the unscented (blue) version has SPF 15, the cherry version only offers SPF-4, which is well below the minimum recommended amount.
Bottom Line: If bulk buying is your thing, this is probably one of the most affordable options, thanks to the 24-count collection.
Pros: When you’re genuinely concerned about soft lips, you need to bring in heavy-lifting butters. This Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm leverages the power of shea butter to help restore and repair your lips to their former glory. Meanwhile, you’ll get SPF 25 protection and a minty scent invigorating your lips.
Cons: Depending on your budget, you may find that even though this product listing is for a three-pack, it’s still a bit pricey.
Bottom Line: The old faithful shea butter comes to the rescue to hydrate and repair seriously dry lips. And you’ll like that while this has a natural mint scent, it’s not flavored.
Pros: If you dislike traditional SPF ingredients because they’re harsh on the environment, you’ll like that MDSolarSciences uses a cruelty-free, vegan, reef-safe formula. You’ll get SPF 30 protection along with a hint of color. Meanwhile, the combination of avocado oil and shea butter nourishes the delicate skin on your lips. Choose from five colors.
Cons: The texture of this balm may be a bit gritty, and the twist-up mechanism on the tube doesn’t always work correctly.
Bottom Line: Ethical beauty lovers will appreciate this product’s reef-friendly, vegan, and cruelty-free formula. And the infusion of SPF 30 and the hydrating powerhouse, shea butter, make this an attractive option.
Final Thoughts
Your lips need love too, and especially if you spend a significant amount of time outside, even in cloudy weather, you need to protect your lips with a good SPF. There’s no reason not to use a lip balm with SPF.
