Best Lip Balm for Chapped Lips This Fall and Winter According to Dermatologists!

The Doctor Recommended Product Series

Autumn comes with so many wonderful features: the cool crisp brease, smell of fresh leaves on the ground, and pumpkin spice everything popping up in stores. But while this most colorful time of year can be a cozy, homebody's embodiment of the perfect season, the one thing we all hate about the fall is the return of our chapped, cracked, uncomfortable lips! While this is a common issue, the right lip balm can make all the difference. In this guide, we’ll explore the anatomy of your lips, why they tend to get chapped in fall and winter, the good and bad ingredients in lipbalms and the top dermatologist-recommended lip balms for 2024. Find out which products made the cut, and which surprisingly ubiquitous brands did not!

How are Lips different from the rest of your skin?

Your lips are a delicate part of your body, and unlike most of your skin, they lack oil glands. This means they don’t produce natural oils to keep them moisturized, making them more prone to dryness, especially in harsh weather conditions. The skin on your lips is also much thinner than the skin on the rest of your body, consisting of just three to five layers compared to up to 16 layers on other parts of your skin. This delicate structure makes your lips more vulnerable to external factors like wind, dry air, and sun exposure.

Why do lips get chapped?

Fall brings a drop in humidity, which can lead to dry air both outdoors and indoors. This change in the environment strips moisture from your lips, leading to dryness, flaking, and chapping. Moreover, as the temperature drops, many of us turn on the heating in our homes, further reducing indoor humidity and exacerbating the problem. Windy conditions can also cause moisture to evaporate from the lips more quickly, making them more susceptible to cracking.

What are the good ingredients I should look for in a lip balm?

When selecting a lip balm, it’s important to consider the ingredients that will help lock in moisture and protect your lips from further damage. Dermatologists often recommend the following components:

• Petrolatum: An effective occlusive agent that seals in moisture.

• Beeswax: A natural occlusive that forms a protective barrier on the lips.

• Shea Butter & Cocoa Butter: Rich in fatty acids, these natural butters are excellent for deep hydration.

• Ceramides: Help restore the skin barrier and retain moisture.

• Hyaluronic Acid: Attracts moisture to the skin, providing a hydrating effect.

• Antioxidants (e.g., Vitamin E): Protects lips from environmental damage and helps repair the skin.

What are the ingredients I should avoid?

Not all lip balms are created equal, and some can actually exacerbate dryness or cause irritation. Dermatologists suggest avoiding the following ingredients:

• Fragrances and Flavors: These can cause allergic reactions and irritate the delicate skin of the lips.

• Menthol, Camphor, and Phenol: While these ingredients may provide a cooling sensation, they can dry out your lips over time.

• Salicylic Acid: Often used to exfoliate, but it can be too harsh for the lips, leading to increased dryness.

• Alcohol: Found in some balms and glosses, it can strip moisture from your lips.

So which brands were the top recommended lip balms by Dermatologists?

Our search turned up 10 articles published between July 2023 and July 2024 with a Dermatologist specifically quoted endorsing a brand of sunscreen.  Within these articles were the opinions of 31 Board Certified Dermatologist’s to determine the top recommended sunscreen for children in 2024!

Number 5: Sun Bum SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen Lip Balm

Number 5 on our list of top recommended lip balms for chapped lips is Sun Bum SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen Lip Balm. Recommended by 4 Dermatologists in three of ten articles reviewed, doctors appreciated Sun Bum's aloe for hydration, fragrance free formula for sensitive skin, and SPF 30 sunscreen for skin protection. Sun Bum SPF 30, unfortunately, was not reviewed by the Environmental Working Group for it's ingredient safety profile.

Number 4: Aquaphor Lip Protection Lip Balm SPF 30

Number 4 on our list of top recommended lip balms is Aquaphor Lip Protection Lip Balm SPF 30. Recommended by 4 Dermatologists in 3 of 10 articles, doctors appreciate that Aquaphor traps natural moisture from the lips, preventing evaporation of natural oils. According to the Environmental Working Group, Aquaphor Lip Protection Lip Balm SPF 30 received a 3 out of 10 safety rating.

Number 3: Aquaphor Lip Repair Ointment

Number 3 on our list of top recommended lip balms is Aquaphor Lip Repair Ointment. Recommended by 4 Dermatologists in 4 of 10 articles, doctors appreciate Aquaphor's use of glycerin and shea butter to ensure deep hydration and relief. The Environmental Working Group gave Aquaphor Lip Repair Ointment a 2 of 10 safety rating.

Number 2: EltaMD UV Lip Balm Broad-Spectrum SPF 36

Number 2 on our list of top recommended lip balms is EltaMD UV Lip Balm Broad-Spectrum SPF 36. Recommended by 5 Dermatologists, in 5 of 10 articles, doctors appreciated EltaMD's broad spectrum SPF sunscreen and water resistant formula to truly battle the elements for your lips! EltaMD UV Lip Balm Broad-Spectrum SPF 36 received a 4 of 10 safety rating from the Environmental Working Group due to concerns of sunscreen breakdown in the bottle and use of Octinoxate which "the FDA does not have enough health safety data to classify as safe and effective." The EWG recommends avoiding use of this product in children 3 and under.

Number 1: Vaseline Original Healing Jelly

And number 1 on our list of top recommended lip balms for chapped lips is Vaseline Original Healing Jelly! Recommended by 6 Dermatologists in 4 of 10 articles, doctors recommend returning to the basics with this well made petrolatum product that locks in moisture during use. Vaseline Original Healing Jelly received a 1 out of 10 rating by the Environmental Working Group, making it not only the product recommended by Dermatologists in our search, but also the safest product on the list!

Conclusion:

So there you have it the reasons why lips get so chapped in dry weather, the ingredients to look for in a good lip balm, and the top 5 lip balms recommended by Dermatologists in 2024 with their Environmental Working Group safety ratings! We hope this review gives you the confidence buy a lip balm that you will absolutely love while knowing the product you've selected has the stamp of approval by multiple qualified professionals!

Sources

1. https://www.vice.com/en/article/best-lip-balms-for-dry-chapped-lips/ Vice 2/16/24 quotes by Rawn Bosley, MD.

2. https://nypost.com/2024/02/09/lifestyle/lip-balms-can-make-your-smackers-drier-dermatologist-reveals-what-to-use-instead/ NY Post. By Brooke Kato. 2/9/2024 quotes by Muneeb Shah, MD.

3. https://www.wellandgood.com/best-lip-balm-for-dry-lips/. Well + Good. Written by Danielle Calma. January 24, 2024. Quotes by Geeta Yadav, MD, Nava Greenfield, MD, Rachel Nazarian, MD, Shereene Idriss, MD.

4. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty/g46598819/best-lip-balms/ Women’s health. 8/22/24. By Danielle JacksonPublished: Feb 05, 2024. With quotes from Divya Shokeen, MD,  Stacey Tull, MD,  Lauren Penzi, MD,  Blair Murphy-Rose, MD, FAAD, Tiffany Libby, MD, Azadeh Shirazi, MD, Marisa Garshick, MD, FAAD, Daniel Butler, MD.

5. https://www.glamour.com/gallery/best-lip-balms-with-spf Glamor. By Brigitt Earley. 3/27/24. Quotes by Jaimie Glick, MD, Roseanne Paul, MD,  Marisa Garshick, MD, Jeremy Brauer, MD,  Carmen Castilla, MD, Geeta Yadav, MD.

6. https://www.nbcnews.com/select/shopping/best-chapped-lips-treatments-balms-ncna1138176 NBC News. 1/22/24. By Macaela MacKenzie. Quotes by Kiran Mian, DO, Carmen Castilla, MD, Dr. Navin Arora, M.D, Dr. Hadley King, MD.

7. https://www.self.com/gallery/best-hydrating-lip-balms Self By Jessica Kasparian February 28, 2024. Quotes by Audrey Kunin, MD and Nicole Hayre, MD, FAAD.

8. https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/beauty/best-lip-balm-spf Business Insider Written by Ashley Phillips and Katie Decker-Jacoby; edited by Maiya Pascouche. 1/18/2024. Quotes by Jody Levine, MD, Elizabeth K. Hale, MD,  Marie Hayag, MD.

9. https://nymag.com/strategist/article/the-best-lip-balms.html The Strategist. 

   By Tembe Denton-Hurst, 7/22/24 with Quotes by Karan Lal, DO.

10. https://nypost.com/article/best-spf-lip-balms-per-dermatologists/ NY Post. By Victoria Giardina

    Updated Feb. 22, 2024, with quotes from Rachel Westbay, MD, Dendy Engleman, MD,  Rahi Sarbaziha, MD.

Disclaimer:

Links in the article are affiliate links and the authors of this article as well as the authors of the articles and videos sited may receive compensation from the products featured. This article is not personalized healthcare. You should always speak with your healthcare provider to ensure any products you purchase are right for you.