Lip balms are a must-have for almost everybody. However, it's tough to find a vegan lip balm, as most products out there are formulated with animal-derived ingredients such as honey, milk, or beeswax. While those ingredients are great moisturizers, they're not vegan-friendly. Luckily, nowadays there are many vegan alternatives for those who are following a vegan lifestyle.
For example, have you ever heard about Hurraw's Black Cherry Tinted Lip Balm? It's certified vegan and features a highly moisturizing formula with nourishing oils such as safflower seed oil and coconut oil. On our 10 best list of favorites, there are nine other vegan lip balms that can keep your lips nourished and moisturized. So check them out! We've also compiled a buying guide that's been reviewed by a board certified dermatologist!
Quick List - Top Vegan Lip Balms
Dr. Levy is a board certified dermatologist practicing in NYC and Westport, Connecticut. She has expertise in treating inflammatory skin conditions like acne, rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis. She has an interest in skincare and takes a personalized approach to all of her patients.
mybest US' editing team consists of experienced members who have backgrounds in writing, editing, translation, and more. We are dedicated to researching what makes a product or service the best to users in the US in order to create top-quality articles. From skincare, to kitchen appliances, and to DIY supplies, our mission is to find the best ones for you.
The expert oversees the Buying Guide only, and does not determine the products and services featured.
Now that you've got to know our top picks, let's move on to the buying guide! In this section, we'll walk you through all the factors that you should keep in mind while choosing a vegan lip balm, including the moisturizers to look for as well as the animal and animal-derived ingredients to avoid.
To make sure that a lip balm is vegan, look for the Certified Vegan Logo by Vegan Action. It's a registered trademark and guarantees that a product contains no animal ingredients or animal by-products. However, if you find that a product labeled as vegan but bears no such certification, we suggest screening the ingredient list to ensure it's truly vegan.
Some common animal and animal-derived ingredients used in lip balms include honey, milk, beeswax, lanolin, carmine, tallow, and glycerin. Glycerin can be derived from both animal and vegetable fats. So check to see if the glycerin used in your lip balm is vegetable-based or not.
We'd also like to touch upon beeswax and lanolin. Beeswax is extracted from beehives and helps give lip balms a solid texture. Lanolin is derived from the sheep sebaceous gland and serves as a moisturizer. But the jury is still out on whether beeswax and lanolin are vegan-friendly or not.
Some people argue that obtaining the wax from the beehives takes away sources that bees would otherwise use, while others note that it can be done in a manner that doesn't harm the bees. Regarding lanolin, it's not transparent whether sheep are harmed when lanolin is collected.
Some assume that "vegan" and "cruelty-free" are the same thing and can be used interchangeably. But that's not true! Cruelty-free indicates that a product isn't tested on animals, while vegan means that the product is free from animal and animal-derived ingredients.
If you see that a lip balm has a certified cruelty-free label, don't immediately assume that it's vegan. Again, check if it has the certified vegan trademark. If it doesn't, take the extra step and look through the ingredient list.
The two main components of lip balms are waxes and moisturizers. But balms can also be formulated with essential oils for scents. In this section, we'll discuss what ingredients to look for in a vegan lip balm.
Wax serves to give lip balms structure and solid consistency. Some plant-based waxes to look for include carnauba wax, candelilla wax, and rose wax. They are easily absorbed by the skin and moisturize your lips well.
Waxes act as a great barrier over your lips. If you have severely chapped lips or spend lots of time outside the cold, then waxes are a great option for protection.
Waxes can also be used to protect the skin around your lips from your mouth's moisture, which can cause irritation. There's a condition called lip licking dermatitis where moisture from licking lips causes a scaling and itching rash. Using a wax-based lip balm will protect your lips and skin from saliva and help prevent irritation.
Lip balms are often formulated with oils or plant-based butter such as shea butter, jojoba oil, cocoa butter, and coconut oil. They're chock-full of fatty acids that soften your lips and provide you with moisture-preserving benefits.
Some products are made with lightweight moisturizers such as aloe vera, vegetable-based glycerin, and hyaluronic acid. They increase the moisture level in your skin and leave your lips feeling healthy and plump.
During the winter months, the skin of your lips is very prone to becoming dry and chapped. Using ointments with hydrating ingredients can help prevent this and also treat it once it occurs.
Glycerin and hyaluronic acid are non-irritating, hydrating ingredients. Aim for lip balms with these, and remember to apply frequently throughout the day for the best results and protection.
Some scented lip balms derive their scents from essential oils. If you like a cool and refreshing scent, go for a lip balm with peppermint oil. For a light, sweet scent, consider one with floral essential oils like rose or lavender.
Fruity or citrusy scents are often extracted from orange peel essential oil and pomegranate essential oil. There are endless choices when it comes to scents! But if you have fragrance sensitivity, consider a fragrance-free product.
Avoid essential oils if you have a history of eczema or sensitive skin. In fact, essential oils, in my practice, are a common cause of facial contact dermatitis and can actually make things worse.
Using peppermint-based products can also trigger an outbreak of perioral dermatitis, or an acne-like rash around the mouth. Essential oils are fine ingredient-wise, but take caution if you have skin conditions.
Harsh environmental conditions such as sun damage, pollution, and cold temperatures can dry out your lips and cause lip wrinkles (or lip lines). To prevent and minimize the appearance of lip wrinkles, choose a lip balm with antioxidant-rich ingredients such as algae, pomegranate oil, acai oil, and vitamin E.
Some products also offer broad-spectrum sun protection to protect your lips against the damages of both UVA and UVB rays. Exfoliating your lips can help get rid of lip wrinkles as well. Some lip balms actually double as lip scrubs and contain exfoliants such as coconut flower sugar and alpha hydroxy acid (AHA).
Your lower lip in particular is subject to a lot of sun. I commonly see sun damage and skin cancers on lips.
Taking steps to protect your lips from UV rays and free radical damage is important to help prevent skin cancers. Look for a balm that has broad-spectrum UV protection and reapply frequently.
If there are days when you just want a natural and soft color on your lips, consider a tinted lip balm! It usually comes in a sheer shade that helps enhance your natural lip color without making you look too done up.
Just like regular lipsticks, tinted lip balms can have a glossy or a matte finish. Tinted lip balms are usually buildable as well. So if you want a more intense color, feel free to layer up.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Hurraw! Black Cherry Tinted Lip Balm | ![]() | Certified Vegan and Cruelty-Free | |
2 | Glow Recipe Glow Lip Pop Lip Balm | ![]() | Adds a Sheer, Natural Color to Your Lips | |
3 | Walrus Oil Logger's Lip Balm|2 pack | ![]() | A Solution for Cracked, Chapped Lips | |
4 | Eco Lips Vegan Lip Balm|3 pack | ![]() | A Variety Pack With Three Different Scents | |
5 | Sun Bum Sunscreen Lip Balm | ![]() | SPF 30 and Vitamin E to Protect Your Lips from UV Rays | |
6 | Honest Beauty Tinted Lip Balm |Plum drop | ![]() | Antioxidant-Rich Formula That's Also Vegan | |
7 | tarte SEA Quench Lip Rescue Balm | ![]() | Tons of Nourishment for Your Lips | |
8 | Pacifica Color Quench Lip Tint|Vanilla Hibiscus | ![]() | Offers a Subtle Shade With a Nice Shine | |
9 | Biossance Squalane+ Rose Vegan Lip Balm | ![]() | Gives Your Lips a Nice, Glossy Look | |
10 | Milk Makeup KUSH Lip Balm | ![]() | Soothing Tinted Lip Balm With a Satin Finish |
This certified vegan lip balm is black cherry-flavored and tinted. The formula is infused with many moisturizing ingredients such as safflower seed oil, candelilla wax, and castor seed oil. It's also certified cruelty-free by several companies and is handcrafted in small batches to ensure quality.
A few buyers complain that the tint is too sheer, but others are happy with the subtle, natural color that the lip balm imparts. The majority praise the moisturizing effects of this lip balm and add that it heals their cracked and chapped lips. Many reviewers compliment the smooth texture, too.
Glow Recipe's tinted lip balm not only coats your lips with a layer of moisture but also adds a splash of natural and shimmering color. Formulated with flower-derived AHA and coconut flower sugar, it triples as a scrub to gently exfoliate dead skin cells, leaving your lips feeling smooth and healthy.
A few buyers say the exfoliating power of this lip balm isn't that strong. However, the majority compliment the sheer, "your lips but better" shades of the lip balm. After using the product, many say their lips look smooth and plump. They find the scent pleasant, too!
Formulated with nourishing oils such as almond oil, jojoba oil, and black currant seed oil, this vegan lip balm will deeply moisturize your lips. On top of that, its scent is naturally derived from clove flower oil and menthol crystals, and contains not artificial flavors. This lip balm is perfect for cold a hard weather.
A few reviewers note that the menthol ingredient causes a tingling sensation. Still, most reviewers love the non-greasy consistency and are impressed with the moisturizing power of this lip balm. They add that it makes their chapped and cracked lips soft and gets them through the cold winter months.
This variety pack of lip balms comes in three different scents: lemon-lime, superfruit, and sweet mint. They are infused with sunflower seed oil, coconut oil, vitamin E, and other moisturizers to protect your lips against dryness. These lip balms are also certified by the National Sanitation Foundation, meaning that they are generally safe for public health.
According to some reviewers, these lip balms are a bit greasy. They say the moisturizing effect doesn't last that long, so they have to constantly re-apply. Still, most people love that these lip balms smell pleasant and don't have any flavor. Another plus point for buyers is the nourishing formula that softens their lips.
Sun Bum's lip balm has broad-spectrum sun protection, SPF 30, to protect your lips from the damaging effects of both UVA and UVB rays. It's also formulated with aloe vera and vitamin E to further defend your lips against harsh weather conditions that lead to dry, chapped lips.
Some buyers dislike the flavor of the lip balm, saying they can taste the sunscreen. Luckily, this balm comes in many different flavors. Most reviewers agree that this lip balm glides on smoothly. They find the formula highly moisturizing and keeps their lips smooth for a long time.
This tinted lip balm is enriched with avocado oil to leave your lips feeling smooth and soft for up to six hours. It also contains acai and pomegranate oils, which have strong antioxidant properties to neutralize the damages of free radicals and soothe dry, chapped lips.
Many reviewers love that this lip balm doesn't make their lips feel sticky and doesn't have a flavor. They confirm that the lip balm softens their lips and makes them moist.
A few complain that it doesn't last long. Some also note that the color isn't very pigmented. Still, many others love the shade of this lip balm as it's natural-looking and buildable.
Combining antioxidant-rich algae, portulaca pilosa extract, and marine flower extracts, this tinted lip balm from tarte can help make fine lines and wrinkles much less visible. The addition of spilanthes acmella flower extract improves the skin's elasticity, while coconut oil and vitamin E deeply hydrate your lips.
Many reviewers compliment the shades that the lip balm comes in, saying that they all look natural and have a pretty glossy finish. However, some people find the shades too light and are disappointed that the pigments disappear rather quickly.
Still, the moisturizing power of this lip balm receives many compliments from reviewers. Even those with chapped, cracked lips say it remedies their dry lips well.
Pacifica's Color Quench Lip Tint is enriched with coconut oil, avocado oil, and cocoa seed butter. Those ingredients are all packed with fatty acids that will soften your lips and keep them moisturized for a long time.
According to some buyers, the shade of this lip balm is very light. So, if you prefer a more pigmented shade, you can apply a layer of lipstick on top of it. Nevertheless, the majority says this lip balm leaves their lips feeling soft, plump, and moisturized for a while. Many love the subtle shine it adds to their lips, too.
This fragrance-free lip balm harnesses the power of rose wax to lock in moisture and keep your lips plump. The infusion of lightweight moisturizers such as ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and sugarcane-derived squalane further hydrates your lips without making them feel greasy.
A few buyers don't like the gritty texture of the lip balm. But most reviewers say this lip balm goes on smoothly and softens their lips nicely. They further say that it adds a beautiful glossy sheen to their lips.
This tinted lip balm comes in six different light shades with a satin finish. The formula is hydrating thanks to the blend of moisturizers such as hemp-derived cannabis sativa seed oil, jojoba oil, shea butter, and moringa butter. Those ingredients are soothing and can keep your lips from chapping.
A few buyers are disappointed with the staying power of the product. But many others compliment that this lip balm goes on smoothly and softens their lips well. They love how it doesn't leave their lips feeling sticky, too! For many others, the sheer shades are flattering.
Dr. Levy says, "As we age, our lips become thinner and often look dehydrated. This is why lip filler is such a popular procedure. They restore volume and shape to the lips. By incorporating a lip balm into your routine daily, you can help prevent your lips from aging rapidly."
If you're looking for more vegan and cruelty-free beauty products, we've got you covered. Check out our related articles below!
No. 1: Hurraw! |Black Cherry Tinted Lip Balm
No. 2: Glow Recipe |Glow Lip Pop Lip Balm
No. 3: Walrus Oil |Logger's Lip Balm|2 pack
No. 4: Eco Lips |Vegan Lip Balm|3 pack
No. 5: Sun Bum|Sunscreen Lip Balm
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
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