Most people deal with dry or chapped lips at some point in their lives, but our lips are made up of a special type of skin that needs its own unique care. Natural lip balms are a great way to give your lips what they need to heal and remain healthy, but watch out for the harmful and hidden ingredients you might not be aware of though. Some ingredients in so-called natural lip balms can cause irritation, dryness, and even worse conditions.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I could be compensated if you decide to make a purchase. You can read my full disclosure here.
Here we’ve created a list of the 8 Best Natural Lip Balm Options based on overall quality and safety! We’ll also be letting you know about some ingredients you should avoid, ingredients that are beneficial, and raw, natural lip balm alternatives you can rely on for a simple fix!
Ingredients You Should Avoid When Looking for Natural Lip Balm
Not all products labeled “natural” are created equal. Some ingredients to avoid that might cause irritation or other harm in some people are:
Vitamin E (Tocopherol or Tocopheryl Acetate). Yayy, vitamins! Must be healthy right? Vitamin E can be beneficial for our 3-layered regular skin, but it may be too harsh for the delicate skin of our lips. Watch out for this if your skin is sensitive.
Petroleum and Mineral Oil. Our worry with these ingredients is the possibility of contamination in the refining process (by hydrocarbons), which have been linked to multiple health issues, including cancer.
Alcohol, Menthol, Camphor, & Phenol. These sneaky types of alcohols rob your lips of their moisture and increase healing time. That’s the opposite of what we want lip balm to do!
Fragrances. Many synthetic fragrances are added to improve the smell and flavor of lip balms, but they can cause harmful irritation to the delicate layers of our lip skin.
Parabens have many names, but we’re here to tell you that they can have serious risks by disrupting the body’s endocrine system (hormone regulation) and increasing the likelihood of cancer.
BHA & BHT. These commonly-used food preservatives have possible health consequences in the human body. They give products an extended shelf life, but they’re unnecessary and can build up in the body over time, creating more harm to our health.
Synthetic Dyes. Dyes like Red-40 contain contaminants that are known carcinogens. These colors can also cause allergic reactions in some people.
Mint. Peppermint and other mint additives may feel cooling at first, but these ingredients can cause irritation to the sensitive skin on our lips.
Essential Oils. Essential oils have many uses, but they are often much too harsh for the fragile skin of your lips.
Cinnamates. Sometimes this is added as a lip plumper effect, SPF protection, or just as a fragrance. Some people have known allergies to cinnamon and its derivatives, so the major concern here is sensitivities.
Oxybenzone. A known endocrine disruptor, and often associated with endometriosis, oxybenzone may add protection from the sun, but it may be more harmful to our health. There are other forms of sun protection. We don’t want protection in the form of toxins!
Gallates. Often added for glossiness, these substances have been banned in Japan, in the UK (in infant foods), and in parts of the EU. These may appear in products as the ingredient Propyl Gallate.
The 8 Best Natural Lip Balms
Lowen’s Natural Skin Care Be Local Lip Balm
This lip balm formula is 100% all-natural and is EWG verified, which we love! The company is based in Canada, and they source their products locally as often as possible. They’re cruelty-free too! Additionally, a portion of each sale goes to a local hive rescue mission.
Elaluz 24K Lip Therapy
As a lip therapy, you can expect ultra hydration with only the best ingredients! Their formula is free of nasty chemicals like parabens, sulfates, and silicones, and it’s EWG verified and Leaping Bunny Certified! With its sheen appearance you can use it alone, or on top of your favorite lip color.
Akar Skin Pure Lip Restoration
This lip balm is petroleum-free, so you can actually stay hydrated all day without harmful ingredients clogging your pores. Pure Lip Restoration is made 100% percent with plant-based products, it’s free from mineral oil, and it provides instant hydration. You can apply this lip balm in a thicker layer overnight for a more intense treatment.
Marin Bee Lip Repair
If you love giving your lips a glossy look, this lip repair formula may be the one for you! It’s formulated with 99% natural and organic ingredients to help soothe and condition your lips. Also, it has a subtle pink tint, so you may not need any additional lip color.
Makes 3 Organics Organic Unscented Nourishing Lip Balm
For all of the ladies who want the benefits of a natural lip balm without the scent, this is probably your best pick! It’s 100% organic, non toxic, and made in California. By using organic coconut oil and shea butter, it has natural SPF properties and moisturizes your lips with rich vitamins.
Biossance Rose Vegan Lip Balm
This petroleum-free formula is vegan, non toxic, and fragrance-free! It gives you a hyaluronic acid lip treatment without chemicals, which makes your lips look fuller while staying smooth and hydrated. For what it is, it’s a great budget-friendly option too.
isoi Sensitive Skin Moisture Lip Balm
For the ones who seem to have an allergic reaction to everything, this natural lip balm scores best for sensitive skin and is EWG Verified. We love that on their website, they list out the ingredients they use along with the EWG Hazard Rating offering full transparency to their customers.
Silk Therapeutics Lip Revive, Unscented
This EWG Verified natural lip balm uses minimal ingredients which is great for all skin types. You can use Lip Revive as a primer or on top of lip color for extra shine. No clogging and suffocating your pores here because this formula is petroleum-free!
What Can I Use Instead of Lip Balm?
When you want a truly natural lip balm, you can’t get more natural than whole, raw ingredients! Check out some great options for natural lip balm alternatives down below.
Aloe Vera Gel. This plant is not only good for treating burns. The Aloe Vera plant is a great source to return the moisture to your lips and soothe any irritation you may have!
Shea Butter. Tried and true, Shea Butter is a fat extracted from the nut of the African shea tree. Shea Butter has been used throughout human history to moisturize and lock in our skin’s moisture. High concentrations of fatty acids and vitamins are what to thank for Shea Butter’s beneficial properties.
Jojoba Seed Oil. Greatly similar to our skin’s natural oil (sebum) Jojoba oil acts as a moisturizer for the lip skin that does not produce any natural oils.
Lanolin Oil. This vegan-friendly oil is a byproduct produced when sheep’s wool is sheared once a year. Lanolin is one of the best
Coconut oil is another natural remedy to dry and cracked lips, but it may clog the pores on your face and cause acne in other applications.
Tips to Keep Your Lips Moisturized without Lip Balm
The best way to fix a problem is to prevent it at the source. There are several ways to keep the moisture locked in your lips so they stay looking healthy. To keep your lips luscious and moisturized, try these tips to get the upper hand on dry and cracked lips!
Don’t Lick Your Lips. Saliva contains enzymes used to jump-start our digestion process. As you can imagine, these digestive enzymes are bad for our lips! The moisture deposited on your lips evaporates to further draw out moisture. The combination of these two things destroys our sensitive lip skin.
Stay Hydrated. Staying hydrated is the most important part of healing or keeping lips healthy. Drinking water helps all of your body keep working hard to protect you and repair any damage caused.
Use a Humidifier. Keeping a humidifier at home or in the workplace is a helpful way to keep lips moisturized healthy. The added moisture in the room means less moisture will leave your lips throughout your day!
The cosmetic industry, unfortunately, is filled with unnecessary toxic compounds. For people who wear makeup frequently and follow a strict skincare regimen, non toxic beauty products should definitely be on your list to seek out! You can find all of our non toxic beauty articles here, but below are some of our favorites!
