Lips are skin too! We can’t stress this enough that you need to focus on lip care just as much as you do the skin on the rest of your body. Especially for beauty fans who love a great lip color, just know that dry, chapped lips plus color aren’t a good look. Whether you’re combating seasonal dry skin (winter lips are a thing!) or just want to keep your pucker hydrated and healthy, a good lip butter is a must-have item in your beauty arsenal.
Regardless of whether you’re shopping on a budget or just want to splurge on an indulgent lip treatment, we’ve rounded up some of the best lip butters designed to hydrate, protect, and repair the delicate skin on your lips.
In this article:
- Our Picks for the Best Lip Butters
- What to Look for in the Perfect Lip Butter for You?
- Lip Butter FAQs
Best Lip Butters Overview
- Best Overall: Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Kiss Cupuaçu Lip Butter
- Best Budget: Essence Lip Care Booster Lip Butter
- Best Anti-Aging: Ere Perez Cranberry Lip & Eye Butter
- Best Overnight: COSRX Lip Sleep Ceramide Lip Butter Sleeping Mask
- Best K-Beauty: Melixir Vegan Lip Butter
- Best Vegan: Nudestix Hydra-Peptide Lip Butter
- Best Plumping: Naturopathica Sweet Cherry Conditioning Lip Butter
- Best for Chapped Lips: Weleda Skin Food Lip Butter
- Best Hydrating: Tree Hut Sugarlips Lip Butter
- Best Tinted: Tarte Sugar Rush – Best Bud Lip Butter Balm
- Best with CBD: Truly Pineapple Haze CBD Glossy Lip Butter
- Best Natural Formula: Burt’s Bees Lavender & Honey Lip Butter
- Best with SPF: Well People Lip Butter SPF 15
- Best Nourishing: Origins Drink Up Nourishing Avocado Lip Butter
- Best High-Shine: Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm
Our Picks of the Best Lip Butters
From the best overnight treatment to the best budget-friendly option, this list features all the best lip butters available on the market right now.
From the brand probably best known for their Bum Bum Cream comes a nourishing lip butter designed to infuse moisture while leaving a natural finish. Sol de Janeiro’s lip butter is a cruelty-free pick that’s made without parabens but full of moisture-rich ingredients that leave your lips kissably soft.
Cupuaçu is combined with açaí and coconut oil for an ultra-hydrating experience that banishes dryness. You’ll get a soft, warm spicy scent that smells of Brazilian caramel. You can also use this product without guilt, as it’s also made without phthalates. Shop for it at Sephora or Amazon!
- Size: 0.21 oz.
- Format: Stick
- Key Ingredients: Cupuaçu butter, açaí oil, coconut oil
- Cruelty-Free/Vegan: Yes/No
- Flavor: Brazilian caramel scent
Pros
- Perfect to use any time
- Designed to nourish lips with cupuaçu, coconut oil, and açaí
- Low luster natural finish
Cons
- Pricey
Supple, soft lips don’t have to cost more than a cup of coffee. Thankfully, wallet-friendly brand Essence has their Lip Care Booster Lip Butter. This affordable alternative is made to be a hydrating balm that is perfect for everyday use. Along with moisturizing support, you’ll also get a great plumping effect.
The main ingredient in this pick is coconut oil, making it one of the best lip butters for budget-minded beauties. Along with being cruelty-free, you can rest easy that this pick is free from animal by-products, alcohol, gluten, parabens, preservatives, and microplastic particles. Buy it at Ulta!
- Size: 0.42 oz.
- Format: Squeeze tube
- Key Ingredients: Coconut oil
- Cruelty-Free/Vegan: Yes/Yes
- Flavor: Coconut
Pros
- Contains 10% coconut oil to hydrate
- No gluten or alcohol
- Affordable
- Plumps and hydrates
Cons
- May not be thick enough to be effective for severely chapped lips
We’re always a fan of a multi-tasking beauty product, which is why the Ere Perez pick is one of the best lip butters for people trying to pare down their beauty collection. This pick is packed with skin-loving ingredients that are designed to hydrate, repair, and maintain a youthful appearance.
Along with shea butter – a must-have for moisture retention – this butter is formulated with vitamin E, fatty acids, and cranberry, which is rich in vitamin C for antioxidant properties. Additionally, you’ll enjoy the added cucumber, which works to soothe and depuff your skin, while lactic acid aids in cell regeneration. Buy it at Revolve or Amazon!
- Size: 0.35 oz.
- Format: Jar
- Key Ingredients: Shea butter, vitamin E, cranberry, cucumber, calendula, lactic acid
- Cruelty-Free/Vegan: Yes/Yes
- Flavor: Fragrance-free
Pros
- Multi-purpose for eyes and lips
- Contains moisture-rich ingredients, fatty acids, and antioxidants to help protect skin barrier
- Lactic acid promotes cell turnover
Cons
- pricey
You might be surprised to learn that your skin regenerates best at night. This is why so many nighttime creams are packed with gentle active ingredients designed to promote cellular turnover or moisture infusion. The COSRX overnight lip mask is a lip butter that’s intended to be part of your nighttime routine.
This creamy butter works thanks to a combination of shea butter and ceramides to help infuse hydration into dry lips. Designed to feel like a balm, it works to help heal chapped lips. It features a non-greasy formula that smooths and softens. Note that coconut oil is also a prime ingredient that aids in restoring the skin’s suppleness. Buy it at Ulta or Amazon!
- Size: 0.70 oz.
- Format: Jar
- Key Ingredients: Ceramides, shea butter, coconut oil, jojoba seed oil
- Cruelty-Free/Vegan: Yes/No
- Flavor: Fragrance-free
Pros
- Designed specifically to repair and hydrate chapped lips
- Non-greasy balm texture
- Thick texture ideal as an overnight formula
- Ceramides work to reinforce skin barrier function
- Great for sensitive skin
Cons
- Some may dislike the gritty texture
K-beauty brands continue to impress and delight as more and more Western beauty fans are introduced to a new, yet effective, multi-step approach to skincare that yields consistent results. The Melixer lip butter is a great option that offers a hint of color while also working to repair dry, cracked, and chapped lips.
This PETA-certified cruelty-free brand offers a bee-free, petrolatum-free butter in 12 colors. This lip butter relies on plant-based ingredients like agave and shea butter to infuse moisture. Meanwhile, you’ll also get vitamin E, jojoba oil, argan oil, and green tea seed oil, which all work to deeply penetrate the skin for effective hydration. Buy it on Amazon!
- Size: 0.13 oz.
- Format: Stick
- Key Ingredients: Shea butter, agave, green tea seed oil, vitamin E, argan oil, jojoba oil
- Cruelty-Free/Vegan: Yes/Yes
- Flavor: Citrusy herbal
Pros
- Safe for all skin types
- Available in 12 colors
- Sustainable FSC-certified packaging
- Buildable color
Cons
- May not be as moisturizing as competitors
Is it even hydrating if a moisturizer doesn’t contain shea butter? We tend to think that people with seriously dry skin – including lips – should be prioritizing lip care items that contain shea. That’s why we think the Nudestix lip butter is one of the best for repairing extremely dry, irritated skin.
Along with shea butter, Nudestix adds Tripeptides Pal-KMO2K, which works to help stimulate hyaluronic acid and collagen to not only lock in moisture but to even plump your lip by as much as 15%. You might even get an overall enhanced lip matrix by as much as 130%, thanks to the collagen. Note this pick also has eco-friendly packaging and is vegan, cruelty-free, and a clean beauty product. Buy it at Revolve or Ulta!
- Size: 0.34 oz.
- Format: Squeeze tube
- Key Ingredients: Shea butter, avocado butter, peptides
- Cruelty-Free/Vegan: Yes/Yes
- Flavor: Mint
Pros
- Avocado and shea butter soften and nourish lips
- Tripeptides Pal-KMO2K helps stimulate hyaluronic acid and collagen
- Clear formula
- Free from sulfates, phthalates, gluten, parabens, and synthetic fragrances
- Eco-friendly packaging
- Works to plump lips and lock in moisture
Cons
- Expensive
- Lip plumping feature may not appeal to everyone
While not everyone needs or wants a lip plumper, it’s a nice feature for people who like the idea of a fuller pout but aren’t ready to commit to fillers. The Naturopthica lip butter is the best option for this task and pulls double duty as a moisturizer that works to gently plump lips with natural ingredients.
The pomegranate-jojoba complex conditions your lips, while sweet cherry puree provides much-needed antioxidants to protect the lip’s delicate skin. You’ll also get an infusion of nutrients, thanks to moringa seed oil boosting the skin’s health while also improving the appearance of your lips. This lip butter is also cruelty-free and free from parabens, sulfates, phthalates, silicone, and synthetic fragrance. Buy it at Nordstrom, Dermstore, or Amazon!
- Size: 0.5 oz.
- Format: Jar
- Key Ingredients: Moringa seed oil, sweet cherry puree, pomegranate-jojoba complex
- Cruelty-Free/Vegan: Yes/Yes
- Flavor: Subtle cherry
Pros
- Free from parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and silicone
- Moringa seed oil to improve overall skin health and appearance
- Works to condition lips and reveal softer, fuller pout
- Pomegranate-jojoba complex to nourish lips
Cons
- Doesn’t explicitly list specific ingredient that plumps lips
No one likes chapped lips, but even when you’re diligent about skincare, it can happen to the best of us. This is especially true in the wintertime. The Weleda lip butter is designed to combat even the driest, most-chapped lips with a formula rich in natural ingredients designed to reverse lip damage and infuse essential moisture.
You’ll like that sunflower oil works to moisturize, hydrate, and protect, while both chamomile and calendula extracts aid in repairing and nourishing your lips. Note that this lip butter will leave a light glossy finish. But it’s also a great product to use as a prep step before applying a matte liquid lipstick. Buy it at the Dermstore, Ulta, or Amazon!
- Size: 0.27 oz.
- Format: Squeeze tube
- Key Ingredients: Sunflower oil, chamomile extract, calendula extract
- Cruelty-Free/Vegan: Yes/No
- Flavor: Rose
Pros
- Clean product
- Moisturizing lip balm with a slight gloss
- Works to soothe and repair chapped lips
- Free from harsh ingredients
Cons
- Some may dislike the medicinal smell
- Thinner consistency may be unappealing to some people
When you’re struggling with seriously dry lips, the last thing you want is a thin lip product that feels like it disappears two minutes after it’s applied. The Tree Hut lip butter is the best product for beauties focused on hydration, thanks to a formula that’s rich in shea butter, rosehip oil, and chinaberry extract.
You already know that shea butter is an ultra-hydrating ingredient that also boosts the skin’s elasticity. But rosehip oil also works to soothe dry, cracked lips, while chinaberry aids in long-lasting moisture for lips that have a more youthful appearance. This lip butter works to create a protective barrier that locks in moisture and has a rich, buttery formula that sticks around. Buy it at Ulta or Amazon!
- Size: 0.52 oz.
- Format: Squeeze tube
- Key Ingredients: Rosehip oil, chinaberry extract, shea butter
- Cruelty-Free/Vegan: Yes/Yes
- Flavor: Mango & vanilla
Pros
- Moisture-rich ingredients to heal and repair dry lips
- Chinaberry works to naturally plump lips while moisturizing them
- Thicker buttery formula may be ideal for people with chapped lips
Cons
- Some may dislike the gritty texture
Sometimes you just want a hint of color, so your lips don’t feel completely bare. If this sounds familiar, Tarte’s lip butter is the best pick for a smidge of color. Along with the adorable packaging, you’ll get a choice between rose (sheer pink) or peony (a pink-peach shade).
This cruelty-free, vegan lip balm is designed to hydrate and exfoliate your skin. Jojoba oil and shea are perfect for moisturizing, while lactic acid offers gentle exfoliation support. We also like that this pick is dermatologist tested to be safe on skin. It’s also formulated without petroleum, and the packaging is responsibly made with soy ink. Buy it at Ulta or Amazon!
- Size: 0.2 oz.
- Format: Jar
- Key Ingredients: Jojoba oil, shea butter, lactic acid,
- Cruelty-Free/Vegan: Yes/Yes
- Flavor: Angel food cake scent
Pros
- Available in two shades
- Dermatologist tested
- Petroleum-free
- Offers just a hint of color but with a glossy finish
- Lactic acid works to gently exfoliate lips
- Rich hydration, thanks to jojoba oil and shea butter
Cons
- Texture may be too sticky for some
These days, CBD-infused products are all the rage because of the known benefits that hemp can provide. The Truly lip butter incorporates CBD – and it’s pretty to look at too! This vegan, clean beauty product is made with 50 milligrams of CBD but also contains a wide array of natural, beneficial ingredients. You’ll get pineapple, mango, vitamin E, and jojoba oil. Both jojoba oil and vitamin E help to boost hydration, aiding in banishing chapped, dry lips. Meanwhile, hemp (CBD) works to control irritation while also supporting hydration. Buy it at Ulta!
- Size: 0.3 oz.
- Format: Jar
- Key Ingredients: CBD, jojoba oil, vitamin E
- Cruelty-Free/Vegan: Yes/Yes
- Flavor: Pineapple
Pros
- Glossy texture
- 50 mg CBD
- Clean beauty product
- Works to hydrate lips
- CBD (hemp) aids in controlling irritation
Cons
- Some may dislike the gritty texture
If you’re the type who wants to be able to pronounce all of the ingredients in your products, then Burt’s Bees is a great brand to meet those goals. Their 100% natural origin lip butter is made from responsibly sourced butters. You’ll get hints of lavender and honey in the scent as well. This balm is designed to apply with a lightweight yet buttery texture in a tin format. It combines shea and cocoa butter and is dermatologist tested for efficacy and safety. You’ll like that it’s made without parabens, SLS, phthalates, or petrolatum. Buy it on Amazon!
- Size: 0.4 oz.
- Format: Tin
- Key Ingredients: Shea butter, cocoa butter
- Cruelty-Free/Vegan: Yes/No
- Flavor: Lavender & honey
Pros
- Made with shea and cocoa butter for rich hydration
- Naturally scented with lavender and golden honey
- 100% natural ingredients
- Lip balm texture
- Dermatologist tested
Cons
- May need frequent reapplications for lasting hydration
Just like the rest of your body, the skin on your lips is also prone to sun damage. So, opting for a lip treatment with SPF in it is a smart way to play it safe. The Well People lip butter is available in three hues. This tinted lip butter is designed to be creamy and hydrating while relying on plant-based ingredients to provide sun protection.
Non-micronized zinc provides the SPD support, while jojoba oil and raspberry seed oil work to boost hydration and even out the tone of our lips. Meanwhile, you’ll get a soft wash of color for a barely-there effect. Better still, this vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free product is formulated without the usual nasties – fragrance, phthalates, sulfates, GMOs, petrolatum, mineral oil, talc, and more. Buy it at Ulta or Amazon!
- Size: 0.17 oz.
- Format: Stick
- Key Ingredients: Jojoba oil, raspberry seed oil
- Cruelty-Free/Vegan: Yes/Yes
- Flavor: Vanilla mint
Pros
- Available in 3 colors
- Contains plant-based SPF 15
- Clean beauty product
- Sheer tint of color
- Free from fragrance, sulfates, phthalates, GMOs, mineral oil, petrolatum, and talc
Cons
- Lipstick is very dry in the tube
Many people fail to realize that the skin on their lips is incredibly delicate. Because of this, it often needs more TLC than the skin on the rest of your body. The Origins lip butter is a great way to give your lips the love they need. It’s made with eight nourishing plant oils for a nutrient-rich lip product that can pull double duty as an everyday balm or an overnight mask.
Along with avocado oil, this vegetarian lip balm also incorporates apricot oil and plant butters like mango for a formula that’s rich in emollients. You’ll also like that this pick has a slight sheen for the texture. It’s free from parabens, sulfates, phthalates, propylene glycol, formaldehyde, mineral oil, petrolatum, paraffin, DEA, and polyethylene beads. Buy it at Nordstrom or Ulta!
- Size: 0.5 oz.
- Format: Jar
- Key Ingredients: Apricot oil, avocado oil, mango seed oil
- Cruelty-Free/Vegan: No/No
- Flavor: Sweet
Pros
- Plant-based formula relies on natural butters like avocado and mango for moisture
- Multi-tasker for every day and overnight use
- Has a light sheen to the texture
- Works to prevent dehydration
Cons
- Has a gritty texture
Some people love a lip product with an ultra-glossy shine. In that case, Summer Fridays’ lip product is the best lip butter for the job. This vegan lip butter promises to not only hydrate and plump but also to leave you with a rich, glossy shine that will have everyone staring. It’s perfect for dry lips and is also a clean beauty pick that’s safe for oily, combo, and normal skin types.
This butter is formulated with a vegan wax that promises to smooth your lip without a greasy texture. Meanwhile, shea and murumuru seed butters work to naturally moisturize dry skin. And a hint of natural vanilla flavor offers a yummy scent to put a pep in your step. Buy it at Sephora, Revolve, or Amazon!
- Size: 0.5 oz.
- Format: Squeeze tube
- Key Ingredients: Shea butter, murumuru seed butter, natural waxes
- Cruelty-Free/Vegan: Yes/Yes
- Flavor: Vanilla
Pros
- Available in two colors
- Plumping
- Contains shea and murumuru seed butters for moisture
- Vegan wax with a non-greasy texture
- Natural vanilla flavor
Cons
- Some people may dislike thin formula
What to Look for in the Perfect Lip Butter for You?
Let’s face it, skincare – and by extension lip care – is personal. What one person considers a Holy Grail product may be a dud for someone else. So, you should be open to the idea that you might have to do a bit of trial and error to find the perfect lip butter for your kisser. But, there are a few criteria that you should keep in mind as you shop for a lip product that works for you.
Consider Your Lip Concerns
As evidenced from our product round-up, there are a wide array of lip products designed to do everything, from providing a wash of color to exfoliating, plumping, or simply deeply hydrating your lips. You’ll need to think about what’s most bothering you.
If you have chronically dry lips, then you’re going to want to focus on lip butters that contain moisture-rich ingredients like shea or cocoa butter. These two are proven options for infusing critical moisture.
Meanwhile, if you’re searching for a butter that also plumps, you’ll want to look for ingredients such as cayenne pepper or mint (sometimes listed menthol, peppermint, or wintergreen oil). While not officially considered active ingredients, these naturally occurring additives are top picks for creating a plumper pout, and you will physically feel them working to boost your lip volume. Alternatively, if plumping isn’t a goal, avoid lip care products with those ingredients.
Texture
Lip butter texture is a two-part consideration. On the one hand, consider whether you want to have a lip product that adds visible shine to your lips. Some people prefer something that’s low-luster, meaning that you won’t see a gloss once the product is applied. Alternatively, others like a bold shiny lip – even if there’s no color.
But also think about how the product feels on your lips. As you’ll note in our round-up, some products have a physical texture. For example, many overnight lip masks also add ingredients like plant particles to support exfoliation as you sleep. While that does help remove chapped lips, some people genuinely dislike the gritty feeling these lip butters can have.
Color
Similar to texture, people can have strong feelings about whether or not their lip butter is also infused with color. There’s no right or wrong answer, as this will depend on your preferences. But usually, you’ll find that most lip butters that also promote color properties usually only offer a hint of color. This means that in most cases, it will apply sheer, for a barely-there effect compared to the opaque color you’d get with a traditional lip gloss or lipstick.
Application Method
In theory, this factor also falls under your preference. But there’s an argument to be made for picking tube butters over jars or even stick balms with an exposed surface.
While butters sold in jars can be pretty, the reality is that every time you dip your fingers into the jar, you’re introducing bacteria and other nasties into the product. Especially if you’re trying to heal an open sore on your lips (because winter weather can cause cracked, dry lips), you’d rather opt for a squeeze-style tube where the contents aren’t exposed.
Staying Power
By default, lip butters are intended to be a bit thicker than a traditional gloss or balm. So, you’ll want to pay attention to reviews focused on how frequently people had to reapply the product. A butter that has to be reapplied every hour isn’t that effective. Likewise, products with too many reviews referencing how lips were left drier than before they were applied should be avoided.
Effectiveness
Especially for people turning to lip butters to heal very dry or chapped lips, you want a product that’s going to improve the look and feel of your lips over time. You want hydrating ingredients that deeply penetrate your skin so that – with use – your lips are less irritated and the skin is less rough, chapped, or bumpy.
Value
Even if your wallet allows you to shop without worrying about price tags, no one wants to waste their money on a tiny dollop of product that’s not effective. Value goes hand in hand with effectiveness. If you have to constantly reapply a product to reap the benefits, and it also happens to be pricier, then the value may not be there.
Lip Butter FAQs
Lip butters aren’t a new category, but if we’re being honest, sometimes brands use the term when they should use balm or salve instead. So, if you’re left scratching your head trying to decipher between a balm, butter, or gloss, keep reading.
Usually, lip butters are products designed with a higher concentration of vegetable butters or naturally derived oils. Popular ingredients include shea butter, jojoba oil, and avocado oil. But a wide range of items can be used.
Some lip butters are flavored, or coloring is added to create a tinted effect when worn on the lips. Likewise, additional ingredients like essential oils or natural colorants can also be added.
As we mentioned earlier, many brands tend to use the terms interchangeably. But lip balms and lip butters are not interchangeable. While both products tend to use a wax base – even plant-based waxes – butters tend to have a moist texture. In contrast, balms may have more of a grease-like texture, which can also have more staying power.
However, both balms and butters can make claims such as repairing chapped or severely dry skin or protecting the skin’s natural barrier. And both can also claim to improve the look and feel of your lips with consistent use. Similarly, it’s possible to find butters and balms that are sold in tins, jars, tubes, and swivel sticks.
Photos via Sephora, Ulta, Amazon, Instagram