The 13 Best Lip Balms For Mature Lips 

There are a few things able to cheer us up during the long winter days; a hot chocolate, a good book and especially a lip balm. We simply can’t get enough of it. It’s our saviour when lips threaten to crack, it’s our quick fix when we want to add a hint of colour to our lips but we don’t like lipstick and as we age, lip balm isn’t just an optional add-on to your beauty routine — it’s actually a crucial step in keeping our lips healthy. 

So much different from the one we used to hide from mum when first starting to experiment with makeup at a young age, new lip balm formulas often contain nourishing ingredients like natural oils, shea butter, antioxidants, and vitamins to help replenish moisture, reduce the appearance of fine lines, and promote smoother and healthier-looking lips. 

Of course, what works best for you may depend on your personal preferences (stick, pot, tube) and specific lip concerns. Whether you look for a subtle tinted balm, formulated with SPF, or even a glossy stick, just make sure to use a product specifically designed for mature lips.

In this article, we’ll explore the best lip balms for you to consider and the benefits of using them regularly.

Why do lips get dry as we age?

As we grow older, our lips become even more susceptible to external factors due to their thin and delicate nature. The collagen, fat pads, and muscles that support the lips gradually decrease, leading to thinner lips with more noticeable lines.

Beyond genetics, contributing factors such as UV damage from unprotected sun exposure, smoking, and other lifestyle habits play a role in lips’ loss of volume, wrinkled appearance, and weakened colour. 

What to look for in lip balms?

Giving your lips a surge of lasting moisture goes a long way to softening the appearance of ageing. When it comes to how to fix thinning lips and volume loss, a combination of reparative and hydrating ingredients can have both long-term and more immediate effects. 

In general, seek out ingredients that promote lip skin barrier strength. Examples include fatty acids, antioxidant-rich plant oils, ceramides, hyaluronic acid etc. and stay away from chemicals that are harmful like parabens and fragrances.

Dermatologists from The American Academy Of Dermatology Association recommend using products that contain emollients like shea butter, which helps to soften and smooth the skin. Additionally, using humectants like hyaluronic acid and glycerin can draw moisture into the lips, while occlusives like petroleum jelly create a protective barrier to lock in moisture. It is also important to choose lip products with SPF to provide an extra layer of protection against UV exposure. 

However, if you are looking for medicated balms for chapped lips, there are some specific guidelines to keep in mind. Be cautious of those products that are marketed as medicated and contain ingredients like menthol or camphor. While they may initially provide a soothing sensation, they can actually dry out the skin and worsen chapped lips.

The best lip balms for mature lips

From Cleopatra’s hand to yours, this lip care staple has come a long way and has taken on many shapes and forms. From hydrating to tinted salves, here are the best lip balm options we can’t live without.

• Burt’s Bees All-Weather SPF 15 Moisturizing Lip Balm Tube

It protects and nourishes your lips all year long. Infused with zinc oxide, this natural broad-spectrum SPF15 lip balm provides sunscreen benefits without the typical whitening appearance and leaves your lips richly moisturised and soft. Rain or shine, Burt’s Bees All-Weather SPF15 will make your lips juicy, happy and feeling healthy in a matte finish and is water resistant (40 minutes). Formulated without parabens, phthalates, petrolatum and SLS.

• Neutrogena Hydro Boost Lip Treatment shell

Formulated with hyaluronic acid, it provides intense hydration to dry, mature lips. It also contains SPF 20 to protect against sun damage. This lip balm has a smooth, non-greasy texture and can be worn alone or under lipstick. This product instantly infuses dry, chapped, or cracked lips with intense conditioning to help soothe and improve texture. Available in one neutral shade, this lip balm won’t tint lips or leave a waxy feel as it moisturizes. The convenient shell case makes it easy to carry with you in a purse or pocket for on-the-go hydration.

• Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment stick

A 24-hour hydrating lip balm powered by sugar from beetroot and sugar cane that offers sheer, buildable colour with a smooth, buttery texture. Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment stick contains a blend of natural oils, including jojoba and grapeseed, to nourish and moisturize the lips. It also has SPF 15 for sun protection. It comes in a variety of tinted shades that adjust to different skin tones leaving lips feeling and looking healthy and effortlessly sexy.

• O’Keeffe’s Lip Repair Lip Balm stick

Specifically designed for extremely dry, cracked lips, it contains a high concentration of glycerin to provide intense hydration and protect the lips from further damage. This lip balm is specially formulated to create a protective barrier on the skin’s surface that locks in moisture. Unscented, it has a non-greasy formula.

• L’Occitane Shea Butter Ultra Rich Lip Balm stick

L’Occitane’s Shea Butter Lip Balm is enriched with shea butter, a natural ingredient known for its moisturizing properties. It also contains vitamin E to protect the lips from free radical damage. L’Occitane Shea Butter Lip Balm stick has a creamy texture and a subtle vanilla scent. It lasts for so long and gives the most luscious feeling and look to your lips.

• Nuxe – Ultra-nourishing Lip Balm, Rêve de Miel pot

Made with precious beehive ingredients (lavender Honey from Provence, propolis, beeswax) to repair and soften very dry and damaged lips, it has a rich melt-away texture and distinctive natural scent with notes of grapefruit and lemon that create a completely addictive experience. You can also use the balm as a night mask by applying a generous quantity to the lips before going to bed.

• Clinique – Repairwear™ Intensive Lip Treatment stick

An intensive lip treatment that helps repair the look of lines on and around the lips. Free of parabens and phthalates, this lip treatment replenishes natural moisture, so lips stay soft and hydrated. Long lasting, non-greasy, and hydrating, it creates a subtle ‘gloss’ look.

• Bodyshop Strawberry Lip Butter pot

Intensely nourishes and helps protect your lips, it’s a rich, buttery balm that moisturises and soothes dry lips and gives them a light, natural-looking sheen without adding colour. Made with 95% ingredients of natural origin, including handcrafted Community Fair Trade shea butter from Ghana and strawberry seed oil, this vegan balm also leaves lips looking softer and smoother with a subtle sweet scent.

• Eucerin – Acute Lip Balm tube

This is a real lip rescue. A highly effective balm that instantly soothes and moisturises dry and cracked lips, as well as the perioral area around them. It contains soothing licochalcone A that reduces redness and calms irritation, evening primrose oil that helps regenerate the lips’ natural protective barrier, panthenol and glycerol. Suitable for conditions such as lip-lick eczema, cheilitis or dry lips caused by medical treatment.

• Labello Crayon lip balm stick

So much more than just a lip balm, this unique hydrating formula combines the iconic caring abilities of Labello with intensive colour pigments. Ideal for those women who don’t like wearing lipstick, it’s available in 5 shades, for an instant uplift and long-lasting moisture for lips that feel soft to the touch.

• Nivea Milk & Honey Lip Care stick

It’s your everyday superhero. It provides lips with the nourishing care they deserve. Its formula is mineral oil-free and enriched with a variety of nourishing ingredients including honey, milk proteins, and shea butter to keep lips beautiful. The unique formula of Nivea milk & honey Lip Care keeps lips well hydrated and provides all-day moisture. This leaves lips feeling super soft and looking smooth. A quick on-the-go balm, it has a perfect high quality for the price. 

• Caudalie Vinotherapist Lip Conditioner stick

If you have sensitive skin but like some fragrance in your products, consider Caudalie’s Vinotherapist Lip Conditioner. It’s enriched with nourishing grape seed oil and antioxidant grape polyphenols and lastingly protects and soothes dry lips. Its texture instantly melts without a greasy effect and leaves your lips moisturized. Its sweet orange fragrance with a hint of vanilla subtly perfumes the lips for protection all day long.

• Dior Lip Glow Lip Balm stick

The essential Dior Addict Lip Glow lip balm has been reinvented with a sensorial texture for lips that are both beautified and hydrated. Multi-use, it can be worn on its own as a lip balm or as a primer under lipstick. It’s a sheer, subtle balm that leaves your lips soft with a very natural tint. A unique formula made with natural-origin ingredients infused with cherry oil, it comes in different shades to suit all skin tones. Definitely a touch of luxury for your lips.

In conclusion, selecting the right lip balm for mature lips is essential for maintaining their health, hydration, and appearance. By choosing a product formulated with hydrating, protective, and soothing ingredients, you can effectively address the specific needs of ageing lips and keep them looking and feeling their best.

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