Updated on 10 February 2023
This comparison is certified 100% impartial and follows our selection process.
SVR Cicavit+
This lip balm offers the best value for money of this selection, as it is simply the one that offers the best moisturisation and composition.
After our tests, we can confirm that this lip balm is the most effective in our test panel. During the day, its hold is quite good despite being more like a cream than a balm. When we woke up after a night of moisturising, our lips were softer and more nourished. And despite its 20 different ingredients, its composition is exemplary, with no allergens or mineral oils, but several vegetable oils and beeswax to prove its effectiveness. It also has the advantage of being fragrance-free, ideal for people who are very sensitive to odours. The only downside: the tube format is a little more complex to apply than a stick.
A good balm should be easy to apply and prevent lips from drying out. It can also provide relief and or a moisturising base before applying lipstick. The stick format is much more practical and hygienic than the tube one. It is better to check the composition to avoid potentially harmful ingredients. Natural products are composed of vegetable oils and butters, but also beeswax. There are also balms that not only moisturise but also add a touch of colour to the lips.
Le Petit Marseillais Nutrition
It is true that its composition is far from perfect, but in view of its price, it offers the best efficacy we have tested. It is also easy to apply and has a light and pleasant smell.
In our tests, we found that this product has a long-lasting hold and provides good hydration to the lips on a daily basis. At night, it is partially effective, as our lips were in better condition than the night before, but still not perfectly moisturised. With these results, we recommend it more as a daytime low-cost solution to prevent and/or counteract the onset of dry lips than as a winter ally. As for the composition, it has some controversial ingredients: quaternary ammonium, mineral oils, perfume… On the other hand, all this allows it to have a subtle and pleasant smell that does not linger in the nose for too long, as well as a consistency that is easy to apply.
Burt's Bees
Rich in beeswax, sunflower and coconut oil, it is distinguished by its long-lasting effectiveness and its action on chapped lips. We also liked its pleasant scent.
Burt’s Bees provides lip care products based on beeswax. After testing, the balm seems to soften the lips and is effective over time. Its thicker texture is pleasant to apply, but it is a bit more sticky. Fragranced with peppermint essential oil, some people appreciate its freshness and the slight tingling effect on application, others prefer the more usual scents of the honey or vanilla versions. The composition is also top-notch. And if you want a coloured solution, you should know that we also tested the hibiscus one, which turned out to be the best in terms of daily hold (more than 3 hours). On the other hand, we found the colour too orangey, and it rubs off a lot (when kissing someone on the cheek, for example).
Benecos Orange
Impressively effective, this lip balm stick has won us over with its ability to moisturise at night, although it doesn’t last long during the day.
This stick balm is quite classic and easy to apply. When testing it, we quickly noticed that the cap was a bit more difficult to open than the other products we tested. Therefore, we do not recommend it for people with limited finger mobility or strength. On the other hand, despite the presence of several allergens (limonene, linalool and citral), this balm has a rather exemplary and vegan composition that we liked from the start. However, its natural orange scent is really strong and bothered us a bit during testing. If you prefer, it is also available in a natural version or with other scents.
Weleda Skin Food
This cream balm has a sweet citrus scent. Very effective, it nourishes lips, even chapped ones, and has a very good composition.
This product was able to fully justify its price during our tests. Indeed, it proved to be very effective both at night and during the day, although it is true that it does not have the best staying power on the lips (about one hour). However, this did not compromise its moisturising action. Its place as an alternative is mainly due to its somewhat less practical packaging. The cap has to be unscrewed for a while before applying the cream. Its citrus scent is pleasant without being inebriating. In terms of composition, it has a few more ingredients and allergens than the Burt’s Bees option, but the result is still close to perfection.
Our selection
| Our choice, Best mid-range | Best budget | Best high-end | Mid-range alternative | High-end alternative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | |
| SVR Cicavit+ | Le Petit Marseillais Nutrition | Burt's Bees | Benecos Orange | Weleda Skin Food |
| This lip balm offers the best value for money of this selection, as it is simply the one that offers the best moisturisation and composition. | It is true that its composition is far from perfect, but in view of its price, it offers the best efficacy we have tested. It is also easy to apply and has a light and pleasant smell. | Rich in beeswax, sunflower and coconut oil, it is distinguished by its long-lasting effectiveness and its action on chapped lips. We also liked its pleasant scent. | Impressively effective, this lip balm stick has won us over with its ability to moisturise at night, although it doesn't last long during the day. | This cream balm has a sweet citrus scent. Very effective, it nourishes lips, even chapped ones, and has a very good composition. |
| £ 7.50 on Amazon | £ 4.34 on Amazon | £ 7.00 on Amazon | £ 2.95 on Amazon | £ 5.25 on Amazon |
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How did we do the tests?
We applied the lip balms on a daily basis, timing several times how long they lasted on the lips. We also applied them at night before going to bed to see how they looked on our lips the next morning.
In addition to this, we judge the ease of application of the balms, as well as their smell and/or their special effect, (soothing, colouring, deep care…). Finally, we analyse the composition of each product in detail.
How to choose your lip balm?
For many people, lip balm is clearly an everyday ally. Although it is essential, especially in winter to fight against the aggressions caused by the cold, it remains useful all year round to prevent lips from drying out, to provide comfort and even to act as a good moisturising base before applying lipstick, for example.
Such is its popularity that the market is full of choice, in fact, it is sometimes difficult to find your way around the dozens of products and brands on offer!
To help you choose the lip balm best suited to your needs, pay attention to the following criteria before purchasing:
- The packaging: Most balms are available in stick or tube form. While the latter can be very useful (for applying the balm to the face, hands or other dry areas of the body), it is also much less hygienic. In fact, we only recommend it for use at home. The stick, on the other hand, is very convenient thanks to its ease of use throughout the day and its compact size, ideal for carrying around. The balm can be solid, creamy or even in gel form.
- The aroma/flavour: mint, cherry, vanilla, honey… There is something for everyone! Ideally, make sure they are of natural origin. If you prefer a neutral fragrance and flavour, most brands offer a “natural” version in their range, especially ideal for people with sensitivities and/or allergies. There are also tinted balms, which skilfully combine care and moisturisation with a slight lip colouring, which is usually discreet. Please note that, according to our tests, the latter tend to be slightly less effective in the long term.
- The composition: in our opinion, this is a very important factor when it comes to products that are likely to be ingested. In particular, we advise you to avoid mineral oil-based balms, which are very common in conventional lip balms. Natural lip care products are made from vegetable oils and butters, but also from beeswax. If you are vegan, please note that its presence is not always clearly indicated in the product description. For information purposes, it appears under “cera alba” in the INCI list.
PS: For a gorgeous lip colour, we invite you to take a look at our comparison of the best lipsticks.
Other lip balms we recommend
Lavera Sensitive (4 g) (£2.99 upon publication): Fairly effective, but with a slightly strange smell. This lip balm proved to be quite effective in our tests. It has a good hold and moisturises the lips well. Although it wasn’t the most moisturising at night, the result was still decent. However, it does have a rather special scent that is noticeable upon application and lingers on.
Yves Rocher Raspberry (£4.50/4.8 g upon publication): For a tinted solution. While this lip balm does not offer the best long-term moisturisation, it does have the advantage of being interesting in the short term while bringing shine to your lips. Indeed, it is tinted with a pretty red that brings pep to your lips, even without lipstick. It also comes with a raspberry scent and a very good composition. Note that the shea butter version was a little more moisturizing in our tests.
Dr Bronner’s Organic (4 g) (£4.96 upon publication): a long-term option. Easy to apply, this neutral balm, appreciated for its moisturising properties and rich texture, is particularly suitable for sensitive skin. Its composition is the most minimalist with only 5 ingredients, and it is certified organic. It is available in various fragrances and can be used all over the body, although in our opinion, it is not the best format for this.
Other products tested
Mixa Intensif (9 ml) (£7.50 upon publication): A limited efficacy combined with a horrible composition. If you have a skin that is sensitive to allergens and occlusive ingredients, or if you simply prefer earth-friendly skincare solutions, then you should avoid this product at all costs. Between PEGs, mineral oils and colourants, synthetic polymers, preservatives, perfumes and others, one might expect a “controversial”, albeit efficient, balm, but this is not the case.
Solimo (16,5 ml) (£4.63 upon publication): A good composition is not everything. This stick balm from the Solimo brand (owned by Amazon) has a very good vegan composition, but unfortunately does not stand out for its effectiveness. When we applied it, we felt a bit cheap, as if its composition did not have the necessary elements to properly moisturise our lips. This feeling was confirmed by the results.
Labello hydro care SPF15 (£5,69/2x 4,8 g upon publication) : Well known, but overrated. Everyone knows the brand Labello. However, we do not necessarily realise that it is not the most effective one. With these tests, we were able to compare so many good lip balms that the famous brand simply could not stand up to the comparison: perfectible efficiency, lasted less time on the lips, execrable composition (suspected endocrine disruptors, chemical UV filter, perfume, allergens…).
Translated by Ramsés El Hajje
