The 7 best lip treatments and lip masks for dry lips

Key takeaways

• Your lips don’t have oil glands, so they dry out easily. Thick balms and ointments with petrolatum, shea butter, castor oil or ceramides help seal moisture in.

• The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) suggests avoiding lip products with camphor, menthol, fragrance, flavoring, lanolin or salicylic acid when your lips are chapped.

• Our top pick is Aquaphor Lip Repair: fragrance-free, with castor seed oil, shea butter, glycerin and panthenol, for about $5.

• For cracked lips, CeraVe Healing Lip Balm is a fragrance-free, petrolatum-based lip protectant with three ceramides.

• For a treatment that doubles as tinted color, The PLASMA Lip Compound from U Beauty pairs Peptides and Ceramides with Hyaluronic Acid in 13 shades.

What causes chapped lips, and what helps

Cleveland Clinic explains that your lips don’t contain any oil glands, which is part of why they get dry and chapped so easily. Cold or dry air, sun, and licking your lips all make it worse. The AAD notes that as saliva evaporates, your lips become drier.

The AAD suggests looking for lip products with ingredients like castor seed oil, ceramides, dimethicone, mineral oil, petrolatum and shea butter, and says ointment “seals in water longer than waxes or oils.” It suggests avoiding camphor, eucalyptus, flavoring (like cinnamon, citrus, mint and peppermint), fragrance, lanolin, menthol and salicylic acid, which can irritate chapped lips. Some lip products also trigger reactions: DermNet lists contact reactions to lipsticks and other lip care products among the causes of inflamed lips.

We compared each product on its published ingredient list, not on hands-on testing. We looked at its moisturizing ingredients, whether fragrance or flavor is listed, its format and the price.

1. Aquaphor Lip Repair: best overall

Aquaphor Lip Repair is a fragrance-free lip balm with castor seed oil, shea butter, glycerin, panthenol, bisabolol and vitamins C and E. Aquaphor says it’s preservative-free, specially formulated for sensitive lips, and proven to relieve dryness and soothe chapped, cracked lips.

Key features:

• Castor oil and shea butter. Both are on the AAD’s list of ingredients to look for.

• Fragrance-free. Aquaphor says so on the product page.

• Pocket-size tube. It’s easy to reapply through the day.

Tradeoff: it has no SPF, so pair it with a lip sunscreen outdoors.

Best for: everyday dry or chapped lips, including sensitive lips.

Price: about $5 for 0.35 oz at Walmart.

2. CeraVe Healing Lip Balm: best for cracked lips

CeraVe Healing Lip Balm is a petrolatum-based lip protectant with mineral oil, glycerin, three ceramides (NP, AP and EOP), hyaluronic acid and panthenol. CeraVe says it’s free of fragrance, parabens and lanolin and provides 24-hour hydration without a greasy finish.

Key features:

• Petrolatum base. The AAD says ointment seals in water longer than waxes or oils.

• Three ceramides. They’re lipids found naturally in the skin.

• No lanolin or fragrance. Both are on the AAD’s avoid list.

Tradeoff: it’s a plain balm with no tint or SPF.

Best for: cracked, peeling or very chapped lips.

Price: $7.99 for 0.35 oz.

3. U Beauty The PLASMA Lip Compound: best tinted lip treatment

The PLASMA Lip Compound is U Beauty’s lip treatment, which U Beauty calls a “Science-Proven Lip Treatment.” It pairs Peptides and Ceramides with Hyaluronic Acid, Shea Butter and Castor Seed Oil, all powered by proprietary SIREN Capsule Technology™. U Beauty says it helps give lips a visibly plumper, fuller, softer look with buildable color.

Key features:

• 13 shades. They range from a glossy clear Universal shade to tinted colors.

• Published study figures. In an independent 30-volunteer instrumental study of the Universal shade, 93% saw an improvement in the look of lip fine lines and wrinkles after 4 weeks of consistent use, once a day, according to U Beauty.

• Metal applicator. U Beauty suggests applying it at least twice a day, including before bed.

Tradeoff: it’s the priciest pick here, and it contains Salicylic Acid, which the AAD suggests avoiding on chapped lips, so it’s best suited to lips that aren’t cracked or irritated.

Best for: people who want a tinted treatment for visibly plumper, smoother-looking lips.

Price: $68 for 15 ml.

4. Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask: best overnight mask

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask is a thick overnight lip mask with shea butter, murumuru seed butter, candelilla wax and vitamin C. In a 33-person instrumental study, Laneige reports 94% less flaky-looking lips after two weeks, and it comes in 14 flavors.

Key features:

• Rich, balmy texture. It’s made to sit on lips overnight.

• Butters and waxes. Shea and murumuru butters help soften.

• Optional applicator. Laneige sells a matching applicator separately.

Tradeoff: every flavor with a published ingredient list contains fragrance, which the AAD suggests avoiding on chapped lips.

Best for: dry lips that aren’t cracked or irritated, overnight.

Price: $24 to $25 for 20 g, depending on flavor.

5. Kiehl’s Buttermask for Lips: best plant-butter mask

Kiehl’s Buttermask for Lips is an overnight lip mask with shea butter, coconut oil, cocoa seed butter, beeswax, castor seed oil and jojoba oil. Kiehl’s describes it as an intensively hydrating lip mask and labels it paraben-free and fragrance-free.

Key features:

• Several butters and oils. Shea, cocoa and Irvingia (African mango) butters are all in the formula.

• Fragrance-free label. Kiehl’s labels it fragrance-free and paraben-free.

• Small jar. A little goes a long way overnight.

Tradeoff: it comes in a jar, so you’ll apply it with your fingers.

Best for: dry lips that want a rich overnight mask.

Price: $24 for 0.35 fl oz.

6. Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm: best everyday balm

Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm is a vegan lip balm with shea butter, murumuru seed butter and sodium hyaluronate. In a 39-person consumer study, 97% said their lips felt softer right after applying it, and it comes in several flavors.

Key features:

• Adds shine. Summer Fridays says it gives instant moisture and shine.

• Butters plus hyaluronic acid. Shea and murumuru butters help soften.

• Several flavors. Each is sold on its own product page.

Tradeoff: it’s flavored, with vanillin in the vanilla version.

Best for: everyday wear on lips that are dry but not cracked.

Price: $24 for 15 g.

7. Tatcha The Kissu Lip Mask: best splurge mask

Tatcha The Kissu Lip Mask is a lip mask with squalane, camellia seed oil, peach extract and algae extract. In a 41-panelist study, Tatcha reports that 92% showed less flaky-looking lips after one night, as graded by experts.

Key features:

• Squalane and camellia oil. Both are lightweight emollients.

• Tinted version. A Japanese Maple Red shade is also sold.

Tradeoff: its ingredient list includes fragrance, limonene and linalool.

Best for: dry lips that don’t react to fragrance.

Price: $29 for 9 g.

How to care for dry, chapped lips

• Apply a balm often, including before bed.

• Don’t lick your lips. The AAD says saliva evaporates and leaves them drier.

• Wear lip sunscreen outdoors. The AAD recommends a lip balm with SPF 30 or higher, reapplied every two hours. Our guide to mineral vs chemical sunscreen explains the options, and the AAD lists titanium oxide and zinc oxide as sun-protective ingredients to look for.

• Use a humidifier. The AAD suggests one at home. Dry air affects the rest of your face too, and our list of moisturizers for dry skin covers options.

• Go easy on lip scrubs. Let cracked lips heal before exfoliating. Our guide to how often to exfoliate covers going gently.

When to see a doctor

Both the AAD and Cleveland Clinic say chapped lips usually heal within two to three weeks. If yours don’t, or they get worse, see a dermatologist. The AAD notes that lips that stay dry and scaly can sometimes be actinic cheilitis, a precancerous condition that turns one or both lips dry and scaly.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best treatment for very dry, chapped lips?

A thick, fragrance-free balm or ointment with petrolatum, shea butter, castor oil or ceramides. Aquaphor Lip Repair and CeraVe Healing Lip Balm are both fragrance-free options.

Do lip masks actually work?

They can help, as long as the formula suits your lips. Overnight masks give a thick layer time to soften dry lips while you sleep. If your lips are cracked or irritated, pick a fragrance-free option.

What should I avoid in lip balm?

The AAD suggests avoiding camphor, eucalyptus, flavoring, fragrance, lanolin, menthol, phenol and salicylic acid on chapped lips, because they can irritate them.

Why are my lips always dry?

Lips have no oil glands, so they dry out easily. Licking them, cold or dry air, sun and some lip products can all make it worse. DermNet also lists some medicines, like isotretinoin, and iron or vitamin B deficiency among causes of inflamed lips.

Is Vaseline good for chapped lips?

Petroleum jelly is on the AAD’s list of ingredients to look for. It seals in moisture and suits cracked lips.