Winter is not kind to our skin, hair, hands and lips. Going from the bitter chill of outside to the excessive heating of indoors has us reaching for the balms and creams. Particularly our lip balms.
Whether you’re layering it under lipstick or keeping it within reaching distance at your desk, take your pick from the selection of lip balms below, as loved by the HuffPost team.
Sensitive Skin Saviour
Avéne Nourishing Lip Balm, Escentual, £6
As loved by Madeleine, Project Manager
This is the best thing ever. I have incredibly sensitive, dry skin, so I’m really crazy about putting anything on it - normally anything at all dries it out. This lip balm is a life saver - it’s very hydrating, protects from the elements and is very soothing. I also travel a lot and this is the one thing I never go anywhere without. It’s good if you’ve got chapped lips from a plane or a really hot climate, and it prevents coldsores.
The whole brand is specially designed for people with sensitive skin, and the base of all products is spring water. Also, if you’re really desperate (ie 18 hours into your 35 hour plane journey back to NZ) you can put it on your face as moisturiser. Weird but effective.
Buy it here
Lavish Looking
Wild argon solid oil lips, The Body Shop, £4.50
As loved by Louise, Lifestyle Writer
A longtime advocate of The Body Shop lip balms, (my first was the watermelon one) I have been using this argon oil one for years and you’ll never find me without it. It softens lips, isn’t sticky, lasts all day and gives a lovely natural-looking shine which is great for days when I opt for no makeup. Plus it tastes great, a very important factor when choosing your balm of choice. The only thing missing is an SPF.
Buy it here
Cheap & Cheerful
Strawberry lipsalve, Boots, £1
As loved by Natasha, Lifestyle Writer
It’s my favourite because it’s the only lip balm I’ve managed to not lose. It has a lovely strawberry flavour which reminds me of when I was about 10 and lip balm was the only makeup I wore - ah, the joys of youth. It also does a pretty good job of keeping the my lips from looking like the dry, cracked plains of the desert.
Old Faithful
Nivea Lip Balm, Care & Colour Nude, Boots, £2.50
As loved by Nancy, Lifestyle Editor
You only need to look in my bathroom cupboard to see which lip balms past muster for me. A stack of Lulu Guinness-designed mini Vaseline tins sit pretty, but sadly unused in the corner (sorry, Mother Christmas), alongside a pot of blistering Carmex. But try to separate me from my Nivea Care & Colour Nude.
I used to buy the ‘Pearly Shine’ variety until I realised it was a bit too 80s. Nude it is now, then, with just enough colour (but none of the pink frosting). As good on its own as it is as a base for lipstick, it’s the cheap and cheerful tinted moisturiser of lip balms and more than passes the kiss test, too.
Buy it here
Smooth Operator
EOS pink grapefruit lip balm, Feel Unique, £6.50
As loved by Vicky, Lifestyle Editor
This tactile sphere is more practical than it first looks: inside is a little chubby stick for smoothing on your lips – so no need to dip grimy fingers inside. It also has all the right ingredients: jojoba and shea butter to smooth and moisturise, and SPF30 to protect your lips all year round. The balm sinks in nicely, is great before lipstick, and smells completely, refreshingly, divine. If they ever stop making it, I’ll be bereft.
Buy it here
Lip Service, Literally
Lip Service, Lush, £7.50
As loved by Nicola, News Reporter
Lush’s lip service is the perfect lip balm for all year round but particularly during the winter months. It’s made up of a wonderful combination of shea butter, cocoa butter and beeswax, has a lovely citrusy smell and is the perfect creamy consistency. A little goes a long way.
It’s not too shiny, is long lasting and best of all, because it’s from Lush, you know you aren’t putting anything nasty on your lips. It’s also packaged in a tin rather than a plastic pot, making it more environmentally friendly. I’ve been using it for years and no other lip balm has ever matched up to it.
Buy it here
We all work hard to earn our money – so it shouldn’t feel like hard work to spend it well. At HuffPost Finds we’ll help you find the best stuff that deserves your cash, from the ultimate lipstick to a durable iron to replace the one that broke (RIP). All our choices are completely independent but we may earn a small commission if you click a link and make a purchase.