Lip balm often gets filed under winter essentials, but spring and summer months can be surprisingly harsh on your lip skin, not least because you’re more exposed to UV radiation. If you already suffer from dryness and tightness on your lips, you’ll feel the sun effects tenfold. Which is why you need a steadfast lip balm powerhouse to protect you against nature’s most relentless threats: the sun, heat, and wind (and air conditioning, we should add).
From deeply nourishing treatments to SPF-packed protectors and glossy tinted formulas, these are the best lip balms to rescue dry lips and keep them comfortable all summer long.
Why do you need to wear lip balm in summer?
Using lip balm in summer is just as important as in winter – sometimes even more so, especially if your lips are already prone to dryness.
In warm weather, your lips are exposed to a mix of drying factors: stronger UV rays, heat, wind, air conditioning, and even dehydration from sweating. Unlike the rest of your skin, lips don’t have oil glands, so they can’t naturally “self-moisturise.” That makes them far more vulnerable to drying out and cracking.
Lip balm acts as a protective barrier. It helps lock in moisture and prevents further water loss from the delicate skin on your lips. Many balms also include SPF, which is key in summer because lips can burn just like skin elsewhere, often without people noticing until they feel sore or start peeling.
If your lips are already dry, lip balm are essential to soothe irritation, reduce cracking, and help prevent small splits from becoming painful or infected. If you use it consistently, it can also stop the cycle where dryness leads to biting or licking lips, which actually makes the problem worse.
How we reviewed these lip balms, and why trust us
Reset’s beauty writers have spent years testing all sorts of beauty products, and we have the blending nightmares and allergic reactions to prove it. Every product in this edit has been worn, tested, and judged on real lips in real conditions for about two weeks to one month, not just unboxed and photographed. We know what a hardworking formula feels like versus one that coasts on pretty packaging, and we apply the same scrutiny to a £3.59 pharmacy staple as we do to a £16 peptide treatment. Our recommendations are editorially independent – no brand pays to appear in our roundups – and we update our edits regularly to reflect what’s actually worth your money.
The best lip balms to rescue dry lips at a glance
- Best for a sheer gloss finish: Lumene Glow Oil Balm, £12.90
- Best for a gift: Dr. Paw Paw Charm Balms, £10.99
- Best treatment balm: Biossance Pro Peptide Lip Perfector, £16.00
- Best everyday tinted balm: Rimmel Oh My Gloss! Butter Me Up, £9.99
- Best for sun protection: Hello Sunday The One For Your Lips SPF50, £9.00
- Best for reactive or cracked lips: Sebamed Lip Defense Balm, £3.99
- Best budget buy: Carmex Moisturising Lip Balm, £3.59
The best lip balms to rescue dry lips at a glance: Complete list
1. Lumene Glow Oil Balm
Why we love it: Finnish skincare brand Lumene has always had a strong story to tell about its ingredients, and this one is no different. Formulated with Nordic lingonberry oil and oat ceramides and made in Finland, the oil balm delivers a pump of hydration and a sheer, subtle colour that leaves lips feeling soft and cushioned – the lingonberry oil being, crucially, upcycled from the Finnish food industry, rich in antioxidants and essential fatty acids.
It melts onto the lips on application and gives a fantastic shine without feeling sticky, which is the lip gloss holy grail that most products fail to deliver. Available in six shades – Sugar, Juicy, Berry Cream, Honey, Raspberry and Blackcurrant – each with its own scent.
Cons: The colour payoff is genuinely sheer, so if you’re expecting more than a whisper of pigment, this might not be your one and only.
Price: £12.90
2. Dr. Paw Paw Charm Balms
Why we love it: These Dr. Paw Paw charm balms are really – literally – charming. Taking from the same trusted Dr. Paw Paw formula, they contain pawpaw (papaya) to nourish and hydrate, castor oil to lock in moisture and aloe vera to soothe. They’re also dermatologist-approved, suitable for sensitive skin and, importantly, hyper-hydrating and nourishing.
The cherry, banana and matcha scents add a playful, cheerful twist to what’s one of the highest rated balms on the market. The charms are adorable and make for a cute gift or stocking, but you can also remove them or use them separately.
Cons: The scents will not appeal to everyone – if you find candy fragrances cloying, perhaps it’s best to opt for the OG balm and steer clear of this set.
Price: £10.99
3. Biossance Pro Peptide Lip Perfector
Why we love it: Biossance put squalane – the sugarcane-derived ingredient – on the beauty map. The Allure Best of Beauty winner Pro-Peptide Lip Perfector works a trifecta of ingredients: lip-specific triple-strength peptides for visibly fuller, smoother lips; micro-encapsulated hyaluronic acid, which slowly releases deep hydration into the lips over time; and squalane to lock it all in and support the moisture barrier.
It comes in three shades – clear, pink and berry – each just a touch tinted and sheer.
Cons: It’s more matte and less glossy – closer to a treatment balm than a high-shine gloss. If you’re after serious lacquer, it may not be the one for you.
Price: £16.00
4. Hello Sunday The One For Your Lips SPF50
Why we love it: Hello Sunday was founded by Amy Ford after years living in Australia, where daily SPF is an absolute non-negotiable. Back in the UK, she noticed nobody was treating sun protection that way, and Hello Sunday was born.
The One For Your Lips is one of the brand’s top sellers, and it’s easy to see why: SPF50 broad-spectrum protection in a completely clear, fragrance-free balm that actually does the skincare work too, with ingredients like hyaluronic acid and squalane to hold in moisture and shea butter to soften the lips. It’s more like a gloss and sits well under a lip colour.
Cons: Not for you if you’re looking for a tinted or stronger, stickier balm. It does feel more like makeup.
Price: £9.00
5. Rimmel Oh My Gloss! Butter Me Up
Why we love it: Enriched with 5% squalane, shea butter and avocado oil, the formula delivers long-lasting moisture to smooth and plump the look of the lips. The velvety, buttery texture glides on softly and smoothly, combining the nourishing properties of a balm with a subtle tint.
It comes in six shades – from a clear Vanilla Frost through sheer pinks, coral, beige and brown – all with that addictive sweet vanilla latte scent and the most irresistible names, from Pumpkin Spice to Mellow Mocha and Cappuccino. Your lips will certainly wake up after a layer of this. 12 points for versatility, as it works under or over a lipstick, or as an overnight balm.
Cons: It feels more than a makeup than skincare product and if you have very sensitive or dry lips, you may want to consider something a little more boring.
Price: £9.99
6. Sebamed Lip Defense Balm
Why we love it: Sometimes you need to defer to the pharmacy shelf to get that extra reassurance that the product will work and you’re cracked lips aren’t a spell. Sebamed has been making dermatologist-developed skincare since 1967 – building its entire philosophy around the skin’s natural pH of 5.5. The Lip Defence Balm follows the same model: it has jojoba oil and bisabolol to calm and nourish, vitamin E to protect against free radicals, no preservatives, and SPF30 to shield against UV damage. If you’re looking for a serious treatment balm for lips that are cracked, stripped, or reactive, this is the one to reach for.
Cons: The formula does contain parfum, which feels like an oversight for a brand that leads on sensitivity.
Price: £3.99
7. Carmex Moisturising Lip Balm
Why we love it: Ah, Carmex. The one that’s been rattling around the bottom of your bag since before you even knew you had to apply SPF everyday. The original formula was cooked up on a kitchen stove in Milwaukee back in 1937, and it hasn’t changed since. At the centre of it are camphor and menthol, which fire up the cold-sensing nerves in your skin to deliver that immediate, satisfying tingle.
Salicylic acid clears the dead skin that makes lips look dry and flaky, while petrolatum and lanolin form a proper occlusive barrier that holds moisture. This is a trusty, failsafe workhorse of a lip balm, and for just over £3 it outperforms balms at four times the price.
Cons: Some may find the tingling sensation on the lips quite intense.
Price: £3.59
Read more
Are LED face masks safe and do they really work? All your questions answered
Here are the most common myths about SPF, debunked by professionals
These 10 scent-sational spring scents are guaranteed to lift your mood