Give the gift of great skin this holiday season with these skincare gifts, perfect for just about anyone!
The Philips Epilator Series 8000 Wet & Dry boasts powerful yet gentle epilation with its improved tweezers and over 70,000 hair-catching actions per minute. This means you can cover more skin and achieve flawless smoothness for up to 4 weeks.
This holiday season, Bubble makes gifting simple, fun, and affordable with its limited-edition “Silky Season” 3-Step Hydrating Routine. The set includes three of Bubble’s best-selling essentials for clean, hydrated, and glowing skin.
Clé de Peau Beauté invites you aboard the Dreams Express, a limited-edition collection that transforms beauty into an exquisite journey of imagination and light. Inspired by a fantastical dream world, the Dreams Express Collection celebrates confidence, transformation, and the radiance that comes from within.
Biossance’s Bright Bestsellers Set is for the radiance-obsessed, with a set that brings together Biossance’s most-loved icons: the Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil for instant luminosity, the Squalane + Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum for bouncy, hydrated skin, and the Squalane + Omega Repair Cream for rich, replenishing moisture. It’s a routine that brightens, firms, and deeply nourishes.
Josie Maran bite-sized butters are air-whipped, full-body moisturizers that soak in to deliver visible firmness and intense hydration. Tuck them into someone’s stocking, or wrap them up as a set.
Peter Thomas Roth’s full-size Vitamin C and hyaluronic eye patches come in a two-piece kit that’s ideal for gift giving. The Potent-C Hydra-Gel Eye Patches help brighten and reduce signs of aging, and Water Drench Hydra-Gel Eye Patches help reduce the look of dryness, under-eye bags, and dark circles.
The Ultimate Hydration Jet Set from Skinfix is the travel skin repair trio. The gel cleanser doubles as a makeup remover, clearing oil and SPF without stripping, a fast-absorbing water cream delivers lightweight moisture and reduces shine, and a rich cream is packed with peptides to restore ultra-dry skin.
Summer Fridays’ The Holiday Trio Set comes with Lip Butter Balm in Hot Cocoa and Toasted Marshmallow. Nourish dull, depleted skin with a swipe of buttery hydration.
The NYX Professional Makeup Holiday Fat Oil Trio Lip Oil Gift Set is formulated with squalane, cloudberry, and raspberry oils. They work together to deeply nourish and hydrate the lips, promoting a supple, healthy appearance.
Treat your lips without breaking the bank by using our Space NK discount codes.
Tester feedback from managing editor Alessandra Foresto
“I should really not be surprised that this lip mask is superior to any other I have tested in the past, given that I haven’t been disappointed by any Tatcha product I’ve ever tested. This mask works fast, though, leaving my lips flake-free almost as instantly as the jelly-like product touches my lips – it’s pretty impressive! I let it soak into my lips at night, but I also use it as a softening primer with my skin care in the mornings before applying gloss.” — Alessandra Foresto, managing editor.
Key ingredients: triisostearin (glycerin, fatty acids), squalane, vitamin E, allantoin.
Who it’s for: anyone with cracked lips.
Shade count: 1.
Fragrance free: no.
Best Exfoliating: Ilia Lip Wrap Overnight Treatment
Lip Wrap Overnight Treatment
Shopping Director Shanna Shipin applying Ilia Lip Wrap Overnight Treatment.
Shanna Shipin
Why it’s worth it: Everything about Ilia’s Lip Wrap Overnight Treatment feels special, from its silky texture to the faintest tingle once the balm hits your lips. The formula includes papaya enzymes that gently slough away dry patches, plus hyaluronic acid and sea succulents that lock hydration in. Mango butter and coconut oil also moisturise, for noticeably smoother, softer, and more supple lips by morning – a perfect canvas for your favourite lipstick, oil, or gloss.
Tester feedback from Shopping Director Shanna Shipin
“Perennial dehydration, eczema, and constantly testing lip products give me grade-A chapped lips. Whenever my lips look shrivelled, I feel like my lines are deepening, or if there’s some peeling, this mask will re-hydrate, gently buff, and plump them up. Seriously, almost every time I use this overnight, I wake up with better lips. They’re soft, pillowy, and perfectly primed for whatever lippie I want to wear. Just note that there are some white exfoliating bits in the pot, so you may pick one up (and unknowingly leave it on your lips)!” — Shanna Shipin, Shopping Director.
Best for Layering: Then I Met You Honey Dew Lip Mask
Commerce Editor Sarah Han applying Then I Met You Honey Dew Lip Mask.
Sarah Han
Why it’s worth it: There are many reasons we love this juicy Then I Met You Honey Dew Lip Mask. For starters, the convenient silicone tip makes for more hygienic application that doesn’t involve dipping your finger into a pot. Then, there’s the blend of hydrating ingredients, like honeydew melon, squalane, and avocado oil, alongside lactic acid, which gently exfoliates and dissolves dead skin cells the way a lip scrub would – sans mess.
The formula is buildable: A thin layer applied during the day adds a glossy finish, while a thicker layer at night conditions and softens lips while you sleep. Bonus? “The product has a mild fruity scent and flavour that doesn’t make my boyfriend go, ‘Ack!’ every time I kiss him,” senior news editor Nicola Dall’Asen says.
Save when you shop for the best lip masks with our Cult Beauty promo codes.
Tester feedback from commerce editor Sarah Han
“My lips are a dry, chapped mess without constant care – meaning, lip balm prep before my usual lip stains in the morning and, perhaps more importantly, slathering on a healthy dose of lip mask as my final last nighttime skin-care step. Then I Met You’s Honey Dew Lip Mask works any time of the day, but I save it for nighttime and apply many layers for maximum masking benefits. Unlike other lip masks, I love that it contains a hit of lactic acid for that all-important exfoliation without the mess of a scrub (which I can never be bothered to use anyway!). The hydration of it all is a given: honeydew, squalane, avocado oil, honey, etc. Despite multiple layers, it doesn’t feel goopy or heavy, and my lips stay pillowy-soft and smooth come morning.” — Sarah Han, Commerce Editor.
Who it’s for: people who want a lightweight mask that can double as a daytime gloss.
Shade count: 1.
Fragrance free: no.
More lip masks we love:
Kiehl’s Buttermask for Lips is our favourite fragrance-free option. Chock-full of nourishing ingredients like mango butter, coconut oil, and cocoa, with a creamy (not sticky!) consistency, it’s worth the splurge. Blanket your lips with a hefty coat of the stuff before bed and, come morning, you’ll wake up with supple, hydrated lips. Although it’s fragrance-free (making it ideal for sensitive skin types), the formula smells sweet, thanks in part to cocoa butter and vanilla extract.
Lawless Forget The Filler Overnight Lip Plumping Mask is the key to a plumper pout (as the name implies), which gradually boosts volume and nourishes very dry lips. While the brand’s beloved lip plumpers also contain MaxiLip, a peptide-packed complex, this formula doubles the amount – and packs ceramides, shea butter, and eight different forms and weights of hyaluronic acid.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do I need a lip mask?
Lip masks are a great addition to any lip-care routine, but they’re especially helpful when bouts of seasonal dryness, chapping, and flaking hit. Chapped lips can develop anywhere, anytime, on anyone for a variety of reasons, including environmental factors (like sun damage), allergies, and lip-irritating habits like biting or picking the skin. Like a lip balm, these masks mainly rely on moisturizing ingredients (some of which we’ll dive into below). But masks have more concentrated formulas to provide more significant smoothing and plumping results in a shorter amount of time than a balm.
Which ingredients are found in lip masks?
Emollients like ceramides and fatty acids often do much of the heavy lifting in lip masks. But, as with face masks, you can find other active ingredients that promise more targeted results. For instance, you can find formulas that exfoliate (making quick work of flakes) and offer a subtle plumping effect, as well as others that boost collagen production to tackle fine lines around the mouth. Slather on these moisturising treatments while you sleep, commute to work, or whenever you need long-lasting hydration.
How we test and review products
When we test a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinise brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that’s included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.
For our list of the best lip masks, we considered each product’s performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors – along with special consideration from dermatologists. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Anyone who loves wearing a matte lipstick knows the pitfalls of applying it over chapped lips. While we’re familiar with body scrubs, how to use a lip scrub isn’t always obvious, which is why we sometimes pick at flakey skin or rub the area with a wet flannel.
And yet, both approaches are too aggressive for our lips. The skin here is more fragile than you may think because it’s thinner than elsewhere on the body. Compared to the rest of your face, for example, which boasts up to 16 layers of skin, our lips only have 3 to 5 layers.
13 body scrubs that would make TLC reconsider the whole ‘no scrubs’ thing
By Elle Turner and Georgia Brown
Our lips also don’t have any oil-producing sebaceous glands, which means they are unable to naturally hydrate themselves. This is especially evident during the winter months when lips are more prone to chapping. Not to mention, sun damage and frequent licking can easily dry them out, too.
Lip scrubs can help as they they are designed to gently buff away rough skin. Much like a body scrub, they are typically powered by finely-milled sugar granules, “which are suspended in a nourishing oil to moisturise and give your skin more slip,” says makeup artist Zoe Taylor, who always carries a lip scrub in her kit bag.
What are the benefits of using a lip scrub?
There are several benefits to using a lip scrub. Cracked lips are like a road with bumpy potholes; a lip scrub can help to create a smooth base for your lipstick. It also improves the efficacy of your lip balm or oil as the hydrating ingredients are able to penetrate more deeply if there’s nothing nitty gritty in the way.
Then there are the massage movements you use to apply a lip scrub, which boost blood flow to the area, imparting a rosy pink hue to pale lips and making them look plumper. Applied a long-lasting lipstick? A lip scrub is non-negotiable for helping to remove any stubborn pigment for a squeaky clean surface.
Lemon balm’s antiviral properties make it a popular herb for the treatment of cold sores, chicken pox, bug bites, and other little red spots. This recipe for lemon balm lip balm not only has a bright and cheery lemon fragrance, but it also is a great way to prevent and treat cold sores.
Lemon balm is the herb for little red spots. It makes a fresh and delicious tea and grows like crazy in the garden, but in herb circles, it’s known for so much more.
This powerful and plentiful herb is one of the best ways to treat AND prevent cold sores from happening. I use it year round, helping to stop the annoying red dots from popping up. And as a bonus, I have a use for all the lemon balm that never stops popping up in the garden.
Making your own lip balm is quite easy, and infusing it with lemon balm is also a simple process. Here’s how you can make your own lemon balm lip balm for cold sores.
Get to Know Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
When I first started gardening I used to pull out lemon balm by the handfuls and throw it into the compost bin. While I love the fresh, bright, lemony smell and the pretty mint-like leaves, it grows like crazy and seems to be in every spot of the garden. Now, that I’ve mostly cleared it out of all the spaces where it was growing naturalized I can’t help but wonder
“What the heck was I doing!”
That wonderful lemon balm has so many uses! And so now I start lemon balm from seed, place it in the garden, and happily harvest any extras that might pop up.
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) essential oil is one of the most expensive essential oils you can buy. Because of its price point, it’s not very commonly used in aromatherapy. But it’s also reserved because it is incredibly powerful in strong concentrations (like you’ll find an essential oil).
It is more common to see herbal preparations as tea, honey, and infused oil for the home herb lover. I love it as a herbal infusion in skin care products, as a powerful cleaner, and skip the essential oil altogether.
Herbal Benefits of Lemon Balm
Lemon balm is used as a calming herb that soothes anxiety and helps to tone the nervous system. Not to be confused with herbs like chamomile and hops that help to promote sleep and rest, lemon balm is calming but also uplifting.
It helps to reduce anxiety and depression symptoms and lift spirits. Perhaps this is also how it helps its cold sores, which are caused by stress. It’s antiviral properties mean it also helps to prevent more cold sores from popping up.
Cold Sores (Ugh.)
Cold sores on the face are caused by the Herpes Simplex 1 virus (HSV-1). I got this delightful gift from my mom, and I try pretty darn hard not to pass it on to my kiddo. Cold sores are a real bumme; they hurt and itch, and it feelsl like you have a painful watermelon growing on your face for everyone in the whole world to see.
And they have the delightful habit of popping up when you are sick, on vacation, getting photos taken, or hosting an event. Which makes sense, because the virus lies dormant in our body until it is triggered by stress or a reduced immune system.
They are called cold sores because they usually accompany a lower immune system caused by the common cold, but for me, they’re actually more frequent in times of stress, both emotional and physical.
When I’m feeling stressed and run down, I’ll inevitably pop up a cold sore on my lip. Or if I go out into the sun without wearing sunscreen lip balm. Usually it’s after a period of no sun exposure, and then a sudden change to direct sun on my face like a sunny skiing day, a tropical winter vacation, or the beginning of the summer at home.
This is why I now always have a supply of lemon balm lip balm for cold sores when they show their ugly faces.
Harvesting Lemon Balm for Infused Oil
The best time to harvest lemon balm is before flowering. This is when most of the volatile oils are available in the leaves and stems. Pinching back the plant by a third will also increase its robustness and fullness.
You can happily harvest a bunch of fresh green lemon balm leaves from the top third of the plant and the rest of the plant will be quite happy and grow back denser and sturdier.
Be sure to only harvest and use healthy-looking green leaves. Any decay, brown spots or powdery mildew is not something that you want to add into infused oils. Add the cuttings into a salad spinner and rinse well with water. Then spin to remove all topical water.
Lay the lemon balm out on herb drying screen and allow it to wilt for 24 hours. Lemon balm doesn’t usually have any pests but if there are any, this will give them a chance to go find a new home. More importantly, it allows a lot of the water to release.
In most cases, I strongly recommend that herbs are dried prior to infusing them into oil because when water is introduced to an oil infusion, it can also introduce bacteria and mould growth.
In this case, lemon balm infusions are much more effective using the fresh leaves. Lemon balm studies have shown some antibacterial properties, and some sources report antifungal properties as well, both of which will help to keep the oil from growing bacteria and fungus.
Even so, if I’m using the fresh herbs I’m sure to make it in small batches and use it up quickly, within 4 to 6 weeks. Additionally, if you notice any discoloration, sediment, or indication of mould or fungus, discontinue use immediately.
Lemon Balm Lip Balm for Cold Sores
Because we are using the fresh herb I recommend using a heat infusion method, rather than cold infusion which will take 4 to 6 weeks and itself. See how to do the heat infusion in this post: Three Ways to Make Herbal Oils for Natural Beauty Recipes.
Melt the wax, over medium-low heat in a Turkish coffee pot, double boiler, or a small pot with a pour spout. Add the oils and butter when the wax is liquefied and melt all of the ingredients together.
Stir constantly and keep a watchful eye on the oils. You want them to just reach the melting point and not overheat.
Fill each tube halfway full and let cool slightly. This will set the bottom of the tube so that a hole doesn’t form in the top of the lip balm when cooled.
Before the tubes are starting to set, fill the rest of the way, so there is a convex curve on the top (be careful not to spill over the edges). When the lip balm cools, it will shrink so it should end up having a flat top. If you need to even out the top, a heat gun works really well.
FAQ About Lemon Balm Lip Balm
Is Vaseline lip balm good for cold sores?
A petroleum jelly lip balm like Vaseline can moisturize a cold sore and help ease the discomfort and pain that can come from it. However, it won’t actually heal the cold sore. Lemon balm has antiviral properties that can help prevent cold sores and the calming nature of the herb reduces the stress that causes them.
What could trigger a cold sore?
Most of the time, the virus (HSV-1) lies dormant until something triggers it. This can include stress, fatigue, being on your period, exposure to strong sunlight, an injury in the affected area, and having another infection.
Is it okay to put lip balm on cold sores?
Lip balm helps to keep the area moisturized and prevent the sore from drying out and cracking. But once you use a lip balm on a cold sore, it is contaminated. Dispose of the lip balm after the cold sore heals.
Lemon Balm Lip Balm
This lemon balm-infused lip balm is ideal for treating and preventing cold sores.
Most of us remember to slather on sunscreen when we are exposed to the sun, but what about our lips? Yes, your lips can get sunburned! Thankfully, the solution is easy: make a batch of this DIY all-natural lip balm with SPF.
Before you head out in the sun, do you cover your skin with sunscreen? We all know the importance of taking care of our skin when it comes to the powerful rays.
But what about your lips? Applying sunscreen meant for your skin directly to your lips doesn’t taste very good. Plus, it dries out your lips and dulls the shine.
Instead, try this homemade sunscreen lip balm with SPF. It will protect your lips and make them kissably soft, and it’s made of all-natural ingredients!
Here’s what we’ll be covering today…
Should Lip Balm Have SPF?
Most of the lip balm recipes I make have some sun protection inherently in the oils and wax. Most days of the year I am confident that my lips are protected just by using these.
But in the hot summer months, when the UV levels are through the roof, I bring out the big guns: this sunscreen lip balm recipe.
Many ingredients in natural lip balm recipes provide a degree of SPF. Some oils, such as raspberry seed oil and olive oil, are said to add sun protection properties.
This recipe is based on a basic lip balm recipe, using soft oils like wheat germ, jojoba, and shea butter, each of which has SPF properties.
Many oils naturally have SPF in them.
Essential Oils in Sunscreen Lip Balm
It’s important to also note that there are ingredients that can accelerate the sun’s effects. Phototoxic essential oils typically run in the citrus family (lemon, lime, bitter orange, mandarin leaf, and grapefruit).
For this recipe, I’ve only used essential oils that are known to help with sun protection.
Sweet orange oil is generally considered not phototoxic, which is why it is included in this lip balm with SPF. Vanilla essential oil is also included, resulting in a lovely creamsicle flavour.
This lip balm recipe smells and tastes like a creamsicle.
How Much SPF is in This Lip Balm?
Making sunscreen or sun protection products at home is a solid way to add sun protection and one that I use for my fair, freckly (read: easily burned) skin.
Even so, I would not venture a guess as to what the SPF is of a homemade recipe. I can say that I have been using this recipe on my own lips for years and have not burned them once.
Plus, I can feel good about the ingredients that go into the recipe and on my skin. My general rule of thumb is to stay out of the sun when the UV is strongest and take steps to protect my skin (and lips) as naturally as possible.
As with all home recipes, test a bit on your skin and see how you react. Those with sensitivities, who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and for use on children should take caution and check with their health care professional.
Stay out of the sun during its peak afternoon hours, even with SPF on.
Sunscreen Lip Balm Recipe
This recipe makes six standard-sized tubes of lip balm with SPF. If you need more or less, you can adjust the recipe accordingly.
Ingredients
Materials
If you can’t get these tubes, you can also use small metal tins.
Measure all of the ingredients into a small double boiler or a Turkish coffee pot. I like to use the Turkish coffee pot because it has a pour spout. I can heat the oils up quickly and then pour them easily into the tubes.
Once the oils, waxes, and butter have all melted together, turn off the heat and add in the essential oils. Stir well with a small spatula.
When everything is thoroughly mixed, use the spout on the Turkish coffee pot to pour the lip balm into the tubes. Fill each tube to just above where the center screw is.
Let the lip balm cool, and then warm up the remaining mixture in the pot so that you can top off each one of the tubes. Filling the lip balm tubes in two steps ensures that you won’t have a large depressed area with a hole in the center of the lip balm. If this still happens, then you can always add a little bit more lip balm onto the top of the depressed area and use a lighter to melt it onto the rest of the lip balm. If this recipe is just for your own use (and you don’t really care what it looks like), then just fill up each one of the tubes the first time; it won’t affect the final product’s function or usefulness.
I left mine plain, but you can add a cute decorative label if you’re gifting some of these lip balms.
FAQ About SPF Lip Balm
Do you really need SPF lip balm?
Absolutely. The skin around your lips is very thin and contains little melanin (the pigment in our skin that naturally protects against the sun). This makes the skin on your lips very susceptible to sun damage and skin cancer.
How much SPF is enough for lip balm?
SPF 15-30 is usually all you need for a lip balm. While I can’t say the SPF of this lip balm specifically, I have never gotten a burn while wearing it.
How long does lip balm with SPF last?
The general rule of thumb is that you should reapply any kind of SPF every two hours, give our take depending on if you’ve been swimming or sweating, or in this case, eating or drinking.
More Ways to Stay Safe in the Sun
DIY Lip Balm with SPF
This all natural sunscreen lip balm is made with ingredients that you can feel good about.
Measure each ingredient, except the essential oils, and add them into the double boiler.
Melt together the ingredients over low heat.
Turn off the heat, then stir the essential oils in.
Once the lip balm ingredients are fully integrated, carefully pour the mixture into the empty lip balm tubes.
Allow them to harden, then apply to lips before sun exposure!
There’s no denying that tinted lip balms are one of the most popular skincare–makeup hybrids right now. Beauty retailer Space NK reports that sales of lip treatments, largely driven by balms, is up 283% vs 2023 – proof perhaps that we’re shaking loose the reliance on lipstick for the feel-good factor.
For skincare enthusiasts, it’s all taking lips from chapped to pillow-soft. Packed with moisture-loving ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, vitamin E and shea butter, they’re formulated to deliver long-lasting hydration.
Some can double as lip plumpers, while others can give you the equivalent of a high-shine finish of a lip gloss or a lip oil (non-sticky, of course).
Throw in a sheer pop of colour, and tinted lip balms tick all the boxes for makeup lovers to join the smooth lip party – whether they wear a tinted lip balm on its own or on top of their favourite lipstick to create a brand new shade.
Best tinted lip balms at a glance – our top picks:
Rhode Skin Peptide Lip Tint in Espresso
Hourglass Phantom Volumizing Glossy Balm
The Inkey List Tripeptide Plumping Lip Balm Tint
Whether you’re after a natural rose pink, a punchier red, a chocolate brown or a fool-proof nude, there’s no shortage of shades available, whether you lean more towards a ‘no-makeup‘ makeup look or are keen to seek out more pigmented formulas.
To help you narrow down your pick, we’ve put together a comprehensive round up of the very best tinted lip balms around, from trending bestsellers to classics.
One of the below options just so happens to be a personal favourite of Sofia Richie‘s, while another forms the basis of Hailey Bieber‘s viral espresso makeup look.
Spring has arrived and so has the sunny. While most want to soak in the rays – your lips might need a bit of help.
The summer sun brings out the kid in us, water activities, sun bathing, sports, or just long walks….but our lips might not be so excited. Lips are vulnerable to EV rays and often get forgotten. The skin on the lips can’t produce its own natural moisture or protective oils, making it more prone to drying out, so it is important to give them a little assistance. Could you help your lips with CBD balm…yes, and here is why.
From simple Chapstick to Chanel lip balms, the global market in just lips balms (not counting lipstick, glosses, and other lip products) is expected to hit close to $850 million this year. Not only do the products help the lips stay healthy, they can prevent cancer with a sun screen, so it is important. A CBD lip balm can have extra benefits.
Photo by StockSnap via Pixabay
It’s antibacterial and antioxidant
CBD is known for its antibacterial and antioxidant properties, which, when applied to lip balm, lead to more protection for your skin and to reducing element overexposure. When experiencing symptoms of the flu, cold sores, inflammation or allergies, CBD lip balm can reduce redness and irritation.
The oil is packed with vitamins
Most CBD products are full of vitamins like A, C and E and hemp oil. These vitamins promote healthy skin and slow down its natural aging process. It gives them a healthy appearance and a natural glow.
Drinking enough water is key to keep your body hydrated, especially in the heat. Lips are one of the first places to show signs of dehydration. Good lip balms provide the pathway avoiding them becoming dry and flaky. Lip balms with quality CBD oil creates a seal which can make your lips moist for longer periods of time.
It can treat severely chapped lips
Things happen and before you know it, the lips are painful and chapped. A CBD balm can can help severely chapped thanks to CBD’s healing properties. Unlike the compounds found in everyday lip balms, CBD oil can treat skin blemishes much faster, helping heal superficial cuts, protecting you against weather and more.
Could you help your lips with CBD balm, you bet your summer smile it can.
When is matcha not a Kermit-coloured drink consumed by 6am yoga lovers? When it becomes a trending ingredient in skincare, stealing the spotlight away from hyaluronic acid for a hot second.
The global market value for matcha is set to surpass £6billion by 2030, such is our love affair with whisking this finely ground powder made from green tea leaves into TikTok-worthy lattes. Lauded for its energy and metabolism-boosting benefits, ingesting matcha has become fashionable in the wellness space, but a highlight reel of spring 2024’s most popular skincare ingredients would suggest the antioxidants in matcha tea are entering the skin barrier conversation, too.
Matcha isn’t exactly a new ingredient in skincare. Rewind six years, and superfoods were booming, which meant it sidled up to kombucha in Milk Makeup’s groundbreaking, but now discontinued, Matcha Toner and Origins RitualiTea Matcha Madness Revitalising Powder Face Mask.
Then, last autumn, Huda Beauty launched its GloWish Super Jenny Lip Balm in Matcha. Powered by the lurid green superfood, it transforms into a more palatable pink shade when it hits your lips and now we’re seeing echoes of this ingredient everywhere.
In the last month alone, no fewer than three matcha-laced cleansers have hit the market. Tatcha’s The Matcha Cleanse is designed for oily skin and leans on Japanese Kyo-Matcha to calm redness. Likewise, K Beauty brand KraveBeauty has just landed in the UK with its Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser to sooth and protect against environmental aggressors. And Hello Klean’s new body cleanser, the Nourishing Micronutrient Wash, has infused a chelating complex with matcha green tea, which founder Karlee Ozener, says “prevents mineral residue from settling on the skin while reducing dryness and inflammation caused by impurities in tap water.”
Tatcha The Matcha Cleanse
Krave Beauty Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser
Hello Klean Nourishing Micronutrient Wash
When asked about the reason for matcha’s current boom, GP and aesthetic doctor Dr Sonia Khorana says, “Green tea has long been included in skincare products and now we are focusing on matcha as a newer ingredient. Matcha is thought to be super high in antioxidants (epigallocatechin gallate – EGCG), which have protective effects to fight free-radical damage, anti-inflammatory properties and possibly reduce the effects of sun damage.”
Cosmetic formulator Ginger King also hails its “strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory soothing effect.” However, despite matcha having high amounts of chlorophyll, she warns against reading too much into the ‘detox’ benefits popularised on TikTok. “There is no data I know of to support chlorophyll used topically for detox,” she adds.
So is it worth giving matcha skincare a go? Dr Khorana believes so, although more studies are needed on its topical benefits. “Matcha can be safe for a wide range of skin types,” she says. “There is some research to show that matcha might be beneficial for people with sensitive skin types or those exposed to free radicals and pollution, so it might be able to reach its peak potential when delivered through serums and masks, which stay on your skin longer.”
So you may want to consider topping off your matcha cleansing routine with the Elemis Superfood Matcha Eye Dew. Although not new, it’s brilliant at supporting the microbiome on delicate under-eye skin, while combatting puffiness and dryness. Zelens Tea Shot, another tried-and-true favourite, is a serum supercharged with five different types of tea, including matcha to counter the effects of pollution and to stimulate collagen production.
Huda Beauty GloWish Super Jenny Lip Balm in Matcha
If you fancy a total matcha odyssey, it’s worth noting that aside from the skincare aisle, you’ll also find perfumes laced with its grassy, vegetal scent.
Le Labo’s cult Thé Matcha 26 is infused with creamy fig, earthy vetiver, cedar wood and bitter orange that softly hug the skin. Also nice: Maison Margiela Replica Matcha Meditation, which captures the heat from a cup of matcha tea and the coolness of a bright, clear day in Tokyo with fresh green tea and bergamot and a dry down of sweet white chocolate and woods.
Proof if you needed it, that hot-drink inspired beauty trends are going nowhere.
Le Labo Thé Matcha 26, 100ml EDP
Maison Margiela Replica Matcha Meditation, 100ml EDT
For more from Fiona Embleton, GLAMOUR’s Associate Beauty Director, follow her on @fiembleton.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, StyleCaster may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Like most people in the winter, my skin enters into an endless cycle of dryness, from cracked hands to a flaking nose—and those concerns appear just the same on my lips. While I slather them in hydrating balms nightly, I know the most effective way to shed the dead skin is to exfoliate beforehand. That’s why, like several thousand shoppers, I’m picking up a tube of the Revlon Lip Scrub Balm
.
The $5 exfoliating lip scrub—it’s currently on sale for 26 percent off
at Amazon—is a 2-in-1 product that softens and hydrates the lips in seconds, eliminating the need for two separate formulas. Real sugar crystals polish away dry areas on your lips, before melting into a silky, smooth balm that’s infused with natural fruit oils that offer up to 24 hours of nourishment. It’s also the perfect prep step before applying lipstick since it creases a better canvas for color to glide overtop.
Amazon
With over 7,000 five-star ratings from Amazon customers
, the Revlon best-seller might be the best item you’ll add to your winter skincare regimen yet. Reviewers have compared the affordable formula to much pricer lip exfoliators out there and praise the fact it “effectively gets the job done” without leaving “any crunchy gunk behind.” Others call it a “cure” for incessant dry, cracked winter lips and claim it’s “the only thing that worked” to remedy them.
“I’ve had chapped lips all winter long and I have tried it ALL to get them back to normal. This is the only thing that worked. Exfoliates your lips and the sugar crystals dissolve quickly so there’s no weird residue after you apply it. Highly recommend,” said one reviewer.
“I’ve been a lip picker for over 20 years, because they were always trying to heal, my lips had lines and looked old,” shared another. “This product has smoothed them out completely, my lips almost look photoshopped now! Because it scrubs, there aren’t as many dry bits for me to pick at, so I’m breaking the habit too!”
The Revlon Lip Scrub is available at Amazon
, Target (additional shades are offered at this retailer) and Walmart for around $5.
This peppermint lip balm recipe is lip-smacking good, and hey, it smells amazing too! Great to use all year long, this is a super simple recipe that doesn’t take long to whip up. Here’s how to make your own minty, fresh lip balm.
This peppermint lip balm is one of my favourite items to whip up during Christmas time. I call it my candy cane lip balm, and it’s a big hit among friends. They can get tucked inside stockings, alongside gift cards, or as a small token of thanks to acquaintances in your life.
But peppermint doesn’t have to be just a holiday scent. From toothpaste to mojitos, I love enjoying the crisp and fresh taste of peppermint.
Whenever I put this lip balm on, I get a hint of the peppermint taste and enjoy the cooling sensation that comes from the peppermint essential oil.
When it comes to making your own products, lip balm is one of the easiest DIY recipesout there. It’s ideal for beginners and is a very practical item everyone enjoys.
Here’s what we’ll be covering today…
Without a label, these mint lip balms look as clean and simple as their ingredients.
Homemade Peppermint Lip Balm
Now, this would make a great stocking stuffer, wouldn’t it? The recipe below makes 12 tubes, so you’ll have plenty of mint lip balm to keep and gift to others.
Ingredients and Equipment
See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact measurements.
If you can’t find lip balm tubes, you can also use small metal containers and apply the mint lip balm with your fingers.
Make It!
Melt the oil and waxes in the double boiler. Remove from heat, add essential oils, and stir well.
Line up lip balm tubes on a level surface and carefully pour the melted oil and wax into each tube, filling only halfway (if you pour it all at once, you may get a hole in the top of your lip balm once it cools).
It really helps if you have a double boiler where the top pot has a pour spout. If not, transfer the hot liquid into a measuring cup with a spout for easier pouring.
Once the half-full lip balm has been set, top up the rest of the tube.
If you still get an uneven top when the balm has cooled completely, you can use a heat gun or lighter to level it out. Just be sure not to melt the tube!
I labelled mine as candy cane lip balm since I made these during the holidays.
Custom Lip Balm Labels
To really make this peppermint lip balm fun, I added custom labels. It looks like something you might buy at the store!
You can make custom labels if you have a Cricut machine. Printing onto sticker paper is also an option for those who want to use their regular printer.
For simplicity’s sake, I like to use Evermine to make the labels for my items. I can design right on the platform and don’t have to worry about getting the dimensions right.
Once the label is on, they’re truly ready for gifting!
For a year-round look, make the peppermint lip balm labels green and give it your own unique name!
FAQ About Using Peppermint Lip Balm
Is peppermint lip balm drying?
When used incorrectly, peppermint essential oil can be irritating. It should always be diluted before being applied to the skin. In the case of this mint lip balm, it shouldn’t be drying. Instead, the wax and oils create plenty of moisture while the peppermint gives a cooling effect.
Not everyone is well-suited to peppermint oil. The cooling and tingling sensation will promote blood circulation and give a plumping effect to the lips. However, those with sensitive skin may want to avoid using peppermint oil, especially those with dermatitis and eczema. Stop using the lip balm if it causes any irritation.
Why does peppermint make your lips tingle?
One major component of peppermint essential oil is menthol, which gives peppermint its smell, flavour, and tingling sensation. The skin on your face, including your lips, will process the menthol as a tingling and slightly burning sensation thanks to the nerves in the face. The process is similar to how our taste buds process spicy food.
This sensation is completely safe and can even promote focus and attention. Peppermint oil is FDA-approved for use as both a flavour and fragrance.
Peppermint Lip Balm
This peppermint lip balm is ideal around Christmas time or for anyone who loves a minty tingle. This recipe makes 12 tubes.
In the double boiler, melt your waxes and oil together.
Once melted, remove from heat and add your essential oils. Stir well.
Line up the lip balm tubes on a level surface. Pour the melted wax into each tube, only filling halfway. This prevents a hole from forming up top.
Once the lip balm has cooled, reheat the remaining oils and top up the rest of the tube.
If the top cools unevenly, use a heat gun or lighter to level the top. Careful not to melt the tube!
A double boiler with a pour spout makes it easy to pour into the small lip balm tubes. If you don’t have one, transfer the hot liquid into a measuring cup or other container with a spout to make pouring easier.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, StyleCaster may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
You know what drives me crazy? When I see a beauty product on TikTok that I’m dying to get my hands on and it’s already sold out. That’s been the case with Givenchy Rouge Interdit Temptation Black Magic Lip Balm. When I saw the black balm on my FYP, I knew it was going to be good. And it is. One swipe and you get a pretty, sheer berry hue that looks different on everyone.
“I love this,” said @makeupbybrooktiffany in her TikTok video. “Look how much color it gave my bottom lip…tell me this isn’t stunning. It’s not sticky. This has to be the prettiest lip balm I’ve ever tried.”
Creators are also talking about how good it feels on the lips. Because this isn’t just some kitschy black lipstick. This is a nourishing formula with 96 percent natural ingredients like hyaluronic acid, jojoba seed extract, and acmella extract to moisturize for up to 24 hours.
Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. QVC is a STYLECASTER sponsor, however, all products in this article were independently selected by our editors. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.
Image: QVC.
Luckily, QVC has it in stock but I have a feeling it’ll go fast since it’s a flattering shade on all skin tones.
Image: QVC
Plus, as many TikTokers point out, the packaging and look of the lipstick is one of the best parts. Sure, that wouldn’t be enough if it didn’t work but since it does, the leather feel on the outside and the tiny logos on the lipstick inside, are just icing on the cake.
If you want to see how Givenchy Rouge Interdit Temptation Black Magic Lip Balm is going to look on you, head over to QVC to grab it now.
Lip plumpers are currently having as big a moment as the volume they promise to impart. From lip glosses to lip balms and even serum-like concoctions and lip pencils, there’s no shortage of impressive products on the market to choose from if you want a more pillowy pout.
The good news is that lip plumpers have evolved enough for them not to cause an unpleasant burning sensation or irritation. You’ll rarely find aggressive old-school ingredients such as cayenne pepper or cinnamon in newer formulas, and even those that still lean on mint do so in a much more subtle, skin-friendly way.
Hyaluronic acid is the ingredient du jour, making lip plumpers moisturising, gentle and effective, as well as suitable for dry, tender skin. Oils are also popular as a shiny finish reflects light, giving the illusion of fullness.
How you use lip plumpers has also moved on, too, allowing you to use them as a finishing touch or as a way to prep your lips for your favourite lipstick and lip liner.
To be clear, though, lip plumpers are not an alternative for lip fillers and it’s unlikely that you’ll get similar tumescent results. Although they’re designed to boost blood flow to the lips – usually via a gentle minty flavour – the result is temporary at best.
Even those powered by skincare ingredients, including collagen and peptides, make your lips appear slightly fuller over time but this is no way comparable to what you would get with cosmetic lip-enhancing procedures.
Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme Plumping Lip Gloss
Dior Addict Lip Maximizer Hydrating and Plumping Gloss
It’s also worth noting that you shouldn’t feel like you need to make your lips appear bigger. But we also understand that when it comes to your body (or lips in this case), you are the only person whose opinion matters most. So if you want to embrace plumped-up lips – go for it.
To help you make a more informed decision, we’ve put together a full edit of all the best lip plumpers available. As committed beauty testers, we made sure to include a variety of different formulas that meet the needs of varying budgets and preferences, too. So, from best sellers to new releases, hopefully there will be something on this list for everyone.
Tinted lip balms are, in many ways, the unsung heroes of the makeup bag. Sure, they provide pretty, buildable sheer-to-intense washes of color without caking, creasing, settling into lines or leaving tumbleweed-level dryness in their wake. But the best ones do so much more than just look good.
The cream of the crop are enhanced with protective sunscreen, antioxidants and hyaluronic acid to work overtime as lip-focused skin-care treatments while they deposit a slick of color. They’re spiked with a smattering of ultra-fine shimmer for a luminous — but still minimalist — finish. Or perhaps they upend old-school understandings of “lip balm” entirely, taking the form of non-sticky “oil” formulas that just might make you forget all about that lip gloss stashed at the bottom of your purse.
Ahead, we’ve chosen 21 high-performing, multi-benefit tinted lip balms we’re loving right now — in shades for every skin tone, with price points for every budget. Scroll through to see (and shop!) them all.
Jones Road The Lip Tint in Valencia Orange, $26, available here
L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Balm in Caramel Comfort, $11, available here.
Typology Tinted Lip Oil in 2 Powder Pink, $24, available here
