You probably already know the importance of applying sunscreen daily to protect your skin. But many people overlook how important it is to protect their lips, too. In addition to skin cancer, exposure to harmful rays can cause a precancerous condition called actinic cheilitis, colloquially known as “sailor’s lip,” that causes rough, scaly patches, says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Eileen Deignan. Chronic sun exposure can also damage the skin barrier around the lips and make your lips look aged and discolored, she says.
Given these potential risks, experts I spoke to recommend using an SPF lip balm daily. To help guide you on your search, I spoke to dermatologists about how to shop for one and rounded up options that NBC Select editors use and love.
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The best SPF lip balms of 2026
Best overall
Sun Bum’s mineral lip balm is made with zinc oxide, an ingredient that physically blocks the sun’s rays from penetrating the skin, says Deignan. It also has sweet almond oil to hydrate and won’t leave a white cast on lips, according to the brand.
Best high coverage
This lip balm, which has one of the highest SPF ratings on this list, has avobenzone, octocrylene and oxybenzone, some of the top ingredients to protect your lips from the sun, according to Deignan. It also includes moisturizing ingredients like coconut oil, which hydrate and smooth lips, says Dr. Jaimie DeRosa, a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon.
Best for chapped lips
This option has a SPF 30, offers UVA and UVB protection and rehydrates lips and protects them from getting chapped in the wind, according to the brand.
Best for dry lips
This Aquaphor lip balm has avobenzone, which protects your lips and gives it some water resistance, says Deignan. Like other Aquaphor products, it has a thick texture and hydrates your lips so they don’t feel rough, dry or chapped, says former NBC Selected associate reporter Bianca Alvarez.
Best water-resistant
This balm is a personal favorite of Deignan and Dr. Jaimie DeRosa, a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, because it feels smooth on their lips and doesn’t leave behind a white residue. It’s made with zinc oxide, which blocks the sun’s rays from penetrating your skin. It also has octinoxate, a UVB ray shield and includes the humectant glycerin, according to the brand.
Best moisturizing
This SPF 30 lip balm has several of the active ingredients recommended by our experts: avobenzone, octisalate and octocrylene. “This is one of my favorites. Not only does it provide UVA and UVB protection, it also has moisturizing ingredients like jojoba oil so lips feel softer after applying it,” says DeRosa. There’s also a tinted version if you want a little color.
Best flavored
This creamy lip balm combines hydrating ingredients, like oils, wax, aloe vera and vitamin E, to leave your lips feeling soft and moisturized, according to the brand. “This is easily one of the most delicious SPF lip options, its flavor is sweet, so even if you get a little in your mouth by accident, it doesn’t leave a chemical-ly taste,” says Alvarez. It’s one of five lip balms in the brand’s Dessert Collection, and Alvarez says even her younger siblings enjoy the other four flavors, which means they actually want to put it on and protect their lips.
Best tinted
This option gives your lips a sheer tint, provides UVA and UVB protection and hydrates them all at once without being overtly sticky, according to the brand. Reviewers say it’s almost similar to a gloss because it gives your lips a high shine. It’s available in four options: Irie Rose (neutral pink), Bad Gyal Berry (berry tint), Nude Ting (blush nude pink) and Clear.
Best lightweight
The Supergoop Play Lip Balm is another option that includes Deignan’s favorite protective active ingredient, avobenzone. This lip balm has SPF 30 and shea butter, which is great for your lips because it makes them feel more soft, says DeRosa. It’s lightweight and available in two different flavors: acai and mint.
Best set
For under $20, this set comes with four scented lip balms: dreamsicle, mango, tropical and vanilla. Each balm has SPF 45 and doesn’t have oxybenzone, making it a good option for those with sensitive skin, according to the brand. It is also available in a set of five.
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How to shop for SPF lip balms
When shopping for SPF lip balm, experts recommend paying attention to the ingredients and finding a formula that offers both sun protection and nourishment for your lips.
Which ingredients add sun protection?
Beyond ensuring the lip balm has SPF protection and is broad spectrum (which means it protects against both UVA and UVB rays), you’ll need to decide if you want a chemical or mineral sunscreen. Chemical ingredients absorb harmful UV rays so that your skin doesn’t. Look for active ingredients like avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene and oxybenzone, says Deignan.
The other option is mineral sunscreen, which blocks the sun from making contact with your skin. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are two mineral ingredients that physically block UV rays to prevent your lips from burning, says DeRosa. “Many good SPF lip balms — and broad-spectrum SPF sunscreens, for that matter — have formulated these mineral ingredients into micronized and nanoparticles so they don’t leave a white tint,” she says.
What are the most nourishing ingredients?
In addition to sun protection, a good SPF lip balm should keep lips from drying out and cracking, says DeRosa. Consider humectant ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, aloe vera and honey, which add moisture, she says.
Also, look for emollient ingredients, including shea butter and coconut oil, which help soften the lips, according to DeRosa. Some ingredients like squalane and vitamin E are also good ingredients to look for in your lip balm because they have both humectant and emollient properties, says Deignan.
Frequently asked questions
You might want to be cautious when using lip balms with cooling ingredients (like menthol, camphor or phenol) because they can be drying, experts say. Alcohol is also known to dry out the lips, so if you see signs of irritation, you may want to avoid it, says DeRosa. Some lip balms also have cinnamon or peppermint oil, which may temporarily plump your lips, but they can also irritate some, says Deignan. Also, if you have sensitive skin, try avoiding propolis, which can be found in some beeswax-based lip balms, because it can also irritate the skin, says Deignan.
As with face sunscreens, you’ll need to use this product daily. You should be reapplying it multiple times daily, too, says DeRosa. Reapply it every two to three hours, but more often if you’re eating or wiping your lips frequently, says Deignan. You should wear SPF lip balm in all types of weather, because harmful rays can still impact your skin when it’s cloudy outside. The same applies if you’re sitting near a window or riding in the car, experts say.
Meet our dermatology experts
At NBC Selected, we work with experts with specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Dr. Jaimie DeRosa is a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and Boston University.
- Dr. Eileen Deignan is a board-certified dermatologist and chief of dermatology at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Massachusetts.
Why trust NBC Selected?
I am a commerce editor at NBC Selected and a journalist who regularly covers topics like beauty, home and lifestyle. For this story, I interviewed two experts to gather their guidance on what to look for when shopping for SPF lip balm.
Bianca Alvarez is a former associate reporter at NBC Selected.
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