8 Winter-Proof Lip Balms That Actually Fix Dry, Flaky Lips

Le Chouchou (French for “the favorite”) is living up to its name for a reason. Don’t let the 10-shade range fool you into thinking this is just another tinted gloss. It is essentially a high-performance serum disguised as a lip treatment. While the peptides work behind the scenes to signal your skin to produce more collagen and smooth out texture, a micro-dose of lactic acid from Hibiscus extract provides a gentle exfoliation to clear away stubborn winter flakes. This treatment is doing the absolute most (and I’m here for it) by adding Shea Butter, Moringa Oil, and Acai Fruit Oil to nourish your skin. It is the perfect pick if you want something beyond just a pretty color that will actually keep your lips looking and feeling plush.

Finally, a plumping product that won’t make you feel like you just shotgunned a bottle of hot sauce. Grab this immediately if your goal is to actually repair your skin barrier rather than just masking the dryness. This balm relies on a heavy-hitting duo of ceramides to physically rebuild the lipid layer of your lips while you commute, providing a subtle plumping effect through deep hydration rather than irritation. By filling in painful cracks and fine lines from the inside out, it creates a dense, reliable seal. You can trust this formula to stay put and keep you hydrated all day so your work husband never catches you lacking.

For the girl who treats her lip care like her 7-step skincare routine, meet your new obsession. While the bright, colorful tubes look a little bit like something from your childhood craft bin, the results are very grown-up. Think of this as a liquid multivitamin that leaves a high-shine finish. It uses natural fruit enzymes to gently sweep away dry patches, so you can finally go a whole day without feeling like you need to pick at your lips. Whether you’re running to Pilates or a coffee date, these 6 shades give you that “just bitten” look while actually doing the work to firm and hydrate your lips.

If you want the high-shine finish of a sheer gloss without any of the stickiness, this is the one to grab. It is the perfect hybrid for those days when you want a polished look but don’t want to compromise on a wide range of shades. Instead of just masking the dryness, it uses a rich blend of Shea and Murumuru butters to actually deeply nourish your skin. It also has hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture, which is a total must-have when you’re dealing with an office thermostat that never seems to get the temperature right. Whether you are sitting under a freezing vent or stuck in a stuffy conference room, these 14 sheer shades are the ultimate low-maintenance essential to keep at your desk for a quick “put together” moment.

Don’t buy these for the tint because you will be disappointed if you are looking for a pop of color, but buy them for the formula that is actually good. This vegan blend is packed with shea butter, Murumuru seed butter, vitamin E, and hyaluronic acid to do the heavy lifting while you are out in the elements. The hyaluronic acid acts as a humectant to pull moisture into the skin, while the shea and murumuru butters provide a rich barrier to lock that hydration in place. With this balm on, you can handle the stinging wind and moisture-sucking heaters without constantly worrying about your lips drying out or peeling by lunchtime.

This is the “emergency contact” in your lip care routine. When your lips are past the point of being a little dry and are actually starting to feel cracked and painful, skip the pretty tints and reach for this. It is basically a first-aid kit in a tube. Forget the pop of color or the fancy scent, this fraguance-free formula creates a thick, protective seal that keeps the freezing air out and the moisture in. Keep this one on your nightstand for a thick layer before bed, and your skin will be back to normal before your next brunch date.

If you feel like your lips are constantly in a cycle of being dry, peeling, and then dry all over again, this is the formula that finally breaks it. It is less of a balm and more of a literal barrier replacement. Think of it as a deep-conditioning mask that you can wear all day. It is loaded with a triple-threat of ceramides and cholesterol that mimic the actual structure of your skin to physically repair the damage rather than just sitting on top of it. You also get a nice little boost of peptides to keep things looking plump and full without any of that spicy, stinging heat. There is a faint, refreshing minty scent that feels cooling on chapped lips, making it the perfect “reset” product for when you have overdone it with the matte lipsticks or the winter wind.

If “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” was a lip balm, it would be this one. The Lip Therapy line has a few different options, but the cocoa butter version is the one I’ve been carrying in my purse since 2017. Keep in mind that this doesn’t actually add new moisture; instead, it is the king of locking everything in. The petrolatum creates a physical shield that stops your natural hydration from evaporating into the freezing winter air. Even though it is a sealant, the cocoa butter is a lifesaver for softening rough texture and smoothing out painful cracks so your skin can actually recover. It is the ultimate reliable staple for a reason.