For the best drugstore lip balm brands, check out our list of favorites, including EOS, Chapstick, Burt’s Bees, Carmex, Blistex, and more.
We’re really getting into it now, ladies. That magical time of year when the air gets crisper, you go ice skating exactly once, everyone gets angry about Christmas music being played too early, puffy coats ensure that you are drenched in sweat when walking anywhere, and….where was I going with this…oh yeah, your lips feel like sandpaper. Can you tell I love cold weather?
What’s there to like? Wet freezing white flakes falling from the sky and causing ruined shoes and car accidents? Oh, how beautiful! By mid-December, my hands will be significantly more cracked than my grandmas’, and my boyfriend will refuse to kiss my peeling lips until springtime. (Jokes, jokes)
But you know what’s not a joke? This might be the most difficult article I’ve ever written. Testing chapsticks is not for the faint of heart, and after a month of testing, I’m oh-so-close to calling the whole business of chapstick-making a complete scam. (Chapstick-making, that’s the business, right?) However, I do believe I’ve managed to make some educated judgments on the matter. I’ve broken it down into four categories: mouthfeel, flavor, look, and endurance. But it really comes down to one question: where do your chapstick brand loyalties lie?
(Related: The Before And After Photos Of My Mouth Will Convince You To Try Fullips Lip Enhancers)
Chapstick: Original
Ah, the OG of lip products. I would never abandon the namesake of the entire chapstick industry, and I still believe it’s one of if not the best out there.
- Mouthfeel: Smooth, silky perfection
- Flavor: It tastes like Chapstick, and that’s the only way to describe it.
- Look: Your lips, plus a little extra
- Endurance: About two hours before you feel like you should reapply
Eos: Sweet Mint
I have been on a personal mission to shun Eos at all costs after it made its grand debut in “We Can’t Stop.” But today, that vendetta must end. For I am addicted to my little light green ball of moisture and simply do not believe the rumor that it “intentionally dries out your lips.”
- Mouthfeel: Creamier than chapstick, but not as thick as, say, Carmex or Aquaphor
- Flavor: Don’t know if I would be as in love with Eos if I had purchased a different flavor. Sweet Mint is my all-time fave (Orbit gum, anyone?), and it provides such a refreshing tingle.
- Look: Similar to Chapstick chapstick: your lips, plus a little extra shine.
- Endurance: About two hours
Blistex: Medicated Mint Balm
As I mentioned, I’m all about the mint lip tingle. Anyone who’s planning to plant one on me, store that information away somewhere safe.
- Mouthfeel: Perfectly tingly but doesn’t feel as moisturizing as most
- Flavor: Mint, duh
- Look: Can barely tell anything is there
- Endurance: Two hours or less, not great
Carmex: Original
I cannot get past the flavor while wearing this. But if you’re a big incense, potpourri, and herbal tea lover, you will probably like it.
- Mouthfeel: Way too goopy for my taste.
- Flavor: Breathing it in tastes like you’re breathing in incense…why does anyone enjoy this?
- Look: No color, too wet-looking
- Endurance: Two-three hours
Neosporin Overnight Renewal Therapy
Ladies and gentlemen…it is my distinct honor to introduce you to this product. (If you already knew about it, why the hell haven’t you told me??) Every night I go to bed with this on my lips, they wake up feeling like a baby’s butt. And that’s saying something because I sleep rather grotesquely with my mouth completely open, and that really dries out a girl’s lips.
- Mouthfeel: Like hand cream for your lips
- Flavor: None
- Look: Who gives a hoot? I’m going to sleep!
- Endurance: Hey, they feel great in the morning.
Burt’s Bees: Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil
It’s like I always say: if you’re not putting pomegranate oil on your lips, what the hell are you doing with your life? Burt’s Bees is a classic standby that always feels good to put on. Those little bees are like old friends.
- Mouthfeel: Exactly what I feel chapstick is supposed to feel like: moisturizing but not so wet.
- Flavor: So hard to say…pomegranate-flavored beeswax? I mean that in a good way.
- Look: Fairly matte, slight red tint – the dream
- Endurance: I give it a solid three hours.
Nivea: Original
Is it weird that my favorite thing about Nivea is that the packaging looks like a glue stick?
- Mouthfeel: Medium thickness, not too goopy.
- Flavor: None
- Look: No color, very slight shine
- Endurance: About two hours
Vaseline Lip Therapy: Rosy Lips
I was definitely not expecting to like this one as much as I did. I mean Vaseline? That’s the goopiest ish there is! But in all honesty, I thought it felt nice and made my lips pretty dang soft.
- Mouthfeel: The perfect balance of being thick but not too sticky or shiny
- Flavor: Slight rosewater taste
- Look: Very slight pink color and shine, love it!
- Endurance: Two hours
Aquaphor: Lip Repair
I would honestly feel embarrassed to have my lips looking this wet and medicated in broad daylight, so for me, Aquaphor is best used overnight. However, I don’t think it’s as effective as Neosporin Overnight Renewal.
- Mouthfeel: Goopy, thick, slimey…way too much for my taste. It almost feels like it’s just sitting in a layer on top of your lips instead of penetrating the skin to make it soft.
- Flavor: None
- Look: Like I said, absolutely hate it.
- Endurance: Feels present for a solid three-four hours.
