Lip balm is a makeup bag essential — but you don’t have to spend a lot to moisturize and protect your lips. Today, CF has you covered with five super cheap lip balms that will give you the perfect pout for everything from your everyday routine to girl’s night out.
Scroll down to see our picks for the best drugstore lip balms that ring in at under $5 each:
Table of Contents
1. Best Drugstore Lip Balm for Everyday Use: EOS Smooth Sphere
EOS Smooth Sphere in Summer Fruits – $3.49 at Ulta
The EOS Smooth Sphere lip balm has been a cult favorite for quite a while now (even Miley’s a fan!). Its unique shape – which makes it easy to locate in the bottom of your beach bag – smooth texture, and the fact that it’s 95% organic/100% natural make it a perfect choice for everyday use. Plus, it comes in some seriously summery flavors like Strawberry Sorbet, Lemon Drop, and Pomegranate Raspberry, which smell good enough to eat!
2. Best Drugstore Lip Balm for a Night Out: Maybelline Baby Lips
Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch – $3.99 at Ulta
Heading out on the town, but can’t stand the thought of reapplying your lipstick in the bathroom? Maybelline’s Baby Lips cleverly combines clinical strength lip balm with shiny color and sweet flavor, meaning you don’t have to worry about chapped lips or a colorless pout. Try Pink Punch, Cherry Me, or Grape Vine for subtle yet glossy pinks, reds, and purples.
3. Best Drugstore Lip Balm with SPF – Aquaphor Lip Repair + Protect
Aquaphor Lip Repair + Protect Broad Spectrum SPF 30 – $3.99 at Ulta
Aquaphor is a trusted and well-known brand when it comes to skincare and their lip balms are no different. The best part about Lip Repair + Protect is that it has both SPF 30 and prevents moisture loss. So, when you spend all day next to the ocean, your lips won’t suffer sun damage or get flaky in the wind. Score!
4. Best Drugstore Lip Balm for Repairing Dry Lips: Carmex Cherry Flavor Moisturizing Lip Balm
Carmex Moisturizing Lip Balm Tube in Cherry – $3.29 at Amazon
If your lips do see a little too much sun (or wind, or a cold sore, or they’re are generally dry), Carmex will fix all your lip-related woes. It packs an intense punch of menthol and camphor, but the sweet cherry flavor and shiny finish make it feel less like a medicated treatment and more like, well, a treat.
5. Best Drugstore Lip Balm Overall: Cherry Flavor ChapStick
ChapStick Classic Lip Balm in Cherry – $1.00 at Walmart
An all-time classic and a favorite of Katy Perry, the famed cherry flavor ChapStick is possibly the best inexpensive and effective you can buy. Its waxy texture means it stays on through just about everything, while its subtle pink color, softening effect, and yummy cherry smell make it perfect for everyone. Oh, and it has SPF 4 and protects against chapped lips and windburn – like we said, for the price, it’s the best all-around!
Thoughts?
What do you think of these picks? Do you use any of these products? Which lip balms would you add to this list? Add your thoughts below in the comment section!
I’ve used most of these, actually all if them! Eos is AWSOME!!! I love their flavors/scents and they are so easy to hold and apply, especially when I need moisture in the middle of the night and I have to rummage through my purse in the dark to find something good. I just purchased a Baby Lips for myself and my sister in the light pink today and I am just trying it out and so far so good. Nivea is good but not my first choice since I have to reapply often. Carmex works but I don’t use it hardly ever. And I have to say for cherry Chapstick, I do not like it. It makes my lips burn instead and in the long run I feel it makes your lips actually worse. And on top of that I hate the artificial cherry flavor. Have since I was very young. My all time favorite is Burt’s bees lip balm and other products. They come in a variety if scents plus lipglosses, lip shimmers, lip colors, etc. they are a little pricier than the ones above but are well worth the purchase.
I love love LOVE the aquafina lip balms. They leave your lips smooth and tingly. And it take effect on chapped lips almost instantly. I had a cut on my lip from them cracking, I believe, two days ago, it’s practically gone now. My boyfriend knows I always have to have one with me and tells me “it’s a good obsession at least”
I love the Nivea brand. My boyfriend brought the best lip balm back from Germany, Labello. I later read that the companies merged and found the Nivea to be the same product. It’s super moisturizing.
I also love the Burt’s Bees tinted lip balms. Ive never been a lipstick girl, and these give you color you don’t need a mirror to apply, and won’t dry you out.
Also no mention of Bonne Bell Lipsmackers… The quality is kinda waxy and crappy, but I’m nostalgic over the flavored like Dr. Pepper and Bubblegum.
I also heard that Chapstick brand came out with a cake batter flavored stick, but I can’t find it anywhere!
Nivea Lip Butters are amazing too! They are in a little pot, come in a few different flavors and are less than $5!! I use mine every night before bed and my lips have never been softer/smooth – no dry spots or chapping!
I can’t speak to the cherry flavor, but Carmex is a great classic brand for cheap balm! I haven’t liked Nivea; granted, I got the shimmery pink one and it smelled funny to me. I may give Eos another try. I picked the Lemon Drop one before. It felt a little too dry to apply adequately, though.
I agree about the Rosebud Salve – it’s the best lip balm I have ever used. However, while I agree with Kaurna that Carmex isn’t always great for your lips, it IS the best thing I’ve found for when my lips hurt.
EOS does nothing for me. Actually, that’s wrong. It makes my lips peel and it’s painful. Never again. -___- I’m currently using Neutrogena’s Revitalizing Lip Balm.
I used to like Chapstick, but recently it seemed to increase my skin problems. My favorite is Burt’s Bees lip shimmer in watermelon and rhubarb. Rimmel’s Moisture Renew lipstick also works great, with a lighter texture than Burt’s.
I am surprised Rosebud Salve didn’t make the list. That is easily the best lip balm I have ever used in my life, period. I use the strawberry flavored one and it keeps my lips moisturized all day! It is a bit pricier than most lip balms ($8 I think) but so worth it.
I’m allergic to beeswax (which is in most lip products) and I love Baby Lips! One of the few lip balms that doesn’t contain beeswax and has flavors I like. I don’t use the colored ones because if I want color I’ll take an allergy pill and put on lipstick, but for everyday use I really like Baby Lips.
burts bees should be on here. i’ve tried all of these, but burt bees is the best and all natural. i have it in grapefruit and it smells/tastes delicious!
Unfortunately for me, a couple of years ago I developed some sort of a serious sensitivity to 80% of all lip balms on the market, so I just use Vaseline’s Lip Therapy (Vaseline in a handy tube – only 99 cents) and honestly it works wonders for me in all areas, including sun/chap protection. It also doesn’t have the weird smell regular Vaseline has. I think NYC’s Applelicious Glossy Lip Balm should be on this list as well. It’s $4 and I’ve been absolutely obsessed with it recently. It’s very similar to Baby Lips in the fact that it’s a tinted balm, but it’s actually quite opaque, even on my very pigmented lips. I use Big Apple Red and it’s perfect for when you want a red lip that appears casual and toned down.
I agree with all of them except the first two. I found the Eos to not have much lasting power, and Baby Lips left mine dry and feeling pretty weird. Carmex is good, but smells awful. Surprised Burt’s didn’t make the list, they have a chapstick for $3.50 max that is really good!
Carmex is terrible for your lips, ladies! Stick with the natural products like vaseline, or a vitamin e stick! Another great option is say yes to carrots brand 🙂
I love the EOS smooth sphere! I’ve got 3 of the EOS lipbalms; two are spheres and my last vanilla one is in a stick. They last forever! But for a bit of color I like Burts Bees tinted lipbalms: I’m currently using Honeysuckle for that light neutral pinkish coral color and it goes on awesome and the color stays on for a long time. I think they’re around $4.99 excluding tax which puts them just above your price range, but I recommend it and am definitely repurchasing! I’m not too hot on the non-tinted ones (I own the acai berry one) because the formula isn’t as smooth or buttery.