Our lips are sensitive and need protection. The skin of the lips is so thin that the blood vessels gleam underneath. Hence, the red color.
For healthy lips, we have made a list of our favorite vegan lip balms. These balms protect your lips from cold, wind, dryness, and sun damage.
Let luxurious plant oils do their magic and enjoy nourished lips all year round. Our favorite vegan lipsticks are beeswax-free and lanolin-free.
All lip balms below are vegan and cruelty-free, meaning they are free of animal ingredients and have not been tested on animals anywhere in the world.
Best Vegan Lip Balms 2023
Looking for the perfect vegan lip balm? We put the bestselling lip balms under the microscope and picked out the best vegan balms for 2023.
- Best Overall: Biossance Squalane+ Rose Vegan Lip Balm
- Best Chapstick: Melixir Vegan Lip Butter
- Best Flavored: Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm
- Best Unscented: Hurraw Unscented Lip Balm
- Best Organic: Eco Lips Bee Free Vegan Lip Balm
- Best Plastic-Free: Ethique Nectar Unscented Lip Balm
- Best Affordable: Earth’s Daughter Vegan Lip Balm
- Best Tinted: Honest Beauty Tinted Lip Balm
- Best Glossy: Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Balm
- Best With SPF: Coola Organic Liplux Lip Balm SPF 30
- Best For Dry Lips: Ilia Lip Wrap Reviving Balm
- Best For Sensitive Lips: Doctor Rogers Natural Restore Lip Balm
- Best For Mature Lips: Olehenriksen Pout Preserve Peptide Lip Treatment
- Best Lip Mask: Cay Skin Deepwater Nourishing Lip Mask
Best Vegan Lip Balm Overall
1. Biossance Squalane+ Rose Vegan Lip Balm
Biossance Squalane+ Rose is the best vegan lip balm. It’s silky smooth, moisturizing, and completely non-sticky. It’s also fragrance-free. The balm softens the lips and gives them a gorgeous natural glow. If your lips are not too dry, applying this balm once a day is enough.
This balm has a clean formula with premium skincare ingredients such as ceramides, hyaluronic acid, squalane, rose wax, and algae. We like the subtle rose scent it has. The ingredients also target different lip problems such as eczema.
- What we like: great hydration, smooth and not tacky
- What we don’t like: rose smell is not for everybody
- What other reviewers say: plush and cushiony feel, best for hydration, non-sticky, lips feel soft and smooth, hygienic applicator, works also as an overnight mask
Key ingredients: sugarcane-derived squalane, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, rose wax, wakame algae | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, clean, natural, paraben-free, phthalate-free, fragrance-free, PEG-free, EWG-verified
Best Vegan Chapstick
Melixir Vegan Lip Butter is the best vegan chapstick. Made with agave and shea butter, this rich and creamy balm leaves lips so soft and conditioned. The butter also has vitamin E, jojoba oil, and argan oil for maximum moisture. It comes in clear and tinted versions and is safe for sensitive skin.
- What we like: very soft and buttery, glides on smooth
- What we don’t like: soft tip can break
- What other reviewers say: great long-lasting moisture, no scent of flavor, not sticky, great protection in the winter beautiful tinted options with buildable intensity
Key ingredients: agave and shea butter, jojoba, argan and green tea seed oil, vitamin E | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, petrolatum-free, paraben-free, synthetic fragrance-free, safe for sensitive skin
Best Flavored Vegan Lip Balm
3. Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm
This flavored vegan lip balm from Summer Fridays is a real treat. It has a delicious array of flavors such as vanilla, brown sugar, pink sugar, and cherry – you don’t want to put that balm down. Shea and murumuru butter nurture the lips and the balm has a lovely glossy finish with some lovely tint.
- What we like: best flavors, especially pink sugar
- What we don’t like: not very long-wearing
- What other reviewers say: amazing scents and flavors that are not overpowering chemical, subtle tints, healing and moisturizing
Key ingredients: shea butter, murumuru seed butter| Features: vegan, cruelty-free, clean, gluten-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free, SLS-free
Best Unscented Vegan Lip Balm
Hurraw’s unscented vegan lip balm is the best. This essential oil-free vegan lip balm nourishes lips with zero smell or flavor. It uses organic and raw cold-pressed ingredients such as safflower and coconut oils. Having a natural finish and no scent, it’s also the best vegan lip balm for men.
The natural balm is free of preservatives, gluten, soy, palm oil, nuts, and other irritants, so we also recommend this vegan lip balm for kids – especially the flavored options with banana, vanilla, or chocolate. All Hurraw products are vegan and handmade in small batches in the USA.
- What we like: very softening and moisturizing
- What we don’t like: flavored options can feel a bit waxy
- What other reviewers say: lips feel comfortable and moisturized, good for dry lips, sensitive lips, and eczema, comfortable elliptical shape
Key ingredients: meadowfoam seed oil | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, clean, natural, organic, raw, cold-pressed, preservative-free, non-GMO, gluten-free, soy-free, palm oil-free, shea butter-free, nut oil-free, fragrance-free, ethically handmade in the USA
Best Organic Vegan Lip Balm
5. Eco Lips Bee Free Vegan Lip Balm
Eco Lips offers the best organic vegan lip balm. It has the highest content of certified organic and fair trade ingredients such as cocoa butter and sunflower seed oil. Even the fruit, mint, and lemon oils used for flavoring are organic. This balm comes in a plant-based container made from harvest waste.
- What we like: smooth and hydrating, eco-friendly
- What we don’t like: no unscented option
- What other reviewers say: good moisture, amazing light and refreshing scents (especially mint one), one stick lasts a long time without drying out, loved by people with beeswax allergy
Key ingredients: organic cocoa butter, coconut oil, candelilla wax | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, organic, clean, natural, eco-friendly, preservative-free, filler-free, plastic-free, fair trade, gluten-free, synthetic fragrance-free, ethically made in the USA
Best Plastic-Free Vegan Lip Balm
6. Ethique Nectar Unscented Lip Balm
Looking for a plastic-free vegan lip balm? Ethique has a great one. This zero-waste vegan lip balm has a container made from cardboard and plant waxes – 0% plastic anywhere. Even the ‘bubble wrap’ around the balm uses only paper and paper tape. The balm itself is very soft and moisturizing.
If you are looking for a plastic-free vegan lip balm in a reusable tin container, we also love the Fabula Nebulae Vegan Lip Butter. It’s organic and minty fresh. It comes in a convenient two-pack so you can keep one at home and the other in your purse.
- What we like: very smooth and sustainable balm
- What we don’t like: can melt in hot weather
- What other reviewers say: very soothing and moisturizing, no scent or flavor whatsoever, good for sensitive lips, in line with all sustainable and eco-friendly values
Key ingredients: castor seed oil, moringa oil, jojoba oil| Features: vegan, cruelty-free, organic, clean, natural, eco-friendly, plastic-free, palm oil-free, essential oil-free, fragrance-free, silicone-free, preservative-free, filler-free
Best Affordable Vegan Lip Balm
7. Earth’s Daughter Vegan Lip Balm
Earth’s Daughter Vegan Lip Balm is the best affordable vegan lip balm. You can get 4 of these quality vegan lip balms for under 10 dollars. While cheap, the balm uses only natural and organic ingredients. The balms are also safe for children. Just make sure to select the Vegan Variety 4-Pack as other options include beeswax.
- What we like: very nourishing, best price-quality ratio
- What we don’t like: no unscented option
- What other reviewers say: buttery texture, lips feel plump and moisturizing, pleasing scents and flavors, not waxy or sticky
Key ingredients: organic sunflower oil, cocoa butter, coconut oil, vitamin E | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, organic, natural, clean, non-GMO, gluten-free, B-Corp certified, preservative-free, filler-free, petroleum-free, synthetic fragrance-free, soy-free, ethically made in the USA
Shop on: Amazon, Official site
Best Tinted Vegan Lip Balm
8. Honest Beauty Tinted Lip Balm
Honest Beauty has the best tinted vegan lip balm. It nourishes, hydrates, and protects the lips and gives them a subtle tinge of color. The balm is made with vitamin-rich acai extract and avocado oil. It has a beautiful range of orange, rose, and neutral tones providing a hydrated satin finish.
- What we like: beautiful colors, lips feels soft and smooth
- What we don’t like: not hydrating enough for dry lips
- What other reviewers say: beautiful everyday colors, pigment stays on well, natural, non-shiny finish, not sticky, decent moisture
Key ingredients: avocado oil, pomegranate and acai extracts| Features: vegan, cruelty-free, clean, natural, EWG-verified, dermatologist-tested, petrolatum-free, paraben-free, mineral oil-free, paraffin-free, synthetic fragrance-free, silicone-free
Best Glossy Vegan Lip Balm
9. Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Balm
Tarte Maracuja is the best vegan lip balm with gloss. It packs the lips in moisture and gives a beautiful glaze and luster. It’s made with exotic maracuja oil and antioxidant-rich acai extract. We love the rosy and peachy shades that plump the lips and brighten up the complexion.
- What we like: beautifully plump and juicy finish
- What we don’t like: not long-wearing
- What other reviewers say: luxurious-looking gloss, hydrating, flattering range of shades, especially peach and strawberry tones
Key ingredients: maracuja oil, grapeseed oil, goji and acai extracts| Features: vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free, SLS-free, mineral oil-free, gluten-free, dermatologist-tested
Best Vegan Lip Balm With SPF
10. Coola Organic Liplux Lip Balm SPF 30
Coola’s Liplux is the best vegan lip balm with SPF. This vegan lip sunscreen has effective broad-spectrum protection of SPF 30. It’s reef-safe, water-resistant, and uses over 70% organic ingredients. It’s also nicely hydrating, vitamin-rich, and safe for sensitive skin.
- What we like: best sun protection for lips
- What we don’t like: chemical SPF (instead of mineral)
- What other reviewers say: lip sunscreen that really works, very moisturizing, doesn’t melt and get mushy in a beach bag, clean and skin-friendly formula, tinted version looks very subtle (for that reason, it’s also the best sheer lip tint for men)
Key ingredients: raspberry, avocado and cupuaçu butter, jojoba oil | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, natural, organic, clean, hypoallergenic, dermatologist-tested, paraben-free, phthalate-free, synthetic fragrance-free, water-resistant, reef-safe, ethically made in the USA
Best Vegan Lip Balm For Dry Lips
11. Ilia Lip Wrap Reviving Balm
Ilia’s Lip Wrap is the best vegan lip balm for dry lips. Made with very hyaluronic acid and prickly pear, it’s very hydrating and instantly relieves dryness and flakiness. It’s a lifesaver in colder months. It leaves a nice shine over dry lips that gives them a smooth and healthy appearance.
Just be careful since Ilia’s Lip Wrap Reviving Balm is vegan but the Lip Wrap Overnight Treatment is not vegan and includes beeswax.
- What we like: best relief for dry and chapped lips
- What we don’t like: it’s expensive for the amount of product in a tube
- What other reviewers say: amazing hydration and moisture, nice shiny finish, cooling sensation, prevents the lips from cracking and chaffing
Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, sea succulent, prickly pear| Features: vegan, cruelty-free, clean, paraben-free, phthalate-free, synthetic fragrance-free, silicone-free, gluten-free, ethically made in the USA and Italy
Best Vegan Lip Balm For Sensitive Lips
12. Doctor Rogers Natural Restore Lip Balm
Doctor Rogers has made the best vegan lip balm for sensitive lips. This hypoallergenic vegan lip balm uses only 3 ingredients: castor oil, castor wax, and candelilla wax. That’s it, no fragrance or essential oils. These gentle plant oils soothe sensitive lips and provide long-lasting hydration.
- What we like: most natural and irritation-free lip balm
- What we don’t like: not moisturizing enough for very chapped lips
- What other reviewers say: does not irritate even the most sensitive lips, goes on smooth, soothing, suitable also for eczema-prone skin
Key ingredients: castor oil, castor wax, candelilla wax | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, clean, natural, hypoallergenic, dermatologist-tested, clinically-tested, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, silicone-free, preservative-free, filler-free, essential oil-free, fragrance-free, BPA-free, ethically made in the USA
Shop on: Amazon, Credy Beauty
Best Vegan Lip Balm For Mature Lips
13. Olehenriksen Pout Preserve Peptide Lip Treatment
Olehenriksen’s Pot Preserve is the best anti-aging vegan lip balm for mature lips. It’s also the best vegan lip treatment we’ve come across. The key to its greatness is peptides. It’s the only lip balm that can diminish lip lines along with providing superb hydration.
- What we like: most restoring and hydrating lip treatment
- What we don’t like: it’s expensive
- What other reviewers say: lips feel plump and hydrated, fills in lip lines, excellent relief for dry and chapped lips, nice scent, softening
Key ingredients: peptides, mango seed butter, kokum butter, cloudberry oil | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, clean, paraben-free, phthalate-free, gluten-free
Best Vegan Lip Lip Mask
14. Cay Skin Deepwater Nourishing Lip Mask
Suncare brand Cay has created an amazing vegan lip mask from aloe stem cells, sea moss, and hibiscus extract. It restores moisture to dry and flaky lips and the hydration lasts all day. It makes the lips so soft and smooth. It’s much better than the non-vegan Laneige Sleeping Mask.
- What we like: packs lips with hydration, lovely vanilla scent
- What we don’t like: goes on quite thick and heavy
- What other reviewers say: perfect for using day and night, lips feel soft, plump, and moisturized, great smell, a lifesaver for cold winter weather
Key ingredients: hibiscus, aloe stem cells, sea moss| Features: vegan, cruelty-free, silicone-free, clean, paraben-free, phthalate-free, dermatologist-tested, gluten-free, safe for sensitive skin
Shop on: Sephora, Official site
Best Vegan Lip Balm Brands
These vegan brands have the best selection of vegan lip balms. Made with clean and natural ingredients, you can have fun balm shopping in their stores.
Pacifica Beauty
This American makeup brand has been doing the right thing for our planet for 25 years. Since day one, they’ve been vegan and cruelty-free.
Pacifica has a great range of vegan lip balms with yummy flavors such as vanilla, coconut, cherry, and pineapple.
Pacifica also offers tinted vegan lip balms and a vegan lip balm with SPF. The company is also paraben-free and uses clean and natural components.
Shop on: Amazon, Ulta, Official site
Hurraw
Hurraw is a PETA-certified vegan and organic company that specializes in premium lip balms. Their Unscented Lip Balm is one of our all-time favorites.
Hurraw is beeswax-free, lanolin-free, non-GMO, gluten-free, and petroleum-free. They only use fair trade, raw, and organic ingredients.
The company is also raw which means they only use cold-pressed plant oils. The lip balms are ethically made in the USA.
Shop on: Amazon, Walmart, Official site
Crazy Rumours
Based in Atlanta, Crazy Rumours makes handcrafted vegan lip balms for everyone. The ingredients are clean, natural, vegan, and cruelty-free.
The company has a long list of flavored vegan lip balms from bubble gum to mint chocolate. Crazy Rumours also offers tinted vegan lip balms and lip balms by zodiac signs.
Crazy Rumours uses no synthetic flavors, GMOs, parabens, or gluten. The company is 100% vegan and cruelty-free.
Shop on: Amazon, Walmart, Official site
What Makes Lip Balm Vegan?
Vegan lip balm is a lip balm that includes no animal-derived ingredients, most commonly beeswax and lanolin. Also, vegan lip balms cannot be tested on animals.
The most common non-vegan ingredients in lip balm are:
- Beeswax – A widely used lip balm ingredient, beeswax is secreted by honeybees to make a bee hive. Beeswax protects the lips and locks in moisture.
- Honey – Another bee-derived product, honey is often added to lip balms for its soothing and emollient qualities and for its sweet taste
- Lanolin – Lanolin is an oil found in sheep’s wool. It’s a popular moisturizing ingredient in lip balms. These days, lanolin is often not recommended for sensitive lips since it can include trace amounts of pesticides.
- Collagen – A protein derived from bones and tissues of cattle or fish, collagen is often added to anti-aging lip balms. It should stimulate natural collagen production and hydrate the lips.
- Carmine – Carmine is a red pigment you can sometimes find in tinted lip balms. It’s derived from crushed beetle insects.
Instead of beeswax, vegan lip balms use a variety of plant-based waxes. Popular choices are soy wax, candelilla wax, carnauba wax, olive wax, rice bran wax, and sunflower wax.
Instead of lanolin, there is a glorious amount of plant oils available with excellent moisturizing and softening properties. Commonly, vegan lip balm brands use coconut oil, cacao butter, shea butter, olive oil, jojoba oil, sunflower seed oil, and castor seed oil.
Another popular ingredient used in vegan and non-vegan lip balm is vaseline aka petroleum gel. Though vaseline is essentially vegan, natural vegan brands tend to avoid it for its potentially harmful effects and low nutritional value.
What To Look For In A Vegan Lip Balm?
When choosing a vegan lip balm, you should take into account a number of factors such as the dryness levels of your lips, the sensitivity of your lips as well as the climate you live in.
During summer, get yourself a good vegan lip balm with SPF. Since the skin on our lips is thin, lips can get easily sunburned, in more serious cases, even flaky and bleeding. So sun protection is essential in warm climates.
If you live in a colder and drier climate, you need deep hydration and protection from the environment. So, look for a vegan lip balm packed with nourishing plant oils such as shea butter. A lip balm should form a protective layer on your lips that also helps seal in moisture.
If you have sensitive lips, you should prefer vegan lip balms that are unflavored and free of artificial colorings, fragrances, and essential oils. For some reason, many vegan lip balms for sensitive skin still include some essential oil, it’s much safer to avoid them.
How We Review Vegan Lip Balms
Here are the criteria we rate vegan lip balms by:
- Natural ingredients – Lip balm is a product that does not need a long and foreign ingredient list. All vegan lip balms need are plant oils, plant waxes, and sometimes essential oils to do their job. The more organic and natural the vegan balm, the better.
- Moisturizing abilities – A vegan lip balm should above all give good moisture and hydration to the lips. We rate vegan lip balms based on how comfortable the lips feel and how long-lasting the hydration is.
- Sustainability – We give more points to vegan lip balms that use sustainably sourced organic and fair trade ingredients. We also list vegan lip balms that are zero waste, plastic-free, and ethically made.
Why Trust Us
At Vegan Avenue, we review vegan lip balms by simply trying them out. None of our reviews have been incentivized by the company or retailer. Our goal is to arrive at the best possible list of vegan lip balms available for every taste and concern.
FAQ About Vegan Lip Balm
Lip balm can be vegan but it often is not. The most popular non-vegan ingredients in a lip balm are beeswax, lanolin, and collagen.
Vegan lip balms are most commonly made of plant-based waxes (soy wax, candelilla wax, carnauba wax) and vegetable-derived oils (coconut oil, olive oil, shea butter, jojoba oil).
Yes. Derived from petroleum, vaseline is a vegan-friendly product and free of animal ingredients.
Our favorite vegan lip balm is the Biossance Squalane + Rose Vegan Lip Balm. It uses high-quality plant ingredients and makes your lips smooth and hydrated.
The largest selection of vegan lip balms can be found online. When shopping for a vegan lip balm in drugstores, look for a certified vegan label on the packaging.
No. Burt’s Bees lip balms use beeswax which is an animal-derived product.
Sun Bum offers both vegan and non-vegan lip balms. Their original SPF 30 Lip Balm is vegan. Their Coco Balm Lip Balms, Tinted Lip Balms, Signature Lip Balm, and Mineral Lip Balm are not vegan and include beeswax.
No. ChapStick uses animal ingredients such as lanolin which is derived from sheep’s sebaceous glands.
No. While Laneige Lip Glowy Balm is free of beeswax and lanolin, it is not vegan because Laneige is a company that tests its products on animals.
No. Supergoop’s Play Lip Balm is not vegan and contains honey.
No. Kristina Kelly’s Heartspring Lip Balm contains beeswax.
Yes. CoverGirl Clean Fresh Tinted Lip Balm is fully vegan and cruelty-free.
Summary
Lip balm is an important part of skincare but we often forget about it.
Whatever the weather, a good quality vegan lip balm goes a long way to prevent dry, cracked, and sunburnt lips.
We love the vegan lip balm selections of Pacifica, Hurraw, and Crazy Rumours. The brands are all 100% vegan and cruelty-free and use clean and natural ingredients.
From flavored and unflavored lip balms, we hope you found the right balm for yourself. Whilst staying beeswax-free, lanolin-free, carmine-free, and cruelty-free.
As we see new awesome vegan lip balms pop out all the time, we are sure to try them out and update this list.
See also: Vegan Lipsticks
