Tinted lip balms have seen a rapid rise in popularity in recent years—and for good reason. The best tinted lip balms are multipurpose: deeply hydrating, while also leaving behind a flattering wash of color. They enhance the lip’s natural hue, while also hydrating and nourishing the delicate skin. While some versions are more subtle and others more buildable and customizable, all tinted lip moisturizers hydrate. But that doesn’t mean all tinted balms are created equal.
Tinted lip balm: Makeup meets skincare
A tinted lip balm is one of those packaged goods that blurs the lines between categories. A foundation product is distinct from a face moisturizer, even though both are applied to the skin on the face; they’re designed to achieve chemically different ends. A lipstick is made to shade lips, not moisturize them. For that, you'll need a lip balm.
As the name suggests, a tinted lip balm is closer to its skincare cousin. You can use a tinted lip balm to hydrate and moisturize your lips throughout the day—the color is an added benefit, and one that helps simplify your makeup routine, too. You can save your heavier, untinted lip balm for your nightly skincare ritual.
Here are the best tinted lip balms, including the best SPF-boosted options and the most ideal balms for dry lips.
Best Tinted Lip Balm
Made with silk protein and botanical lanolin, this brand-new unscented formula hydrates lips and seals in moisture while protecting from sun damage. Available in three universally flattering shades, The Kissu Lip Tint SPF 25 is unique in that the formula is customizable and builds from sheer to medium coverage in just a few easy swipes.
Not only is it a beautiful lip tint, but it’s also one of the best SPF tinted lip balms, with SPF 25 coverage from UVA and UVB rays to prevent sun damage and age healthfully. Lips can burn in direct sunlight, and there are routines for how to heal sunburned lips, but they can also simply age just like the surrounding skin, with fine lines and dark spots. Bottom line, lip balm with sun protection helps shield your pout from the devastating effects of photoaging.
Another reason The Kissu Lip Tint SPF 25 is extraordinary? The thoughtful and one-of-a-kind ingredients, including the aforementioned silk protein and botanical lanolin. Silk protein, which is featured in some of Tatcha’s favorite formulas, smoothes and nourishes, while also providing a veil of weightless hydration. Botanical lanolin is a comforting emollient that not only seals in moisture, but also helps lips naturally retain moisture and color for a smoother and more pigmented look.
The smooth, non-sticky formula keeps lips moisturized and comfortable, and clinical studies agree. 100 percent of panelists agreed that the Kissu Lip Tint SPF 25 seals in moisture.* This tinted lip balm has been shown to apply smoothly** and improve lip moisturization*** with 100 percent of panelists. Additionally, after one week of use, 97 percent of users noted their lips felt protected when outside in the sun.****
*Based on a bio-instrumentation (TEWL) clinical study on 42 panelists.
**Based on a bio-instrumentation (Novameter) clinical study on 42 panelists.
***Based on an expert grading clinical study on 40 panelists.
****Based on self-assessment questions within a clinical study on 42 panelists.
Not to mention the hues! The three tints were intentionally designed and selected for their universality. The future classics are:
Plum Blossom: These resilient flowers, or ume as it’s known in Japan, symbolize patience. This soft pink, buildable tint is inspired by the Japanese plum blossom, whose petals announce the first sign of spring.
Camellia: Already a beloved ingredient and inspiration for Tatcha, this vibrant red tint is as gorgeous as it is wearable. Camellia, or tsubaki in Japanese, is an ancient botanical that blooms in the winter and early spring. The fresh red petals symbolize strength, just like the striking image of the bold red flowers peeking out of the white snow-covered surroundings.
Midnight Lily: The deep berry tint is inspired by the Japanese midnight lily, known as kuroyuri, which symbolizes love and admiration. The rare and mystical flower impossibly blooms in high elevation mountains and its rarity is thus linked to the rarity of true love.
Best Hydrating Lip Tint
Just like how a face mask delivers a concentrated dose of potent ingredients to the skin, a lip mask works similarly, flooding the lips with hydration. A lip mask deeply replenishes a dehydrated pout, softens the look and feel of the skin, and can oftentimes give lips a juicy, plumped appearance. Grab the bestselling Kissu Lip Mask, which features olive-based squalane, Japanese peach extract, and camellia oil to nourish, calm, and restore lips’ lushness.
The lip mask that launched thousands of enthusiastic fans, this uniquely textured jelly treatment melts into lips, locking in moisture and repairing parched lips. Massage a generous, even layer onto clean, dry lips and leave it on to soak in indefinitely. While the original, untinted treatment can be used any time of day and particularly right before bed, the tinted hue is designed for daytime use. It’s ideal for those seeking a tint of color while also deeply hydrating the delicate lip area.
Why are my lips dry?
First, let's talk about the skin on your face. Skin is a matrix made up of multiple layers, some suffused with networks of blood vessels and neurons, others densely packed with dead skin cells. Skin works as a barrier, keeping us protected from the environment around us, and its sophisticated layered system allows it to traffic other substances, like sweat and sebum, up and out of skin. Beneath the thick stratum corneum, the dead skin layer that forms our outermost skin barrier, the skin on our face could have between 15-20 cell layers.
By contrast, the skin on our lips spans about three to five cell layers. This skin also lacks the hair follicles and oil glands that are found elsewhere, and as a result, it lacks the ability to self-moisturize. This is why the skin on our lips is prone to dryness, chapping, and cracking—and why regular moisturization is necessary, at least according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association. Their advice: Apply a non-irritating lip balm throughout the day, especially right before bed.
A short history of lip balm
It’s possible, more than likely, that forms of lip balm have existed as long as humans have—and indeed, there is plenty of evidence that we’ve been moisturizing our lips for centuries. In our contemporary beauty market, the history of lip balm dates back to just before the turn of the 19th century. A Virginian pharmacist made a small tin of petrolatum, waxes, aromatic oils specifically for chapped lips and called it ChapStick. In 1912, a tin of ChapStick cost as much as a suit, but the product flew off shelves anyway: Dry lips needed a salve.
A century plus later, it seems we still can’t get enough lip balm. There are waxes, oils, creams, tinted lip balms, even masks we wear on our lips. Why is this? It has a lot to do with the unique texture of the skin on our lips, which, while similar to the skin found elsewhere on the body, is crucially different in a few ways.
No matter which tint color you choose, a tinted lip balm is one of the most useful products in your skincare routine and makeup arsenal. In fact, it might be helpful to have a handful of tinted lip balms, one in your go-to bag, one at the office, and one in your car—ready to go wherever the day may take you.
