The skin on our lips is certainly not the same as the skin on the rest of our faces.

For one thing, the skin on our lips is a lot thinner, approximately 3-5 cell layers thick, while the skin on the rest of the face is up to 16 cell layers thick.

During the colder months, our lips are vulnerable to dryness more than ever.

Not only harsh cold weather but indoor heating can also zap moisture from our lips.

Our lips do not have as much of a barrier as the rest of our skin, and hence can become dry and irritated quite easily.

Dry, chapped lips can undoubtedly be a source of great discomfort for many.

Oftentimes the dryness is exacerbated to such an extent that even talking and eating can become difficult.

Spicy foods can also sting the compromised skin of our lips.

Keeping your lips from drying and flaking can be a struggle for a lot of people, for oily and dry-skinned people alike.

From harsh weather conditions to licking our lips too often, there are a lot of things that can zap moisture from our lips.

Some common mistakes can exacerbate dryness like licking our lips to compensate for dryness or using harsh, gritty lip scrubs too often.

Licking your lips to prevent dryness is a bad idea, as this just speeds up the evaporative loss, making lips drier.

With the wide variety of lip balms available in the market, there are options for everyone.

DESIblitz has rounded up 10 lip balms to choose from, according to your needs and personal preferences so you can say goodbye to dry, chapped lips this season.

Vanicream Lip Protectant & Sunscreen SPF 30

The Vanicream Lip Protectant and Sunscreen is the number one option as a lip sunscreen for sensitive skin as it fulfils the sensitive-skin friendly criteria.

It is free of fragrance and contains only mineral sunscreen filters that are ideal for sensitive skin.

The sunscreen filters it contains include zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, both of which provide wide-coverage sun protection.

Aquaphor Lip Protectant + SPF 30

The Aquaphor Lip Protectant + SPF 30 contains shea butter, glycerin, and beeswax as the hydrating and nourishing ingredients.

This lip balm is also free of fragrance, however, it does contain chemical sunscreen filters unlike the Vanincream Lip Protectant & Sunscreen SPF 30.

As a result, this lip balm leaves no white cast.

Nivea Hydro Care Lip Balm SPF15

This lip balm by Nivea contains ingredients known to be extremely nourishing, like shea butter, avocado oil, and jojoba oil.

As this lip balm is free of mineral oil, it melts into the lips instead of staying on top.

This is a great option for those who don’t want the sticky feeling that most mineral oil-based lip balms come with.

NARS Afterglow Lip Balm

The NARS Afterglow Lip Balm is a classic for sure. It comes in sleek, sophisticated packaging.

You can swipe this across your lips as a treatment for your dry lips or layer it for coverage.

This is also a great option to layer over lipstick to add just the right amount of shine or just to keep your lips from drying throughout the day.

While it is a high-end product, it is not loaded with fragrance. It’s both fragrance and alcohol-free.

Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Balm

The Maracuja Juicy Lip Balm by Tarte went viral over TikTok, and for good reason.

It is a juicy lip balm that plumps up the lips and looks almost like sheer lipstick.

It comes in a click-up packaging and contains super hydrating ingredients like maracuja and grapeseed oil to leave the lips looking soft and supple.

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask

This cult classic lip sleeping mask comes in many flavours – the original one is berry-flavoured.

You can apply it with the adorable silicone spatula it comes with, and leave it on overnight.

The Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask uses ‘moisture-wrap technology’ to nourish and hydrate your lips all night long. It leaves a glossy look on the lips.

The key ingredients include a combination of coconut oil, shea butter, and murumuru seed butter as well as antioxidant-rich berry fruit complex and vitamin c.

Glossier Balm Dotcom

It wasn’t long ago when the Glossier Balm Dotcom took the internet by storm.

This lip balm come in a minimalist aesthetic tube packaging and contains castor oil, beeswax, and lanolin as the key nourishing ingredients.

While it comes in a variety of different flavours, the original version is untinted and fragrance-free.

On the Glossier website, it is described as a universal skin salve that can be used anywhere on the body wherever there’s a need for some extra moisture.

e.l.f. Ride or Die Lip Balm

The e.l.f. Ride or Die Lip Balm is a 100% vegan and cruelty-free lip balm infused with jojoba oil and rose oil.

The added vegan collagen plumps and smoothens the lips.

On the brand’s website, e.l.f. recommends that you warm the tube up in your hands before application to make the product come out easier.

In addition to a clear shade, this balm comes in six shades that offer sheer coverage and hence are a perfect option if a touch of colour is all you need with the bonus of hydration.

Maybelline Baby Lips

Maybelline Baby Lips claims to moisturise lips for a full eight hours.

As the name suggests, this lip balm gives baby-soft lips.

Even though this lip balm contains shea butter and petroleum as the nourishing ingredients, it leaves no sticky feeling behind.

Maybelline Baby Lips come in a variety of shades to complement different skin tones.

It’s a perfect pick for anyone who wants a lip balm with just a translucent pop of colour and shine.

Vaseline Cocoa Butter Lip Therapy

While you can swipe a layer of Vaseline if your lips enjoy that, the Vaseline Cocoa Butter Lip Therapy is specifically formulated for your lips.

Instead of only petrolatum, this product also contains intensely nourishing cocoa butter that can moisturise and nourish even the driest skin.

This product smells like chocolate and comes both in a tube as well as the classic Vaseline tin packaging.

Desi skin is prone to hyperpigmentation around the lips. This condition is described as perioral melanosis.

Taking care of your lips as a melanin-rich person involves avoiding anything that can cause inflammation.

This includes using harsh, gritty lip scrubs, lip-licking, smoking etc.

In addition, waxing or threading the upper-lip area may also lead to hyperpigmentation in that area.

In addition to avoiding any inflammatory triggers as mentioned above, sun protection is key when dealing with any kind of hyperpigmentation.

While using a broad-spectrum sunscreen daily all over your face should be a part of your daily routine, the lips should not be left unprotected.

Many people forget to apply sunscreen to this sensitive area.

However, it is important to remember that the skin on our lips is much thinner, it is more susceptible to damage from UV from the sun.

Lip balms with SPF can be incorporated into your regimen for additional sun protection.

A lip balm is not just a beauty product, it is a necessity.

Lip balms can not only alleviate dryness and keep your lips supple and soft, but they can also prime the lips for lipstick to prevent feathering.

In addition, some lip balms which contain sunscreen protect the delicate lip skin from harmful UV rays while keeping them moisturised.

Lip care is very important if you tend to gravitate towards matte formulas.

Matte lipsticks, especially matte liquid lipsticks can make your lips dry and the dry pigment seeps into the crevices, making your lips appear even more cracked.

In such situations, using a lip balm as your lipstick base can up your game, as it will not only add hydrating hydration to prevent feathering but can also add a hint of colour creating a great lip combo.