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With the ability to protect, hydrate, and soften your lips using ingredients like coconut oil, sunflower oil, and calendula flower extract, the best vegan lip balms get the job done — all while keeping animal products out of their formulas. But that can sometimes be harder to find than you think.
Beeswax is the most common hydrating agent used in lip balms that's not a vegan ingredient, but even when you find an alternative, there could still be other non-vegan products hidden in the formula. For instance, some lip balms use lanolin (a byproduct of sheep wool) to soothe chapped lips, or carmine (a red pigment made from crushed female beetles) to give the balm a rosy tint. Then there's glycerin, a common hydrating ingredient that can be derived from vegetable oil or animal fat — but very often, it's not specified which one is used to make the balm.
So, unless you are prepared to take a fine tooth comb to the ingredients list, these tricky-to-identify substances can be hard to spot. But rest assured, we’ve done some digging and compiled a list of genuinely vegan lip balms most of which are also certified cruelty-free, natural, fair-trade, and even organic.
1A Lip Balm Made With Coconut Oil And Cocoa Butter
Cocoa Friggin' Fantastic Lip Balm, $6, Amazon
This vegan, cruelty-free lip balm packs a hydrating-punch with coconut oil and cocoa butter, while natural peppermint oil provides a tingly feeling to soothe inflamed and irritated skin. It's also free of parabens, artificial preservatives, and synthetic chemicals, making it a safe bet for almost any skin.
2A Small Batch Lip Balm Made In The USA
Herbivore Botanicals, Natural Coco Rose Lip Conditioner, $26, Amazon
This lip conditioner is packed with coconut oil, rose extract, meadowfoam sea oil, and orchid flower extract to create a simple yet hydrating lip balm with a light, rosy scent. And not only is it vegan-friendly, it's also free from parabens, alcohol, sulfates, artificial colors and fragrances and unnatural preservatives. Plus, it's exclusively made in small batches in the USA.
3A Naturally Cherry-Tinted Lip Balm
Hurraw! Lip Balms: Black Cherry, $7, Amazon
One of many flavors available from the vegan Hurraw! lip balm lineup, their black cherry lip balm adds a subtle red tint to your lips. And don't worry, the color and flavor comes purely from hand-picked cherries, as part of a formula that's entirely cruelty-free, organic, and raw.
4An SPF-30 Lip Balm To Protect You From UV Rays
Sun Bum SPF 30 Lip Balm: Coconut, $5, Amazon
This SPF 30 lip balm protects your lips from becoming chapped or cracked while still protecting you from the sun's UV rays and wind damage — with a top-notch hypoallergenic, vegan formula that consists of cocoa butter, aloe vera. It's packed with vitamin E, repairing your lip's moisture barrier while shielding it from the sun.
5A Lip Balm Set For Cat Lovers
Crazy Cat Lady Vegan Lip Balm Set, $12 (2 Pack), Amazon
This vegan, non-toxic lip balm set from Crazy Cat Lady comes in two flavors, Pawpermint and Felime, both of which moisturize chapped lips with organic coconut oil. The flavors are all-natural with no artificial additives. One enthusiastic Amazon reviewer even left this glowing review, "It works miracles for my super-dry-beeswax-allergic lips."
6A Lip Balm That Comes In Fun Flavors
Crazy Rumors Lip Balm: French Vanilla, $6, Amazon
Vegan lip balm by Crazy Rumors is available in a long list of oddball flavors, including but not limited to banana split, spiced chai, pistachio, and even "mystery flavor." Of course, they also offer vanilla, with a super soothing vegan formula that is made up of jojoba oil, shea butter, olive oil, soy wax, and more.
7A Lip Balm Set That Is Certified Cruelty-Free
Eco Lips Vegan Lip Balm Set, $11 (3 Pack), Amazon
This vegan lip balm set is super moisturizing, using a combination of candelilla wax, fair trade-certified organic cocoa butter, and organic coconut oil to both hydrate and protect chapped lips. Each of these lip balms is also certified cruelty-free and gluten-free.
8A Cruelty-Free Lip Balm Set With A Lightweight Formula
Soapwalla Vegan Lip Locked Lip Balm Set, $32 (3 Pack), Amazon
These totally gentle vegan lip balms last for hours, healing cracked and chapped lips. They come in three light, neutral flavors including lavender mint, citrus ginger, and coconut lime — each with a vegan formula that's also certified organic and cruelty-free. They're also praised for leaving a light coat on your lips, as opposed to a waxy residue.
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