Put Your Best Pout Forward With the 7 Best Lip Scrubs
A hydrating lip balm goes a long way toward keeping lips soft and supple, but there are days when your go-to chapstick doesn’t cut it, especially in winter. You might feel like your lip color looks dull and there’s dryness and flaking no matter what you do.
Cue: a lip scrub. These products deliver a concentrated shot of emollients and moisturizers to rehydrate while gently polishing away dead skin, returning your lips to health. Biweekly use of a lip exfoliator encourages cell renewal, making your pout softer and fuller long-term.
If that doesn’t sell you on the benefits of lip scrubs, there’s another reason to add them to your beauty regime: Your favorite matte lipstick will go on smoother and look better when applied to plump, supple lips.
Everyone has different lip-care concerns. These are the seven best lip scrubs for every preference.
1. e.l.f. Skin Lip Exfoliator
e.l.f.’s scrub stick uses jojoba oil, shea butter, and avocado oil to lock in moisture, smooth, and protect, while sugar granules slough away dead skin cells and soothe flaky lips.
2. NCLA Beauty Sugar Sugar Lip Scrub
This intense, all-natural, vegan sugar lip scrub cleanses, gently exfoliates, hydrates, and brightens lips. Formulated with sugar, cocoa butter, shea butter, and agave nectar, it has lip-friendly ingredients that’ll give you the sweetest kiss ever.
3. Sarah Happ The Lip Scrub
This all-natural scrub lifts away dry, flaky skin and immediately leaves lips oh-so-soft and supple. Fine sugar crystals gently exfoliate lips while sweet almond oil and vitamin E moisturize and condition. Its delicious peach flavor tickles taste buds with a pleasantly balanced tang.
4. Florence by Mills Pout Party Coffee Lip Scrub
This balm-like exfoliating sugar and coffee lip scrub glides on easily, leaving lips soft and smooth. Use once a week before bed to wake up with soft lips.
5. Pacifica Pout Polish Gentle Lip Scrub
This hydrating sugar scrub contains lip-loving ingredients, such as shea butter, jojoba and almond oils, and vitamin E. It gently buffs away dry skin and leaves behind softer, more moisturized lips. Plus, the brand is cruelty-free.
6. Too Cool for School Coconut Sugar Scrub Lip Balm
This is the best lip scrub for dry lips — it’s a leave-on scrub lip balm formulated with natural coconut sugar, coconut water, and coconut oil. Let it melt onto your lips to deliver dramatic hydration — it’s the ultimate revitalizing lip care product.
7. StackedSkincare Hydrating Lip Peel Exfoliant
This vegan exfoliating lip treatment is made with natural fruit extracts that gently remove flaky skin, revealing a smooth canvas for lip color. The softening lip serum resurfaces with edible alpha hydroxy acids that leave lips supple and silky. The plumping formula self-neutralizes and dries immediately, so there’s no rinsing necessary.
FAQ
Are lip scrubs good for your lips?
Lip scrubs are great for your lips — when used correctly. According to dermatologists, the skin on your lips is one-third as thick as the skin on your face. It’s incredibly delicate, and when you consider it doesn’t have oil glands to protect it from environmental factors, it’s no wonder your lips are prone to drying out. But because they’re so fragile, you need to be gentle with them.
If your lips are painfully dry and cracked, don’t use a lip exfoliant, as this could be too harsh. Apply lip balm and give your lips time to rehydrate and heal. Once they feel better, use a scrub to gently remove any leftover chapped flakes. Use small, light, circular motions to rub away dead skin cells. Because you’re exfoliating, you’re also removing your lip’s protective barrier, so hydrate your lips once finished.
We don’t recommend using lip scrubs every day — stick to about once a week, or when you have lip concerns a scrub can solve, like dull, mildly dry, and flaky lips.
Is lip scrub better than lip balm?
Lip scrub and lip balm are two members of the same team. They have different but complementary roles regarding softening and conditioning your lips. Understanding what lip scrubs do and how to use lip balms will help you use them effectively.
Lip balm is a daily moisturizing product. A balm can also limit the effect of environmental factors like cold and damaging UV rays. Apply it to your lips whenever they feel tight or dehydrated, or when you’ve spent an extended period of time in more extreme weather conditions, like skiing or out on the water on a hot, sunny day.
Lip scrubs revive lips that have lost their luster due to chapping while delivering an added dose of hydration and emollients. They also help lips absorb the nourishing ingredients in your lip balm better. But lip scrubs are an occasional addition to your skincare routine, much like a weekly moisturizing face mask. For daily hydration, stick with your favorite lip balm.
How do you choose a lip scrub?
You want a lip scrub that feels great on your lips and delivers the results you’re looking for. Because you’re applying these products to your mouth, choose something made with good-for-you natural ingredients.
The best lip scrubs, both drugstore and luxe, start with a base of moisturizing oils like shea butter, squalane, beeswax, olive oil, or coconut oil. These keep lips hydrated and build a barrier to lock in moisture.
There are two types of exfoliants: mechanical and chemical. If you prefer the feeling of a mechanical scrub, look for a product that includes coffee grounds, ground apricot kernels, sugar granules, or honey crystals. If you choose the chemical route, look for a scrub that uses citrus extracts instead of harsh chemicals. The added vitamin C also brightens the appearance of dark lips.
A fresh start
No matter what lip scrub you choose, gentle use provides the refresh your lips need from time to time and makes lip color application look better. These scrubs are the perfect wellness routine addition because they feel amazing and are easy to use.
Still not sure which is the best lip scrub for you? Watch video reviews on Flip for the products you’re considering. Chances are someone with your lip care concerns is raving about their favorite lip scrub.
