Anita Butterworth
I’ll admit, I have lip balms in just about every drawer in my house and handbag that I own. But I’m yet to find the holy grail lip balm that does everything that it should.
So I headed straight for the Mouths of Mums community brains-trust for intel into what works!
Dozens of mums shared the lip balms and lip products they’ve relied on for years. From budget pharmacy buys to cult beauty favourites, there was no shortage of recommendations.
While everyone’s lips are different and what works for one person may not work for another, some products were recommended again and again.
Based on the responses, these were the brands mentioned most often by our community.
Mum Recommended Lip Balms
Quick Guide: The Community Favourites
Dermal Therapy – Repairing cracked lips
Vaseline – Overnight moisture
Blistex – Long-lasting hydration
Breeze Balm – Passionately recommended
Burt’s Bees – Everyday lip care
Carmex – Intensive hydration
Nivea – Budget-friendly repair
Aquaphor – Rich hydration
Moogoo – Natural alternative
Dermal Therapy
What mums loved: Repairing severely dry, cracked lips.
If there was one recurring theme around Dermal Therapy, it was that people turned to it when nothing else seemed to work. Rather than describing it as a nice everyday balm, mums consistently talked about using it to repair painful, damaged lips.
Vaseline
What mums loved: Affordable, reliable and perfect overnight.
Despite hundreds of newer products on the market, many mums still reach for the original Vaseline. It was repeatedly recommended as an overnight treatment, with several commenters saying it’s the only thing that stopped their lips cracking.
Blistex
What mums loved: Long-lasting hydration.
Many of the Blistex recommendations came from long-term users who said they’d never found anything better.
Breeze Balm
What mums loved: People who found it became passionate advocates.
Although Breeze Balm wasn’t as widely known as pharmacy staples, those who recommended it were incredibly enthusiastic.
Burt’s Bees
What mums loved: Everyday hydration.
Burt’s Bees was consistently recommended as a reliable daily lip balm rather than a treatment for severely cracked lips.
Carmex
What mums loved: Tried-and-tested performance.
Carmex attracted a loyal following, particularly the original yellow tub.
Nivea
What mums loved: Great value and easy to find.
Several mums were pleasantly surprised by how effective Nivea was, particularly for healing cracked lips overnight.
Aquaphor
What mums loved: Intensive hydration.
Aquaphor was most often recommended by people dealing with particularly dry or sensitive skin.
Moogoo
What mums loved: Natural ingredients that still delivered results.
Moogoo appealed to mums looking for a gentler option.
Laneige, Hurraw, Lanolips, Lanolin and Paw Paw Ointment
These products all received multiple recommendations and highlighted another trend in the discussion: many mums have added overnight lip masks or richer treatments to their routines rather than relying solely on traditional lip balm.
Laneige’s Lip Sleeping Mask was the standout overnight treatment, while Hurraw, Lanolips, pure lanolin and Paw Paw Ointment all earned repeat mentions.
Eco by Sonya, La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Lèvres and Lush
Although these brands didn’t attract as many recommendations, they were still mentioned more than once.
Lush stood out thanks to one mum who said she’d been using it for 12 years after trying supermarket and pharmacy alternatives, while La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Lèvres was recommended specifically for repairing damaged lips.
Other lip balms our community recommended
These products each received one recommendation from our community:
- Allkinds Lip Balm
- Bepanthen Antiseptic Cream
- Calendula Ointment
- Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Lip Protectant
- Hismile Lip Balm
- Kmart Butter Lip Gloss
- Kmart Peptide Lip Balm
- Lip Smacker
- Mario Badescu
- Melvory Avo Lip Butter
- NIDA Overnight Lip Mask
- Noosa Basics Lip Balm
- Nutrimetics Nutri-Rich Oil
- Nuxe
- Oralife Peppermint Lip Ointment
- Perry’s Lemon Myrtle Lip Balm
- Sweet Talk Lip Balm
- Sven’s Island Miracle Manuka
- Trail Armour
- Weleda Skin Food
What we learnt from the discussion
Looking at all the recommendations from mums, a few clear themes emerged.
- Affordable pharmacy brands dominated. Dermal Therapy, Vaseline, Blistex, Nivea and Carmex were recommended far more often than premium beauty brands.
- Overnight treatments were a recurring theme. Many mums apply a richer balm or mask before bed and wake up with softer lips.
- Repair mattered more than shine. Most recommendations focused on healing cracked or painful lips rather than adding gloss.
- Expensive doesn’t always mean better. Products costing under $15 consistently outperformed luxury brands in this discussion.
- Consistency counts. Several mums said regular application and staying hydrated were just as important as choosing the right product.
Still looking for the right lip balm?
What was the most recommended lip balm?
Our community’s top recommendations were Dermal Therapy and Vaseline, which tied for first place based on the number of unique recommendations shared in the discussion.
What lip balm was best for cracked lips?
Dermal Therapy received the most comments specifically mentioning cracked, split or severely dry lips. Blistex, Nivea and La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Lèvres were also recommended for repairing damaged lips.
What’s the best budget lip balm?
Many of the most recommended products were affordable pharmacy brands, including Vaseline, Nivea, Blistex, Carmex and Dermal Therapy. The discussion showed that price wasn’t necessarily linked to performance.
Are overnight lip masks worth it?
Many mums thought so. Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask was mentioned several times, along with Burt’s Bees Overnight, Hurraw Moon Balm and NIDA Overnight Lip Mask. Overnight treatments were one of the biggest trends to emerge from the discussion.
What’s the difference between a lip balm and an overnight lip mask?
Lip balms are generally designed for regular use throughout the day to help keep lips moisturised. Overnight lip masks are usually thicker formulas designed to stay on while you sleep, giving ingredients more time to soften and hydrate dry lips.
Can drinking more water help dry lips?
Several mums said staying hydrated made a noticeable difference. One member commented:
“Water! If you are well hydrated, your skin will be also. No need for balms!”
While hydration can support healthy skin, dry lips can also be influenced by weather, medications, lip licking and other factors.
What if I’ve tried everything and nothing works?
If persistent dry, cracked or painful lips aren’t improving despite using moisturising products, it’s worth speaking with your GP or pharmacist, as ongoing lip problems can sometimes be linked to an underlying skin condition, irritation or another health issue.
The best lip care tips from mums
The conversation wasn’t just about products. Plenty of mums also shared the habits that had helped keep their lips healthy.
Anne Herd reminded everyone that consistency is key.
“I can be really slack when it comes to applying balm, but, I have found over many years that it’s often not the balm, but how often it’s applied. You really need to be consistent.”
Tamara Spilsbury suggested gently exfoliating lips before applying balm.
“Exfoliate your lips with brown sugar and olive oil mixed together. Scrubs it on, wipe it off. You need to remove the dead skin before applying lip balm/chapstick, otherwise it’s just sitting on top of the dead skin.”
And Kay Podboj offered perhaps the simplest advice of all.
“Water! If you are well hydrated, your skin will be also. No need for balms!”
Rankings are based on unique recommendations from this Mouths of Mums Facebook discussion. Product variants (such as different Blistex or Nivea lip balms) have been grouped under their parent brand.
Have you found your holy grail lip balm? We’d love to hear what’s worked for you in the comments.
Fearured Image: Burst
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