If you suffer from chapped, dry lips and chapstick just isn't doing the job, it's time to arm yourself with a lip scrub that will exfoliate and condition the sensitive skin on your lips to a whole new level of smoothness. Sloughing away excess flakes not only better preps the lips for colour, but can lend a hand with the absorption of balms and salves, putting back the much-needed moisturiser your winter skin is so thirsty for.
But we've got plenty more tips and tricks on how to choose your perfect scrub, as well as our top 10 must-have products from Amazon and ASOS including drugstore picks like Burt's Bees and vegan options from e.l.f. and Lush. Time to pucker up! Moreover, we have partnered with Dermatologist Felipe Partarrieu for reviewing and fact-checking the article so that we can deliver you the best information.
Quick List - Top Lip Scrubs
Felipe Partarrieu is a dermatologist, who is GMC registered with a full licence to practise in the UK. Specialising in cosmeceuticals, facial skin care, and hair disorders, we worked with Felipe to bring you top quality information to help you make informed buying decisions and understand more about what goes onto your skin.
A recommendation service that carefully researches each product and consults with experts across many disciplines. We are constantly creating new content to provide the best shopping experience from choosing ‘cosmetics’ to ‘food and drink’, ‘home appliances’ to ‘kids and baby’ products, reaching users all across the United Kingdom.
The expert oversees the Buying Guide only, and does not determine the products and services featured.
Table of Contents
Felipe Partarrieu is a final year dermatology resident, who is GMC registered with a full licence to practise in the UK. Specialising in cosmeceuticals, facial skin care, and hair disorders, we worked with Felipe to bring you top quality information to help you make informed buying decisions and understand more about what goes onto your skin.
Before we delve into our lip-smacking buying guide, we thought it best to clear up what a lip scrub actually is, and why you may want to incorporate one into your routine.
Lip scrubs exfoliate in the same way as a face or body scrub, buffing away dry flakes to reveal renewed, smoother, moisturised skin, making them beneficial to both daily lipstick or gloss devotees and those who prefer to go bare (or like most of us, those residing somewhere in between). For lippie wearers, there's the added bonus of helping your colour stay put for longer, too.
Scrubs can be used a few times a week as a healing treatment for chapped (but never sore or cracked) lips, or simply to maintain their health and appearance – work the product in with a clean, dry and soft toothbrush before wiping off and adding a good slather of lip balm or cream. Alternatively, they can be applied less intensely as a daily exfoliant, and either tissued off or left to absorb.
Your lip scrub should include plenty of moisturising ingredients, not only to give the exfoliants something to bind to, but to put back any oils that may be stripped away as you scrub. Not to mention, freshly scrubbed skin is much more likely to absorb whatever you apply on top of it, so any extra moisture will only help to heal and hydrate.
The best scrubs contain one, or several, vitamin-rich, skin-loving plant oils to nourish, soothe, and soften. Some examples to look out for are jojoba oil, beeswax (although this can be avoided if you are vegan) shea butter, almond oil, and vitamin E. It's your decision whether to go 100% natural, or whether you don't mind some chemical ingredients – like most skincare nowadays, you'll have the option of both.
Chemical additives are typically petrolatum (a.k.a. petroleum jelly) which is used as a moisturiser and emollient, and the usual silicones, perfumes, and dyes. It's worth noting that all-natural scrubs eliminate any worry after accidentally ingesting them, and are much more convenient to leave on or lick off when on the go.
If you want nourish the rest of your body, consider checking out our guide on the best bath salts!
More often than not, the exfoliating component of your lip scrub will be sugar, sometimes listed on the ingredients as sucrose. Most experts recommend it because it's the ideal candidate for the task at hand: it's not artificial, it's grainy enough to slough dead skin without being too abrasive, and it's a natural preservative. Oh, and it makes for a deliciously sweet treat!
Owing to lip scrubs' surge in popularity, other natural exfoliants like coffee, walnut shell, and apricot kernel are also being introduced, as well as non-natural plastic derivatives such as polylactic acid. All of these are somewhat more abrasive than sugar, so should only really be used as a bi-weekly treatment, or if you think your lips can handle it.
If you are someone who is prone to dry and cracked skin, why not check out our guides on the best exfoliators for dry skin and best foot creams!
Traditionally, lip scrubs have always been housed in pots, but these days you'll also have the option of a stick or a tube, similar to other lip products like glosses and balms. Whilst largely down to personal preference, there are some advantages to each type.
Scrub sticks are the least messy option and are perfect for use on the go. However, due to the fact they are not fully contained in any packaging, their formula will have fewer oils and therefore often be less moisturising. Pots, on the other hand, can contain all the oils they like and are easier to slather on in greater quantities – handy when an intensive treatment is required.
Hygiene-wise, some people prefer to avoid potted products that touch the face and mouth, but if you use a brush or a clean finger you should be able to avoid bacteria transference. Another option if you're concerned about hygiene is a squeezable tube.
Fruity, citrus, tropical, or reminiscent of your favourite sweets, you'll be spoilt for choice when it comes to lip scrub flavours. So long as those all-important moisturisers are part of the mix, feel free to choose whichever appeals to you the most, especially if it encourages you to use it!
If you like the idea of a scrub that adds a pop of colour to your pout, you'll find these are readily available too, with bigger brands offering several shades to choose from. Be aware that pigmented scrubs aren't usually of natural origin, but they are certainly a fun, convenient, and tasty way to tint your lips.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dr. PawPaw Scrub & Nourish Lip Scrub and Balm | ![]() | An Ultra-Hydrating, Soothing Scrub and Balm Set | |
2 | Lush Lip Scrub|Bubblegum | ![]() | Totally Addictive Candy-Flavoured Scrub | |
3 | e.l.f. Lip Exfoliator |Sweet Cherry | ![]() | A Gentle Scrub for Super-Soft Kissable Lips | |
4 | Burt's Bees Conditioning Lip Scrub |Honey | ![]() | Sweet and Healing Honey for Lip Repair | |
5 | Barry M Lip Scrub|Peppermint | ![]() | A Zingy Scrub to Plump Your Pout | |
6 | NIVEA NIVEA Lip Scrub Aloe Vera Lip Balm | ![]() | A 2-In-1 Lip Scrub Infused With Aloe Vera And Vitamin E | |
7 | Fenty Beauty Pro Kiss'r Lip Loving Scrubstick | ![]() | A Fuss-Free Scrub Stick From Rihanna | |
8 | Dior Addict Lip Sugar Scrub|Universal Pink | ![]() | A Sleek, Chic and Portable Option | |
9 | KIKO Milano Lip Scrub Stick | ![]() | A Quickie Stick for On-the-Go | |
10 | BY TERRY BY TERRY Baume de Rose Lip Scrub | ![]() | A Gentle Rose Lip Scrub Made To Beautify Lips |
Beating our other favourites to the top spot is Dr. Paw Paw's tropical scrub and balm duo – we do love getting our money's worth after all! What makes this product great is that it is suitable for men as well as women given its unisex container. Additionally, it is one of the only products to feature not only a bevvy of fruit extracts, plant oils and butters, but also the healing and soothing super-ingredient aloe vera.
Whether you're in need of relief from dryness and discomfort, fancy pampering your lips to kissable perfection, or just want to hydrate with a tasty mango, orange, and coconut scent, there's something for everyone in this gorgeous, 100% natural and edible sugar scrub. You can even use it as a hand treatment!
Potentially the brand who helped kick off the lip scrub trend, Lush's bubblegum version is, quite simply, totally addictive. It keeps things incredibly simple by using only organic jojoba oil and castor sugar, but it's also one of the most powerful scrubs out there and is nice and coarse.
As you'd expect, it's also completely vegan, all-natural and cruelty-free with ethically-sourced ingredients. As for removal, you can wipe it off, or like most superfans, lick it off for a candy-sweet treat that leaves behind a slight pink tint. Just try to save some of it for its original purpose!
Another light-but-effective scrub in a stick form, this sweet cherry-flavoured delight scores top marks for combining convenience and hygiene with an intensely moisturising blend of shea butter, grape seed oil, jojoba and avocado. It's also highly rated for its suitability to sensitive skin.
With plenty of other flavour options such as brown sugar, coconut, and mint, this entire range is one we'll be stocking up on for many winters to come!
Honey and beeswax have long been touted for their exceptional healing properties, so it's no surprise we'd recommend this one for lips in need of some love, care, and repair. Using honey crystals instead of sugar for gentle exfoliation, it's just as sweetly-scented but even more moisturising, we'd say.
Recommended as a home treatment, it's intended to be followed up with the brand's overnight intensive lip repair balm, both of which should recondition your pout back to health in no time.
Reminiscent of a festive peppermint candy cane, this zingy scrub has the added appeal of a slight plumping effect, thanks to the stimulating properties of its mint essential oil. With a rather coarse texture to the sugar, it's definitely one for those wanting a good scrub, and can be used twice daily as needed.
As with most of the legendary British brand's products, it's also a very affordable choice – especially as the ingredients are real and natural, and the entire range is cruelty-free. Plus, at this price, you can try out the mango flavour, too!
This Nivea lip scrub is enriched with Aloe Vera and Vitamin E, two ingredients which work beautifully to leave lips feeling super soft. This exfoliating lip scrub gently buffs away dry skin, leaving them smooth and kiss-ready.
Given that this scrub is incredibly moisturising, it is perfect for cold weather chapping.
A twist-up lip scrub stick, full of apricot seed scrubbers to gently exfoliate and moisturise for silky, smooth, kissable lips. It is packed with hydrating ingredients such as coconut oil and beeswax. Swipe the stick back and forth over your lips then wipe off. You can use this as often as needed too!
It's lightweight and non-greasy which makes it perfect for on the go and unlike some classic exfoliators, there is no mess! However, it is one of the higher price pointed lip scrubs in our ranking.
The Dior Addict Lip Sugar Scrub allows you to exfoliate your lips conveniently on the go. Containing ultra-fine sugar granules that melt away, leaving you with incredibly silky smooth lips with a slight glossy pink tint. Which means there is no need to wipe it off!
The Dior Sugar Scrub can be used as often as needed and gives the benefits of both a balm and a scrub. The beeswax and mango seed butter give hydration to the lips but a word of warning, if you're concerned about ingredients - this product does contain fragrance and BHT.
A convenient and hygienic stick for throwing into your bag or suitcase, this scrub from KIKO is one of our lighter options, both in fragrance and abrasiveness! It certainly still works well to buff away impurities and dead skin, though, and can be used several times a day instead of a lip balm. Just make sure to wipe off with a pad or tissue, as it's not safe to ingest.
The exfoliating ingredient, described as "special crystals", is comprised of plastic-derived polyethylene, which is more gentle than most synthetic exfoliants, but could be a deal-breaker for ethical shoppers.
If you are looking for a lip product which is both delicate and beautifully scented, look no further than this lip scrub from BY Terry. Infused with rose butter, rose hip oil and other oil extracts, this product will leave your lips looking smooth and refined.
Although some have stated that it does not have much of a scrubbing effect, it is still enriched with micro-crystals and other exfoliating ingredients.
There are both pros and cons to using lip scrubs. The pros are that scrubs are good for softening and smoothing the lips by getting rid of dead skin. Yet, they can also be abrasive and sometimes do more harm than good if you constantly use them.
It's best to scrub/exfoliate your lips no more than twice a week. If you are wanting to hydrate and moisturise your lips on a more regular basis, opt for a balm instead.
Written and researched by Natasha Dziubajlo
No. 1: Dr. PawPaw|Scrub & Nourish Lip Scrub and Balm
No. 2: Lush|Lip Scrub|Bubblegum
No. 3: e.l.f.|Lip Exfoliator |Sweet Cherry
No. 4: Burt's Bees|Conditioning Lip Scrub |Honey
No. 5: Barry M |Lip Scrub|Peppermint
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
Automotive
Baby Products
Beauty
Books
Business, Industry & Science
Computers & Accessories
DIY, Garden & Tools
Electronics & Photo
Fashion
Grocery
Health & Personal Care
Home & Kitchen
Large Appliances
Musical Instruments & DJ
PC & Video Games
Pet Supplies
Sports & Outdoors
Stationery & Office Products
Toys & Games