Vegan Lip Balm Ingredients Explained: How Each Butter and Oil Helps Dry, Chapped Lips
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Every Melange lip balm is made by hand, in small batches, from butters, plant oils and a plant wax. This guide explains what each ingredient does, what the research says about it, how our balms help dry and chapped lips overnight, and when a lip problem needs a doctor instead of a balm.
Why your lips dry out faster than the rest of your face
The red part of your lips (called the vermilion) is built differently from the skin around it. A 2004 study in the British Journal of Dermatology compared the two and found that lips lose water much faster than facial skin and hold on to far less moisture. The outer protective layer on the lips is very thin, and lips have no oil glands of their own. That's why lips are the first thing to crack in winter, in air-conditioned rooms, or after a day of talking, eating spicy food and licking them without noticing.
Because lips can't make their own oil, they depend on what you put on them. A good lip balm does two jobs:
- It seals – forms a thin film that slows down water loss.
- It softens – fills the tiny gaps between dry, lifted flakes so lips feel smooth again.
Waxes and butters do most of the sealing. Oils do most of the softening. Our balms are built around that balance.
What is lip cheilitis, and which kinds can a lip balm help?
Cheilitis simply means inflammation of the lips. It isn't one condition. Dermatologists group it into several types with very different causes, so the honest answer to "will a lip balm fix my cheilitis?" is: it depends on the type.
| Type | What it looks like | Can a nourishing lip balm help? |
|---|---|---|
| Dry, chapped lips (winter, weather, dehydration) | Rough, tight, flaky, sometimes small cracks | Yes. This is exactly what a sealing, softening balm is for. |
| Lip-licker's dermatitis | A dry, red ring around the lips from repeated licking | Yes, alongside breaking the habit. A thick layer of balm protects the skin and makes licking less tempting. |
| Peeling lips (mild exfoliative cheilitis) | Lips that keep peeling in layers | It can help keep lips soft and comfortable. If peeling continues for weeks, see a dermatologist, as there is often an underlying trigger. |
| Angular cheilitis | Painful cracks or sores at the corners of the mouth | Not on its own. It is often caused by yeast or bacteria, or by low iron or B-vitamins, and usually needs a doctor's treatment. |
| Allergic or irritant contact cheilitis | Burning, swelling or rash after using a product | No. Stop the product that caused it and see a doctor. |
| Actinic cheilitis | A rough, scaly, pale patch, usually on the lower lip, from years of sun | No. This needs a dermatologist. |
So our lip balms are made for the most common kind: dry, chapped, cracked and peeling lips, and the dryness that comes with lip licking. For the other types, a balm can keep lips comfortable, but it won't fix the cause.
What's inside Hush Lips and Mint Lips, ingredient by ingredient
Both balms share the same base. Mint Lips adds mint oil and an edible tint.
Candelilla wax: the vegan alternative to beeswax
Most lip balms use beeswax to give them their shape. We use candelilla wax, which comes from the leaves of a small desert shrub. It is harder than beeswax, so we need less of it, and it forms a light, glossy film that seals moisture into the lips. That wax is the reason our balms are 100% vegan.
Cocoa butter and mango butter: the cushion
Both butters are solid at room temperature and melt at body temperature, so they glide on and then stay put. They are rich in saturated and monounsaturated fats that sit on the surface and help reduce water loss. A 2020 review of vegetable butters and oils in skin care (Phytotherapy Research) describes butters like these as effective emollients that support the skin's barrier. They give our balms their creamy, long-lasting feel.
Sunflower seed oil: barrier support
Sunflower oil is high in linoleic acid, a fatty acid the skin uses to build its own protective barrier. In a 2013 study in Pediatric Dermatology, researchers compared olive oil and sunflower seed oil on adult volunteers. Sunflower oil preserved the skin barrier, while olive oil weakened it. That's one reason we chose sunflower oil over olive oil.
Rosehip oil: for rough, damaged-looking lips
Rosehip oil is also rich in linoleic and linolenic acids, plus natural antioxidants. A 2024 review in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology looked at studies of rosehip and skin repair and found encouraging results for the skin's natural healing and for how scars look. On the lips, we use it to help rough, cracked areas feel smoother and look healthier.
Sweet almond oil: softness
Almond oil is a light, traditional emollient that absorbs well and leaves lips soft without feeling greasy. A 2018 review of plant oils for skin (International Journal of Molecular Sciences) lists almond oil among the oils with emollient and skin-soothing properties.
Please note: almond is a tree nut. If you or your child has a tree-nut allergy, please don't use these balms.
Sesame oil: an Indian skin-care classic
Sesame oil has been used for body massage in India for generations. It adds richness and slip to the balm and contains natural antioxidants called lignans.
Castor oil: shine and staying power
Castor oil is thick and glossy. It helps the balm cling to your lips so it lasts longer, and it gives a subtle natural shine. Honest note: a small number of people are allergic to castor oil. Dermatology journals have reported rare cases of lip allergies to it. If your lips ever burn, swell or itch after using any lip product, stop using it.
Vitamin E: protection
Vitamin E is a natural antioxidant. It helps protect the oils in the balm from going rancid, and helps protect your lips from everyday oxidative stress.
Cetyl alcohol: not the drying kind
The word "alcohol" worries people, so let's clear this up. Cetyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, a waxy, plant-derived ingredient. It is nothing like the drying alcohol in hand sanitiser. It makes the balm smooth and helps it spread evenly.
Mint oil: Mint Lips only
Mint oil gives Mint Lips its cool, fresh tingle and a gentle plumping feel. The soft pinkish-red colour in Mint Lips comes from an edible, F&DC-certified pigment.
Why a lip balm works best overnight
During the day, eating, drinking, talking and licking keep wiping your lip balm away. At night, a thick layer can sit undisturbed for 6 to 8 hours. That long, unbroken seal gives dry lips time to rehydrate and gives small cracks time to settle.
Our overnight routine:
- If your lips are flaky, press a damp, soft cloth on them for a few seconds. Don't scrub or peel the flakes.
- Apply a thick layer of Hush Lips or Mint Lips, more than you would during the day.
- Leave it on while you sleep. In the morning, wipe off what's left.
- During the day, reapply after meals and whenever lips feel tight.
Most of our customers tell us their lips feel noticeably softer the very next morning. Deeply cracked lips usually need a few nights of this routine.
Can babies and young children use these lip balms?
Hush Lips is made from plant butters, oils and wax. It's gentle enough for children from 1 year old when their lips get dry, for example in winter or when they have a runny nose.
Mint Lips contains mint oil. Health guidance, including from the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, advises keeping peppermint oil away from the faces of babies and young children. That's because menthol can affect their breathing. We recommend Mint Lips from 3 years and up, and Hush Lips for younger children.
For any child:
- Check for nut allergies first, because of the almond oil.
- Try a small amount on one spot of the lip first and wait a day.
- Stop if you see redness or a rash.
Hush Lips or Mint Lips: which one is for you?
- Choose Hush Lips if you want a clear balm for everyday care, overnight use, for the whole family including little ones, or if your lips are sensitive.
- Choose Mint Lips if you'd like a natural pinkish-red tint, a cooling feel and a plumping effect. It's a no-makeup lip colour that also cares for your lips.
When to see a doctor
A lip balm is a cosmetic. It helps dry, chapped lips but isn't a medicine. Please see a doctor or dermatologist if:
- you have painful cracks or sores at the corners of your mouth that don't heal
- your lips have been peeling or inflamed for more than two to three weeks
- you have swelling, burning, blisters or a rash
- you have a rough or scaly patch that doesn't go away, especially on the lower lip
Frequently asked questions
Is a vegan lip balm as good as one made with beeswax?
Yes. Candelilla wax seals moisture in just as well as beeswax, and it's harder, so less is needed. The butters and oils matter more than the wax for how soft your lips feel.
Can a lip balm cure lip cheilitis?
For cheilitis caused by dryness, weather or lip licking, a rich balm used day and night is one of the most helpful things you can do. Angular, allergic and sun-related cheilitis need a doctor's diagnosis and treatment.
Why do my lips keep peeling even though I use lip balm?
Common reasons are licking your lips, peeling the flakes, or reacting to something in a lip product, toothpaste or food. Try a simple balm, stop licking and peeling, and see a doctor if it doesn't improve in two to three weeks.
Can I use lip balm as an overnight lip mask?
Yes. A thick layer at bedtime works as an overnight lip mask.
Is lip balm safe for a 1-year-old?
Hush Lips is suitable from 1 year old, as long as there's no nut allergy. Mint Lips is best from 3 years because of the mint oil.
References
- Functional properties of the surface of the vermilion border of the lips are distinct from those of the facial skin. British Journal of Dermatology, 2004. PubMed
- Differential diagnosis of cheilitis – how to classify cheilitis? Acta Clinica Croatica, 2018. PubMed
- Angular Cheilitis. StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf. NCBI
- Effect of olive and sunflower seed oil on the adult skin barrier: implications for neonatal skin care. Pediatric Dermatology, 2013. PubMed
- Anti-inflammatory and skin barrier repair effects of topical application of some plant oils. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2018. PMC
- Vegetable butters and oils in skin wound healing: scientific evidence for new opportunities in dermatology. Phytotherapy Research, 2020. Wiley
- Rosehip extract and wound healing: a review. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024. Wiley
- Contact reactions to lipsticks and other lip care products. DermNet. DermNet
- Peppermint Oil: Usefulness and Safety. US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. NCCIH
This article is for general information and is not medical advice.