Knowing it’s important to slather sunscreen on my face has been a given for most of my life. But there are times, even as a self-proclaimed beauty writer, when I rub the leftover sunscreen from my face onto my lips—if at all—and hope for the best. But it’s 2025, and countless better options exist, thanks to a growing market of lip products formulated with sun protection factor, commonly known as SPF.
Why do you need a lip balm with SPF?
“The skin on the lips is thinner than the rest of the face, and also has less melanin content than the rest of the facial skin,” Veena Vanchinathan, a board-certified dermatologist and member of the American Academy of Dermatology, told The Daily Beast. “Melanin pigment normally helps provide some natural defense against the harmful effects of the sun’s UV rays.” Your lips do need sunscreen, and not just when it’s hot out. And while the sun may be more visible during the summer months, it’s important to use SPF year-round because “we are constantly getting exposed to the sun’s UV rays year-round, even during cloudy weather or winter,” Vanchinathan said.
The post The Best Lip Balms With SPF, and Why You Absolutely Need to Start Wearing One appeared first on The Daily Beast