When you incorporate exfoliation into your skincare routine, what areas do you focus on? We're guessing your face and body are the two spots that come to mind. But what about the lips? Take it from us: Your pout deserves some extra attention—especially when the temperature outside starts to drop and chapped lips become more common. Dry, flaky skin and wintery deep lipsticks don't often make a great combination.
Just like a facial or body scrub, lip scrubs slough off dead skin cells, restore hydration, and protect your skin against harsh weather conditions. Even better, they often do all this while priming your lips so your lipstick or lip gloss can go on smoothly and stay put (no flaking here!).
While a DIY lip scrub is definitely doable, there are also plenty of ready-made options that make lip exfoliation a breeze. Not sure which lip treatment is right for you? We’ve rounded up the 16 best lip scrubs for supple, super soft lips.
There's a reason this seemingly simple formula is one of the bestselling lip scrubs out there: sometimes simple is best. Made with brown sugar crystals, shea butter, jojoba oil, meadowfoam seed oil, and grapeseed oil, it gently buffs while keeping moisture locked and loaded. If you're just getting into lip scrubs or you’re looking for one to buy as a gift, this formula is a total slam dunk.
Whether you're planning to pack a lip scrub in your carry-on or you just dislike how messy potted lip scrubs can get, here's a neat, nourishing solution. Swipe on this clean lip scrub just like you would a lipstick: as you swipe it back-and-forth, natural sugar crystals and hemp stem exfoliators slough away dead skin while jojoba oil and olive oils condition the lips.
With a dose of green tea, vanilla, and sugar, this formula sounds more like it might be a delicious drink at a café than a beauty product. But the inclusion of hydrating castor seed oil and glycerin put this formula firmly in the skincare camp. While sugar crystals slough away dead skin cells, antioxidant-packed green tea extract can help to heal and soothe making it ideal for cracked, chapped lips.
If you have super sensitive lips, lip scrubs that physically slough off dead skin cells (i.e. formulas that use sugar crystals, volcanic stone, apricot powder, etc.) might not be the best choice. Instead, consider trying this innovative lip exfoliator that swaps manual exfoliation for chemical exfoliation. With the help of AHAs, this treatment gently resurfaces this delicate area of skin without causing any additional damage.
This lip scrub diverges from the pack with a unique key ingredient: maracuja oil. While sugar crystals exfoliate, this oil (derived from passionfruit seeds) protects, softens, and corrects discoloration, leaving you with noticeably smoother lips in both texture and tone.
If you're allergic to sugar or you'd just prefer an alternative exfoliator, FENTY BEAUTY has you covered. This fuss-free lip exfoliant uses apricot seed powder as its gentle scrub. In addition to that, this formula gets a hydrating boost thanks to ingredients like squalane, coconut oil, castor seed oil, and sunflower oil. Kissable lips coming right up.
While we're at it, here's another lip exfoliator that swaps sugar crystals for a different kind of exfoliant. This clean formula from the luxe beauty brand ILIA uses volcanic stone as its gentle exfoliant This natural lip scrub is paired with shea butter and jojoba oil for a simple yet super effective lip treatment that perfectly primes and preps the lips for richly colored lipsticks.
Looking for something you can easily find at the drugstore? Here's an affordable, trusty lip scrub from BURT'S BEES. This formula uses honey crystals to buff away rough, dry skin while beeswax conditions and hydrates lips. Not only is it 100% natural, but both honey and beeswax have hydrating and healing properties—an ideal combo for dry, cracked lips in need of some TLC.
Here's a powerful yet gentle treatment that you can do once weekly and still see results (try adding it to your self-care Sunday routine). This 3-in-1 scrub pairs sugar crystals with papaya enzymes for an exfoliation treatment that is both manual and chemical. Dead skin cells, who? To lock in moisture on those freshly softened lips, the formula uses a blend of squalane and agave nectar.
Looking for an anti-aging lip mask that will also prolong the life of your lipstick? Look no further than this conditioning lip treatment that nourishes flaky, dry lips with shea butter and vitamin C and also delivers brightening and anti-aging benefits. Use it once or twice a week to keep your lips primed for lipstick or lip gloss.
“Love this scrub. Smells and tastes delicious, and leaves my lips soft and moisturized,” says one Ipster.
An exfoliating lip moisturizer that also smells like dessert? Sign. Us. Up. This scrub will help leave your lips softer than ever thanks to a hydrating combination of oils, plus protect your lips from harsh weather and pollution using vitamin E.
“Leaves my lips so kissably smooth and I love the smell of it,” says one Ipster. Simply apply in a circular motion and wipe off with a tissue—no rinsing needed.
If you like piña coladas...you’ll love the tropical scent of this lip polish, which instantly transports you to happy hour by the beach. Avocado oil and shea butter combine to exfoliate and hydrate, leaving you with a softer pout. Use it as a lip primer before applying matte lipstick to keep flaky lips away. Bonus: This baby is cruelty-free.
“This lip scrub is great! Smells good and has mass exfoliation,” raves one Ipster.
Ideal for sensitive skin, this hydrating lip exfoliator is so safe for your lips, it’s actually edible—but we recommend letting it work its magic instead of digging in. You’ll find that dead skin doesn’t stand a chance against this sugar lip scrub, which uses brown sugar crystals to slough off dry skin and jojoba oil, coconut oil, and olive oil to moisturize and nourish. The result: smooth lips that last.
“This was so good. It tastes great, it works great, and I highly recommend it,” says one Ipster. Another adds: “I like that this product is edible. Makes me feel good about putting it on my mouth.”
This conditioning lip scrub is like Hawaii in a jar. It’s made with sugar crystals straight from Maui to remove dead skin cells, plus pure kukui nut oil, which is rich in fatty acids, vitamin A, and vitamin C to repair chapped lips. And thanks to the shea butter in this formula, there’s no need to follow up with lip balm after you exfoliate—this ingredient will lock in moisture and preserve the softness in your lips, even on the chilliest days.
“I absolutely love this product. I get super dry lips in the winter from being outside a lot and this product helps to keep my lip smooth and moisturized all day,” says one Ipster.
If you’re on the hunt for an exfoliating lip scrub you can trust, this vegan, non-comedogenic, hypoallergenic, and gluten-free formula is the answer. This scrub packs sugar granules in an easy-to-apply tube, making it convenient for packing in your purse (which is amazing, since we’re pretty sure you’ll want this with you at all times). Ipsters love its fresh, fruity taste and smell, which comes from a delicious blend of sweet almond oil, vanilla, watermelon, and strawberry extract.
“Smells sooo good. Love that it's in a tube so I don't get it under my fingernails trying to get it out of a pot,” says one Ipster.
This invigorating lip scrub is just what you need for a morning pick-me-up, as it combines the refreshing scents of coffee and coconut while it sloughs off dead skin and hydrates. Ipsters can’t stop talking about this effective-yet-gentle formula.
“It definitely smells like coffee and coconut!! And it definitely did its job by scrubbing off the dead dry skin my lips needed to get off. It did it gently so my lips didn't bleed or become raw which I was grateful for,” says one Ipster.
If you love lipstick, you know how annoying it is when it starts to crack and bleed. But you can make sure that the pigment stays put all day with this exfoliating, conditioning lip treatment that’s like a lip scrub and lip balm all in one. We especially love that this antioxidant-packed formula is loaded with vitamin E, avocado oil, almond oil, and shea butter to provide the armor your lips need against harsh winter elements.
Want in on all the best ways to achieve your healthiest, softest lips? Take our Beauty Quiz now to get started. Already an Ipster? Refer your friends to earn points, which you can use toward products. Either way, don’t forget to check us out on Instagram and Twitter @IPSY.
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