The 12 Best Cruelty-Free & Vegan Lip Balms For Soft Lips | Cruelty-Free Kitty (2024)

Lip balms that are not tested on animals are pretty easy to find. Vegan lip balms on the other hand, not so much. And for a simple reason: most lip balms contain beeswax, which most vegans do not consider to be vegan. Beeswax is what allows lip balms to have a hard consistency.

Of course, beeswax is not essential in lip balms, and many brands offer vegan lip balms that contain candelilla instead wax. Candelilla wax is a great alternative to beeswax because it gives products a very similar texture while being vegan-friendly. Unlike beesmax, it's also fragrance-free and hypoallergenic (some are allergic to honey or bee products).

Below are 12 of the best cruelty-free and vegan lip balms we've found. None of them are tested on animals, and they also don't contain any animal-derived ingredients.

Hurraw!

Best affordable vegan lip balm.

Hurraw! is available in an array of different scents, and their lip balm is 100% vegan and made with certified organic ingredients. They offer an unscented version as well, plus a few tinted versions for a sheer pop of color on the lips. They also have one with SPF. It's ultra-nourishing and doesn't simply sit on top of the lips; it hydrates them.

Main ingredients: Safflower seed oil, Candelilla wax, Coconut oil.

Scents

• Unscented
• Coconut
• Vanilla Bean
• Mint
• Almond
• Orange
• Licorice
• Chai Spice
• Earl Grey
• Grapefruit
• Lime
• Chocolate
• Green tea
• Coffee Bean
• Lemon
• Root Beer

Crazy Rumors

Crazy Rumors is another great option depending on where you shop. Their lip balms come in many scents, some of them being extra-delicious -- if you're a coffee lover, try Coffee Bean. They also offer some tinted versions as well as an "au naturale" unscented one. They're hydrating and protecting. Some of their ingredients are also organic, however they're not certified as such.

Main ingredients: Macademia seed oil, Olive oil, Shea butter.

Scents:

• Amaretto
• Au Naturale (unscented)
• Banana Split
• Black Cherry
• Blueberry Lemon
• Bubble Gum
• Choco Strawberry
• Citrus Bergamot
• Coffee Bean
• French Vanilla
• Fruit Punch
• Ginger Ale
• Grape Jelly
• Honeycomb (vegan!)
• Hot Cocoa
• Mint Chocolate
• Pina Colada
• Pistachio
• Pumpkin Spice
• Spearmint
• Spiced Chai

Eco Lips

Eco Lips makes 100% "bee fee" lip balms with organic and natural ingredients. They're available in some retail stores like Whole Foods and Walmart but also online on Amazon. Their lip balm goes on smoothly on the lips and it's effective at protecting them from getting chapped.

Main ingredients: Sunflower oil, Candelilla wax, Cocoa seed butter.

Scents:

• Sweet Mint
• Lemon Lime
• Superfruit
• Unscented

Booda Butter

Best lip balm from a small company.

I love Booda Butter products, and their lip balm is one of the greatest in my subjective opinion. It's a lot more oily than other lip balms (as opposed to waxy) which is what I look for.

It's nourishing and only contains 5 ingredients which are all organic and unrefined. There's only one version which is unscented, making it suitable for the sensitive. They also currently offer a plastic-free, eco-friendly version of their lip balm which we love.

Scents:

• Naked (unscented)

Biossance

Best vegan lip balm overall.

This lip balm is the cream of the crop, providing deep hydrating beyond just a protective layer on top of the skin. It contains hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and ceramides, along with plant-derived squalane from olives. It's fragrance-free which makes it suitable for sensitive skin, and it also contains no essential oils.

Main ingredients: Diisostearyl Malate, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2.

Scents:

• Unscented

Milk Makeup

Best tinted lip balm.

If you're looking for a fantastic day-to-day lip balm that's a bit next level, try this one by Milk. It comes in a clear form that tastes minty (which looks green in the tube, giving it some extra coolness points) but also in a few different tinted versions for every lip color. The packaging is sturdy and the magnetic lid makes it fun to use. It also provides a little bit of exfoliation and feels lovely on the lips.

Main ingredients: Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Silica, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil.

Shades:

• Green Dragon (clear finish)
• Nug (sheer warm pink with subtle golden shimmer)
• Cannatonic (sheer cool pink)
• Bubble (sheer, neutral rose with subtle golden shimmer)
• Plushberry (sheer, neutral berry)

Bite Beauty

Best overnight treatment lip balm.

This is an effective overnight treatment to wake up with baby-soft lips. It's referred to as a mask, though you can use it as a lip balm (meaning you don't have to slather it on to see an effect). It's oily on the lips and provides good hydration, and it smells like bergamot and chamomile. It also contains plant-based squalane. Keep in mind it does contain fragrance, so it might not be suited for the most sensitive skin.

Main ingredients: Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Triisostearoyl Polyglyceryl-3 Dimer Dilineolate, Oleic/Linoleic/Linolenic Polyglycerides.

Scents:

• 1 scent (chamomile-bergamot)

Kopari

Kopari makes products with coconut oil as their main ingredient, and this lip balm contains coconut oil as its third ingredient. This lip balm is non-sticky and moisturizing, making it a good option for chapped lips. As the name implies, it's a bit glossy, however it's definitely first and foremost a lip balm.

Main ingredients: Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Isododecane, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil.

Scents:

• Original (clear)
• Birthday suit

Alaffia

Alaffia is an ethical brand that gives back, and they make many different body care, hair, and skincare products including a vegan lip balm. They mainly use coconut oil in this lip balm, and it's ethically traded. You can find this brand at stores like Target, Walmart, Whole Foods, but also online on Amazon.

Main ingredients: Cocos nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Euphorbia cerifera(Candelilla) Wax, Theobroma cacao (Cocoa) Butter.

Scents:

• Purely Coconut
• Coconut Mint
• Coconut Pineapple

Meow Meow Tweet

What's special about this option? It comes in a cardboard tube that's biodegradable, making it plastic-free and a great option if you want to go zero-waste. It's made from some certified organic ingredients but also fair trade coconut oil and cacao seed butter. It comes in a large tube and can be used for more than just dry lips!

Main ingredients: olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter.

Scents:

• Rosemary Eucalyptus
• Sweet Orange Tangerine
• Coconut Cacao (no essential oils)

Pacifica

Best vegan lip balm with SPF.

Pacifica makes a few different lip balms, and they're also a great option if you're looking for a vegan balm. This one however comes with an SPF of 15 which is great for everyday, It's also water-resistant for 80 minutes, and the best part is that it's a mineral sunscreen and not a chemical sunscreen. It contains 8% zinc oxide.

Main ingredients: Bertholletia Excelsa Seed Oil, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)

Herbivore Botanicals

Herbivore products are all-natural and contain no synthetic ingredients. This lip balm can be used a daily lip balm, or overnight. It's lightweight and deeply moisturizing. If you enjoy rose, you'll love this one as it's rose-scented.

Main ingredients: Hydrogenated Soybean Oil (Non-GMO Soy Wax), Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Shea Butter.

Scents:

• One scent (rose)

More Guides

Looking for more vegan guides? Try the links below.

• Vegan body wash
• Vegan deodorants
• Vegan blush

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