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Your lips may not be dry and cracked like they were during the winter months, but they still need TLC this time of year. “The skin on our lips is very thin,” says Mona Gohara, MD, associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine and a Women's Health advisor. "This makes our mouths very susceptible to skin cancer, sun burns, and, of course, aging.”
You can tick off every outdoor item on your summer bucket list and keep your lips feeling *chef's kiss.* The secret? Using a lip balm with SPF. These are Dr. Gohara's favorite products to protect your lips from the sun's rays all summer (and really, all year) long. Pick one, and keep it in your bag at all times.
This minty lip balm from Supergoop! is a nourishing formula packed with ingredients like shea butter, honey, and sunflower oil.Plus, it's "infused with antioxidants to protect against other environmentaltoxins," such as air pollutants. Oh, and itshields your lips from UV rays, adds Dr. Gohara.
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Best Truly Transparent Protection
ELTA MD UV Lip Balm Broad-Spectrum SPF 31
Beyond being super-hydrating and water-resistant,Dr. Gohara is all about this lip balm because thethezinc oxide (for UV protection)it's made from is totally clear.
"It doesn't leave my lips looking chalky and white," she says, which is especially clutch for dark skin tones for which the words "transparent" and "invisible" don't always apply.
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Best SPF-Packed Tinted Gloss
Colorescience Lip Gloss, Sunforgettable Lip Shine SPF 35
Now 26% Off
Dr. Gohara loves this Colorscience's paraben-free formulaif you're looking for something on the glam side.
The brand'stinted lipgloss containszinc oxide for UV protection, as well ashyaluronic acid and vitamin E to give your lips a subtle plump. You'll wonder why you ever used any other product.
"I love this brand for those with particularly sensitive skin," says Dr. Gohara. The fact that it's free of chemicals, fragrance, flavoring, parabens, formaldehyde, and gluten makes it ideal for shielding andrestoring skin that is especially prone tosunburns and cracking.
Minimalists will appreciate the fact that the formula just contains three ingredients:zinc oxide for UV protection, titanium dioxide to lock in moisture, anddimethicone to ward off dryness.
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Best Green Pick
Alba Botanica, Very Emollient Sunblock, Lip Care, SPF 25
This stick is loadedwith plant-based ingredients Dr. Gohara loves, includingaloe vera, cocoa butter,and sunflower seed oils to keeplips feeling super-supple.
It's alsocoral reef-safe—definitely a plus when you're hitting the beach.
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Best For Hydration That Lasts
COOLA Organic Liplux Sport Lip Balm Sunscreen | Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Now 100% Off
Dr. Gohara recommends this peppermint vanilla-flavored tubeto anyone who is looking for that extra-hydrating feel. Liplux's plant-based ingredient list—which includes shea butter, raspberry butter, avocado butter,coconut oil, and sage extract—locks in moisture that won't wash off, evenwhen you take that dip in the pool you've been dreaming about.
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The sugar and honey in this tinted treatment act as humectants to bring on the moisture and keep it there. And then there's the added bonus of a pop of color.
"As a woman of color, I am a big fan of this product, because its hue matches lipsticks that complement my brown skin,"says Dr. Gohara.
For a moisturizing, slightlyglossy finish, Dr. Gohara recommends this UV Lip Color Splash.It comes in two colorways—uluru red and tahiti blue. Layer it underneath a brighterlipstick, or use it solofor a subdued look. Either way, the soothing agents calmchapped lips and while protecting themfrom the sun's rays.
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Best Organic Option
Eminence Organics Rosehip & Lemongrass Lip Balm SPF 15
"I always like to give my patients an organic option," says Dr. Gohara. This balm is infused with rosehip (packed with vitamins C and E),lemongrass for rejuvenation, and olive oil (loaded with vitamins A and E for damage repair). The ingredientswork in combination with zinc oxide for protection fromUV rays.
Aryelle Siclait
Editor
Aryelle Siclait is the editor at Women's Health where she writes and edits articles about relationships, sexual health, pop culture, and fashion for verticals across WomensHealthMag.com and the print magazine. She's a Boston College graduate and lives in New York.
