What Is Lip Oil?

Have you tried lip oil? Lip oil is a hybrid of lip balm and lip gloss that adds moisture, shine, and color to your lips. It usually contains a blend of oils such as jojoba oil, coconut oil, rosehip oil, or avocado oil. It may also contain hyaluronic acid, which helps to hydrate your lips. Here’s how it’s different from lip balm and lip gloss and why you might want to add it to your makeup bag…

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The differences between lip balms, oils, and glosses depend entirely on their ingredients, so these are the usual differences. Check the ingredients and descriptions of the actual lip oils that you are considering to get a better idea of how they will perform.

Lip Balm Vs. Lip Oil

Lip balm is usually a solid waxy substance that creates a barrier on your lips to protect them from outside elements. It can have the added benefits of sun protection or moisturization depending on the ingredients. Lip balms usually have a matte or shimmery finish.

Lip oil, on the other hand, is a combination of oils and other ingredients. It often contains natural antioxidants and vitamins that help protect the lips from environmental damage and oxidative stress. It also has a more glossy finish than lip balm, which makes your lips appear more full.

Lip Oil Vs. Lip Gloss

Lip oil feels lighter than lip gloss, and is often made with more natural ingredients (i.e., oils) than lip gloss.

Lip oil can penetrate into your lips, nourishing them with vitamins and antioxidants. (Read more below on how to maximize absorption). Lip gloss, on the other hand, usually just sits on top of your skin.

Both have a shiny finish, which makes your lips appear slightly more plump.

What I’m Using

I’ve been using and loving Ilia makeup lately, so I bought their Balmy Gloss Tinted Lip Oil to try. It includes hyaluronic acid, sunflower seed butter, and shea butter to moisturize and nourish the lips. It does feel a little heavier on my lips than my usual lip balms, but it has a sort of delicious heaviness! I love the amount of color that it adds to my lips – more than my tinted lip balms but not quite as much as my lipsticks. I did have to reapply it throughout the day, but no more than I do with my balms and lipsticks.

Unfortunately, Ilia no longer makes this lip oil, but here are some brands that do:

Kopari Tri-Peptide Lip Cloud which includes peptides to plump the lips. Kopari is a vegan, cruelty-free, clean brand that uses coconut oil as a main ingredient.

Kosas Wet Lip Oil Gloss includes shea butter to soften, hyaluronic acid to moisturize, and peptides to plump up the lips.

Haus Labs by Lady Gaga PhD Hybrid Lip Oil which contains plant squalane to nourish and prickly pear oil to hydrate and provide a barrier to the skin.

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How To Maximize The Effects Of Lip Oil

The skin on your lips is thin and contains fewer sebaceous glands than other parts of your body, so oil absorption is limited. If you want to maximize the absorption of oils and other nutrients, here are a few tips:

1. Cleanse to remove any lip balm, lipstick, or other products that you are already wearing.
2. Exfoliate your lips with a scrub to remove any dead skin cells. This will create a smoother surface for the lip oil to penetrate.
3. Apply lip oil to damp lips to lock in moisture.
4. Repeat application when needed!

Have you tried lip oil? Which brand is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below…