Product Overview
A creamy mineral-based lip sunscreen that pairs broad-spectrum SPF 36 with long-lasting moisture. It helps protect and condition lips exposed to dryness, chapping and the sun.
Recommended For
Dry, chapped, mature or sun-exposed lips; suitable for daily outdoor use.
Texture and Experience
A creamy, conditioning balm with a long-wearing protective feel.
Care Step
Protect lips SPF — apply as the final lip-care step and reapply throughout the day as directed.
Key Ingredients
- Transparent Zinc Oxide 7% and Octinoxate 7.5% — UVA and UVB protection
- Glycerin and Hydromanil® — help retain moisture
- Vitamins C and E, Quercetin and Thioctic Acid — antioxidant support
Conscious Formula
Non-comedogenic, dye-free and paraben-free; water resistant for up to 80 minutes.
Available Size
0.28 oz / 8 g
Professional Recommendation
UV Lip Balm is for anyone who finishes a careful morning routine and then leaves the lips bare. It suits lips that look dry, feel chapped or lose definition with age, and it is the sensible choice for long days outdoors — boating, golf, tennis, the beach — where the lower lip catches direct and reflected light. The base is creamy rather than waxy, so it stays comfortable on skin that feels sensitive, and the mineral zinc oxide finish is sheer enough to wear under lipstick or on its own.
Within the EltaMD line-up this is the only product intended for the lips, and it is not interchangeable with the face sunscreens. UV Clear SPF 46 and UV Daily SPF 40 are formulated for facial skin and are not meant to be applied to the lip line, while UV AOX Mist SPF 40 should never be sprayed toward the mouth. When you apply it, use a thicker layer than a regular balm — enough to look slightly glossy — and carry it right up to the lip border, where dryness and sun exposure usually show first. Then treat it like any sunscreen: reapply on schedule, and again after anything that wipes it off.
Safety Information
Apply generously about 15 minutes before you go out in the sun and reapply at least every two hours, and always after swimming, towel drying or heavy sweating. Lips lose product faster than skin does, so reapply after eating, drinking or wiping your mouth as well. Sun protection works alongside shade, a wide-brimmed hat and covering clothing rather than in place of them. This balm is intended for the lips only — do not swallow it, and keep it out of the eyes, rinsing thoroughly with water if any gets in. Stop use if irritation appears, and keep the tube out of reach of small children.
Not recommended for:
- Children under 6 months of age.
- Use around or in the eyes.
- Swallowing, or use by anyone who cannot avoid ingesting it.
- Extended swimming or heavy sweating past the 80-minute water-resistance window without reapplying.
- Anyone sensitive to an ingredient listed on the label — read it before first use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do lips need their own SPF instead of the face sunscreen I already use?
Lip skin is thinner than the skin on the rest of the face and has almost no natural pigment to absorb UV, so it takes on more exposure for the same amount of time outside — and the lower lip catches light reflected off water, sand and pavement. Face sunscreens are also formulated to sit on facial skin, not to be worn on a surface that is licked, eaten off and constantly rubbed; a balm base clings and stays put in a way a lotion does not. That is why a dedicated lip SPF is worth carrying, even on a day when your face is already covered.
How often do I actually need to reapply?
Every two hours as a baseline, and immediately after swimming, towel drying, heavy sweating, eating or drinking. In practice, food and drink are what strip it, so a long lunch outdoors counts as a reapplication trigger even if you have not been in the water. It is water resistant for up to 80 minutes, which covers a swim, not an afternoon.
Can I wear it under lipstick or gloss?
Yes. Apply a full layer, give it a minute to settle, then blot lightly and put colour on top. Under a matte lipstick it also helps the lips look smoother and less flaky. Bear in mind that reapplying colour over the top does not renew the protection — the balm itself needs to go back on every couple of hours.
Will it help with lips that already look dry and cracked?
It supports comfort while they recover. Glycerin and Hydromanil help the lips hold onto moisture, and the creamy base cuts down the friction that keeps flaking going. Use it through the day, not only before sun exposure, and expect the look and feel of dryness to ease with consistent use rather than overnight.
Is it suitable for sensitive or blemish-prone skin around the mouth?
Generally yes — it is non-comedogenic, dye-free and paraben-free, which is the usual short list of concerns for the area around the lip line. If your skin reacts easily, apply it to the lips and the immediate border rather than spreading it out across the chin, and check the ingredient list against anything you know you react to.
Pairs Well With
- EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46: covers the face while the balm handles the lips the lotion should not reach.
- EltaMD UV AOX Mist Broad Spectrum SPF 40: an easy face and body top-up for the same bag, with the balm for the mouth area.
- EltaMD UV Sport Broad-Spectrum SPF 50+: the body layer for water and sport days when lips take the most exposure.
- Facials at our West Palm Beach studio: professional care that pairs with daily lip and face protection.
- Explore the full EltaMD collection.