Byrdie
TL;DR
Our overall favorite exfoliating lip scrub is the Poppy and Pout Natural Lip Scrub, a gentle, brightening scrub that exfoliates and smooths. We also love our budget option, the e.l.f. Cosmetics Lip Exfoliator, which gently removes rough skin and hydrates skin for seamless lipstick application.
Every lip balm aficionado knows the skin on your lips needs extra TLC. Unlike the rest of your body, your lips don't have oil glands, making them more prone to dryness. This is especially true during the winter months when chapped and flaky lips can become an issue—not ideal when you want to wear your favorite matte lipstick. According to dermatologist Dendy Engelman, M.D., buffing away dead skin cells with a nonirritating lip scrub can help. "You want to use lip scrubs made with ingredients like sugar or natural exfoliants like citrus, which will be more gentle on the skin," she tells Byrdie.
We tested 25 exfoliating lip scrubs for a month, applying them at least two to three times a week to help find the best ones for all skin types. We evaluated each formula on texture, exfoliation, and hydration since we wanted something that removes flakes and replenishes lost moisture. After consulting dermatologists, these lip scrubs stood out for consistently yielding soft, smooth, hydrated lips.
Our Top Picks
Best Overall
Poppy & Pout Lip Scrub
Perfect texture for exfoliation
Gentle but effective
Smoothes dry patches
Not the most moisturizing formula
Key Ingredients: Sugar, coconut oil, sunflower oil, beeswax | Size: 0.75 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Using Poppy and Pout Wild Honey Lip Scrub was a delightful experience from start to finish. This handmade, natural scrub utilizes sugar to exfoliate and coconut oil, sunflower oil, and beeswax to add slip and hydration. Our tester appreciated the scrub’s spreadable texture, which gently smoothed dry patches, leaving her lips subtly hydrated (subtle is the key word here; she followed up with a lip balm for additional moisture). Natural honey oil adds to the sensory appeal here. It smells good enough to eat, and the same can be said of the brand’s other flavors, including marshmallow creme, lemon bloom, and blood orange mint.
Alyssa Kaplan, associate editor with combination skin: “I think the texture is really ideal, and I love that it comes in a wide range of flavors.”
Best Budget
e.l.f. Cosmetics Lip Exfoliator
Removes dead skin cells and improves lip texture
Easy-to-use applicator
Lots of flavors
Could be more moisturizing
Key Ingredients: Sugar, jojoba oil, shea butter | Size: 0.1 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Our budget-friendly fave is also incredibly easy to apply. Swipe it on just like a regular lip balm and rub your lips together while its medium-grit sugar-based formula gets to work, loosening rough skin. Meanwhile, nourishing vitamin E, jojoba oil, shea butter, and avocado oil condition the lips to leave them moisturized. When our tester wiped off the scrub, as per the instructions, her lips were super soft and smooth—the perfect canvas for lipstick.
Karla, tester with dry, sensitive skin: “It's designed just like a lip balm, which makes it super easy to use. It's not messy at all and doesn't take a lot of time. You just apply it and then wipe it away. Simple and convenient!”
Best for Dry Lips
Tatcha The Kissuu Lip Scrub
Nourishes dry lips and makes them feel softer
Exfoliates without making the skin feel super dry
Made with natural ingredients
It feels gritty on the skin
Key Ingredients: Japanese camellia oil, konjac, peach seed | Size: 0.4 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Tatcha is known for its beloved skincare products, so it's no surprise that their lip scrub is one of the winners on our list. The formula has natural ingredients like Japanese camellia oil, which helps seal moisture, and peach seeds, which work to remove flakiness and dead skin. Our tester loved that it came in an easy-to-use tube that you can squeeze out the product directly from the tube and apply directly onto the lips, making it less messy than using your finger to apply the product. You can also use the applicator to massage the scrub into the skin. Editor tip: After applying to the lips, remove the scrub using a damp cloth for best results.
Shauna Beni-Haynes, senior editor with dry skin: “This lip scrub is great to use if you have lots of dead skin. It felt grainy, and when I massaged the product into my lip, I felt the tiny peach seeds exfoliating my skin. I love how mess-free the whole process was, too, thanks to the tube applicator.”
Best Moisturizing
Grande Cosmetics GrandeBUFF Lip Scrub
Ultra-moisturizing with mango butter and argan oil
Comes with a hygienic scoop
Makes lips super soft and smooth
Hard to remove it completely
Key Ingredients: Sugar, shea and mango butter, coconut | Size: 0.53 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Unlike many competitors, this scrub doubles as a rich, hydrating lip balm. It’s formulated with a laundry list of hydrating heroes, including creamy mango and shea butter, and argan oil, which left lips ultra-moisturized and protected against chapping. The scrub part is made from sugar-based eco beads designed to dissolve while they work their exfoliating magic, but our tester wound up using a wipe to remove the product completely. It did the trick—her lips were utterly smooth and primed for her favorite long-lasting red lipstick. She also appreciated that the jar has a little scoop for hygienic application.
Samantha, tester with combination skin: “This product actually made me wish I had someone to kiss! I found myself rubbing my lips together in appreciation of the product's moisturizing effect.”
Best Applicator
Makeup by Mario Perfecting Lip Scrub
Mess-free applicator
Gently exfoliates
Smoothes and plumps lips
Could be more moisturizing
Key Ingredients: Sugar, coconut oil, sodium hyaluronate | Size: 0.43 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Lip scrubs are a little messy by their very nature, but this one simplifies the process thanks to its squeeze-tube applicator. It comes out like a thick gloss, distributing superfine sugar particles to help buff away dry, chapped skin, then rinses off without leaving a sticky residue. Our tester called the scrub “stimulating,” and it left her lips smooth and plump, even improving the color and texture. Although the formula contains hydrating ingredients such as coconut oil and sodium hyaluronate, it’s not especially moisturizing, so an additional lip balm is key.
Caitlyn Martyn, associate editor with oily skin: “I like the applicator and how it mimics a lip balm or gloss. It's easy to add however much you want, and it stores nicely.”
Best Gentle
Milani Supercharged Lip Scrub
Smooth, buttery texture for gentle exfoliation
Super moisturizing formula
Works well with lipstick
Jar isn’t the most hygienic container
Key Ingredients: Sugar, castor oil, sweet almond oil | Size: 0.49 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Milani’s Supercharged Lip Scrub proves that gentle formulas can still get the job done. It’s more like a balm than a scrub, but the silky consistency improves the feel of lips from the very first application, leaving them noticeably smoother and more moisturized. While our tester typically applies a balm over her go-to matte lipstick, this scrub kept her lips adequately hydrated all on its own, thanks to castor oil and sweet almond oil. She also loved its sweet citrusy scent/flavor. Her one complaint was that it comes in a jar when a tube would be a more hygienic option.
Keyaira, tester with combination skin: “It could smooth out sandpaper if necessary. It was that good.”
Best Fragrance-Free
Bigger Than Beauty Skincare Pout Hero Exfoliating Lip Scrub
Fragrance-free and gentle
Uses physical and chemical exfoliators
Super moisturizing formula
May be too gentle for some
Key Ingredients: Sugar, coconut powder, lactic acid enzyme complex | Size: 0.12 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
If you’re sensitive to strong scents and flavors, try this fragrance-free option from Bigger Than Beauty Skincare. The Pout Hero lip scrub combines physical (sugar and coconut powder) and chemical (lactic acid) exfoliators to reveal smooth, supple skin with every swipe. Our tester described it as light and gentle, coating his lips in buttery, long-lasting moisture.
Saleam, tester with combination skin: “It didn't leave my lips irritated like a lot of similar products. I also loved how hydrated my lips felt after.”
Best Dissolving
Eos Candy Cane Sugar Scrub
The sugar dissolves into the skin, so you don’t need to rinse it off
It has a yummy taste
It gently exfoliates
It gives a slight tingly sensation
Key Ingredients: Castor seed oil, beeswax, coconut oil | Size: 0.56 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
When you open this lip scrub, you’ll get a sweet whiff of a yummy candy cane peppermint scent. The scrub's texture feels smooth and thick, and it glides across the skin smoothly, leaving behind tiny sugar crystals that gently exfoliate the lips. Our tester loved how soft and nourished it made her skin feel. The best part is that you don’t need to wipe off any residue; you just rub the product into your lips until it dissolves.
Shauna Beni-Haynes, senior editor with dry skin: “This scrub makes my lips feel so soft and smooth. I will definitely be using it every day. I also love how it smells like fresh candy canes, and I loved that I didn’t have to worry about using a washcloth to remove any residue because the sugar crystals dissolved right into my skin.”
What to Look for When Buying Lip Scrubs
A good lip scrub can take your lips from dry and dull to supple and stunning. To determine which lip scrub is best for you, we suggest keeping the following factors in mind.
- Exfoliating and Hydrating Ingredients: “A good lip scrub improves the overall texture and health of your lips by both exfoliating and hydrating,” explains Dr. Engelman. It works by adding moisture while removing dead skin cells to stimulate cell turnover, improve texture, and help reveal soft skin. Look for natural, physical exfoliants such as sugar or coconut powder, and gentle chemical exfoliants such as lactic acid. In terms of hydrating ingredients, natural oils such as coconut and almond are excellent for locking in moisture while shielding the lips from environmental stressors.
- Packaging: Lip scrubs often come in a small pot or jar, which is fine for at-home application but can get messy if you prefer to buff your lips on the go. We've included a few products that come in a tube, should you prefer a quick swipe of the product to avoid messy fingers.
How We Tested Lip Scrubs
Byrdie
We believe in using the products we recommend, so we prioritize testing them in real-life settings and our NY-based Lab.
- Lip Scrubs Tested: 25
- Testing Period: One month
- Methodology: Each lip scrub was tested at home over a month on different skin types (sensitive, dry, oily, combination). We observed whether a scrub felt too harsh on our lips versus when it felt just right. We also tracked the size of the particles, noting if they left behind a fresh feeling or uncomfortable residue.
- Factors Considered: The texture and feel (gentle, harsh, or sticky), exfoliation performance, and hydration levels
Meet Our Experts
To learn more about lip scrubs and the elements you should consider before buying one, we interviewed the following experts:
- Dr. Dendy Engelman, M.D., FACMS, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon at Shafer Clinic.
- Dr. Geeta Yadav, M.D., is a board-certified dermatologist located in Toronto.
Why Trust Byrdie
Esme Benjamin has been a Byrdie contributor since 2023 and covers beauty products. She identifies as a lipstick person and is forever in search of the ultimate lip-smoothing balms and scrubs, like the ones on this list.
Shauna Beni-Haynes is a senior editor on staff at Byrdie. She tests dozens of beauty products throughout the year and personally tested two of the scrubs on this list. She works to find the best picks for readers in makeup, fragrance, skincare, haircare, and fashion. She also works with the Research and Testing team to select products for testing, reviews tested insights, and assigns them to writers. She received a degree in journalism from SUNY Plattsburgh.