Not all lip balms are created equal. The best Japanese lip balms manage to fulfill the task of hydrating and moisturizing lips, while also adding benefits like antioxidants and sun protection.
Consider the lips, and everything they do: they help us to eat and allow us to express ourselves. They say so much, even when they’re not speaking. It’s little wonder that the mouth has been a locus of attention for as long as people have been alive—there is evidence of lipsticks used in some of the earliest records of civilization. In contemporary times, with our slightly more sophisticated cosmetic culture, it’s also become an area of acute care. We open our mouths for our doctors, brush our teeth, and moisturize our lips.
In some cultures, even the smallest gesture of self preservation takes on a greater significance—when they’re mindfully employed. When you witness the ritual that Japanese geisha performers employ to take off their thick stage makeup, you grasp this completely: The precision and care imbued into this simple act of hygiene seems to refresh on a level deeper than skin. In this light, it’s possible to see a link between the regimented and the ritualistic.
In many Japanese beauty routines, the idea of skincare is analogous with the idea of self-care, which is why every part—from cleansing and renewing to moisturizing and protecting—is thoughtfully performed. Sure, the scattered moments spent applying lip balm probably fall short of a true meditation. But how else are we to care for this part of us that does so much, if not give it meaning? We can start by elevating our lip care with the best Japanese lip balm.
The philosophy of Japanese skincare
One thing about skin in Japan: It’s not about looking young, but about having the best skin of your life at whatever age you may be and regardless of your skin type.
What does this actually look like? Many Japanese skincare routines focus on nourishing and hydrating the skin, sometimes using multiple steps and solutions, as well botanicals with time-tested benefits. Silk has a long history in Japanese cultural products, but also skincare: Geisha used to wash themselves with silk, as if they could transfer its smooth, liquid quality directly to their skin. Now we know that silk extracts are easily absorbed into the skin, and carry powerful antioxidants and amino acids that help promote cell regeneration. Take it from a centuries-old beauty secret.
Why Japanese lip balms work
Skin is thin, and in some places more than others: Our lips have a third or less of the cell layers found on the rest of our facial features. A lack of oil glands means that our lips also can’t self-moisturize, which is why you notice dryness faster on your lips than anywhere else. Most lip balms will do the bare minimum for you, by forming a protective seal over your lips. But some Japanese lip balms are thoughtfully designed to do even more: Restoring and protecting delicate lip skin. Here’s why they make some of the best lip balms:
They have SPF. In Japan, skincare is also suncare. Japanese women have long understood that sun protection is critical for every part of the body, including—and especially—on the lips. Sun exposure not only damages lip skin, but accelerates aging. In many of the best Japanese lip balms, an SPF lip protectant is more than an added feature: It’s a non-starter.
They’re lightweight, but effective. Those who aren’t as familiar with Japanese lip balms often remark on their texture, which feels more lightweight than the waxy-jelly they might be used to. By contrast, Japanese lip balms have an elegant feel that makes them a delight to use—and reapply.
They’re made with high-quality ingredients. Some of the skincare you may encounter in Japan is older than it looks, and many ingredients have histories that date back to pre-modern times. Silk, for one, is still not only widely used in Japanese craft but also finds its way into skincare formulas. Rice, a staple of the Japanese diet, but also unclogs pores—and makes an excellent exfoliant.
The best Japanese lip balms
The skincare brand Tatcha, which incorporates Japanese ingredients and inspiration into highly effective and luxurious topical formulas, calls its lip care collection Kissu—the Japanese word for kiss. It’s an apt name that helps describe the brand’s goal of combining skincare with ritual elements—turning a small act of moisturizing into a small act of love. Tatcha makes some of the best Japanese lip balms, which you can browse depending on when you’re most likely to wear it:
For day: The Kissu Lip Tint SPF
Tatcha’s brand-new tinted lip balm formula provides lips with a moisturizing veil that lasts all day. Its key ingredients, lanolin and silk protein, work to hydrate lips and seal them against water loss while UV filters protect lips from the sun and harmful photoaging. Each shade of lip tint is named for a bloom cherished in Japanese culture, and captures a different hue of Japan’s scenery: The soft pink “ume”, a first sign of spring; the classic red “tsubaki”, a symbol of strength, and the deep berry “kuroyuri”, that rare and romantic bloom.
For night: The Camellia Gold Spun Lip Balm
When was the last time you encountered a lip balm suffused with 23-karat gold? The Camellia Gold Spun Lip Balm is thick and intensely hydrating thanks to the power of camellia oil, a featherweight moisturizer used for centuries in Japanese beauty routines. Nourishing antioxidants and essential fatty acids help keep lips protected and sealed against water loss all day or night. Then there’s the gold: A fine dust lends a subtle metallic shine to lips. It makes the perfect barely-there lip gloss for a night out—or a decadent mask for a night in.
Or try: The Kissu Lip Mask
The overnight period is when most of us get all of our rest, and it’s also when skin goes into its own repair mode. This is why dermatologists recommend layering on skincare products before bed, so they can help the process along—and it’s why we have lip masks in addition to lip balms, a category which takes the lip balm to new moisturizing heights. Tatcha’s best-selling Kissu Lip Mask, made with juicy Japanese peach, feels practically weightless thanks to the emollient squalane, but it’s enough to restore lips to full lushness by morning—just in time to apply your day balm.