The 9 Best Lip Scrubs to Banish Dry, Cracked Lips

Best Overall

French Girl Rose Lip Polish Lip Scrub

View on Frenchgirlorganics.com $25 at Revolve

Key Ingredients: Organic sugar, shea butter, coconut oil, sunflower oil, castor oil | Size: 1 ounce | Cruelty-Free: Yes

After trying today's top-rated formulas, French Girl Rose Lip Polish was a clear winner. It earned perfect scores in all our tests, and considering the jar contains a full ounce of product, it's a really good deal too. Though finger application was slightly messy, this scrub was easy to scoop out of the container.

Our tester said it felt nice on the lips, like a high-end treatment. Thanks to a heaping dose of coconut, castor, and sunflower oils, it was a little greasy, but not in a bad way. The formula calls on organic sugar to gently slough off dead skin cells, then replenishes dry lips with shea butter. Every last flake on our tester's lips was gone after buffing it in. She said this scrub would be a great pre-lipstick treatment to prevent overdrying or patchiness.

Best Budget

Chapstick Total Hydration Conditioning Lip Scrub

$13 at Walmart

Key Ingredients: Sugar, shea butter, coconut oil, maracuja oil | Size: 0.3 ounces | Cruelty-Free: No

If you're on a budget, ChapStick is your best bet. The tried-and-true brand's Natural Lip Scrub was a hit with our tester. While it doesn't have any granular particles to physically exfoliate the lips, the ultra-fine sugar crystals definitely get the job done. We were pleasantly surprised by how well the dissolving formula gets rid of dead skin. Her lips were left feeling smooth and supple but not sticky or overly greasy. And the plant-derived moisturizing powers lasted long after the scrub was applied.

Best Splurge

La Mer The Lip Polish

$80 at Sephora $80 at Nordstrom $80 at Neiman Marcus

Key Ingredients: Miracle Broth, micro-marine crystals, sugar, shea butter | Size: 0.2 ounces | Cruelty-Free: No

La Mer's take on lip scrub is undoubtedly expensive, yet with this brand, luxurious indulgence is the name of the game. Our tester said it went on smoothly with the included scoop. This pick also left our tester with noticeably smoother lips, though she found the scrubbing crystals to be a bit coarse. Still, she loved how hydrating the formula was and appreciated that the moisture remained long after applying it.

Best Drugstore

Burt's Bees Conditioning Lip Scrub

$9 at Amazon $11 at Target $10 at Walgreens

Key Ingredients: Honey, lanolin, castor oil, shea butter | Size: 0.3 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Our favorite drugstore option is Burt's Bees Conditioning Lip Scrub. It was easy to scoop out of the container and had a nice consistency reminiscent of a higher-end product. Although this lip treatment became slightly clumpy after rubbing it in and felt almost too slippery to effectively exfoliate, it seemed to do its job in the end. Our tester's lips were left smooth, supple, and hydrated.

Best Vegan

Handmade Heroes All Natural Vegan Coconut Lip Scrub

$8 at Amazon View on Handmade-heroes.com

Key Ingredients: Sugar, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, coconut | Size: 1.2 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you prefer vegan formulas, this one's for you. Handmade Heroes Ultra Sexy Lip Scrub has a thick consistency and a natural coconut scent. Applying the scrub was a slightly messy process, so it's not ideal for on-the-go use. Still, it eliminated all dead, flaky skin and left our tester with noticeably softer lips and lasting hydration. Not only that, but it comes in a generously sized jar with over an ounce of product (most contain less than half an ounce).

Best Texture

Fresh Sugar Lip Polish Exfoliator

$21 at Sephora $21 at Ulta $21 at Nordstrom

Key Ingredients: Brown sugar, shea butter, jojoba oil | Size: 0.4 ounces | Cruelty-Free: No

Of all the options we tested, Fresh Sugar Polish had the best texture. While the brown sugar makes it somewhat sticky, the consistency is relatively smooth, with fewer granules than other formulas. This exfoliator tackled dry flakes like a champ, leaving our tester with soft, supple lips. And although it replenishes some lost moisture with shea butter and jojoba oil, it wasn't the most hydrating formula we tried.

Best Hydrating

Sara Happ The Lip Scrub

$26 at Amazon $26 at Nordstrom $26 at Revolve

Key Ingredients: Sugar, jojoba oil, grape seed oil | Size: 0.5 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

For parched lips, we recommend Sara Happ. Available in four flavors (vanilla, brown sugar, peach, and grapefruit), this luxury lip scrub leans on a blend of plant oils to replenish lost moisture. While the sugar granules were a bit too rough for our liking, our tester said they did a good job exfoliating. She was left with smooth, soft, exceptionally hydrated lips.

Best Value

Dr. PAWPAW Scrub & Nourish Duo Pot

$10 at Amazon $11 at Ulta View on Drpawpaw.com

Key Ingredients: Sugar, papaya enzymes, olive oil, castor oil | Size: 0.5 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

We also liked this two-in-one product from Dr. PawPaw. The dual-ended container has a conditioning lip scrub on one side and a protective balm on the other. Our tester liked the gentle, slightly grainy texture of the scrub, noting that it exfoliates well without feeling too rough. Since it exfoliates with both sugar granules and papaya enzymes, you'll want to wipe it off before applying the balm to avoid a stinging sensation. The balm was hydrating and soothing, leaving our tester with incredibly soft, smooth lips.

Best Overnight

Beauty Bakerie Sugar Lip Scrub

$12 at Amazon

Key Ingredients: Sugar, castor oil | Size: 0.2 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Beauty Bakerie's Lip Scrub can be used as a quick polish or left on overnight for even better results. Noting that a little goes a long way, our tester said she liked the smooth consistency. She could feel a few sugar granules, but it wasn't overly rough or harsh. This treatment has a comfortable, slip-like feel that soothes the lips while you get your beauty rest. While it didn't end up being the most exfoliating, our tester woke up with softer, smoother lips.