EltaMD

EltaMD UV Lip Balm Broad-Spectrum SPF 36.

Lip

About this product

Mineral lip balm with zinc oxide and octinoxate offering broad-spectrum SPF 36 sun protection, designed to hydrate and protect lips from UV damage.

Guru Score

83%

Yay

8 experts · Strong agreement

What the gurus are saying

A water-resistant mineral lip sunscreen that dermatologists and skincare experts praise for actually staying put on lips and keeping them hydrated, though the zinc oxide can leave a slight white cast that takes practice to apply evenly. Most gurus recommend it as a reliable daily option, though one notes it's not their absolute top pick, if you can get the application technique down, the 80-minute water resistance makes it solid for outdoor days and swimming.

Synthesized from 8 expert reviews · most recent take April 2026

What they liked

Water resistant up to 80 minutes
Sheers out to a natural finish with practice

What they flagged

Steep learning curve on application
Comes out white initially

Type

LipBalm & ointment

Where to buy

Amazon → Google →

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What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

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Dr. Aleksandra Brown

151k subs

✓Yay

"One SPF lip balm that I really, really like is the EltaMD UV Lip Balm Broad-Spectrum SPF 36. It's one of those really nice, gentle, basic daily sun protection for that delicate skin. It's nothing fancy. Doesn't have any smell. It doesn't have any color, and it's pure mineral, so it's going to be tolerated by most skin types. It helps prevent UV damage and precancerous changes. It's a super hydrating formula. Also helps prevent some of the dryness and cracking."

Dr. Daniel Sugai

722k subs

✓Yay

"When it comes to lip sunscreens, very hard to find lip sunscreens and you don't want to just put your regular sunscreen on your lips because it's not meant to be ingested, but there are good lip sunscreens out there like EltaMD, their UV Lip Balm is good."

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

✓Yay

"It has ceretin, an antioxidant, and it has vitamin E, so those will help along with the sun protection defend against damage from ultraviolet radiation. It has glycerin and [petrolatum] so it really keeps the lips hydrated. And I love that it's water resistant 80 minutes. Like I said, you lick your lips, you eat things, it's nice to have a little bit of assurance that it's going to at least remain on the lips a little bit better than if it were not water resistant."

Doctorly

3.59M subs

✓Yay

"EltaMD has a lip SPF. It just has octinoxate and zinc. I find that they can be like a little casty. You know how like sometimes your lips look chapped? Like you get that residue on the lip. [...] I find that lip sunscreens tend to do that which can be a little bit frustrating. But EltaMD lip balm is the one that I usually would recommend. I liked it quite a bit but [...] it did leave a little bit of a white cast because of the zinc."

Cassandra Bankson

2.46M subs

✓Yay

"I think I would recommend the Elta MD lip balm for daytime use. That's a really good one because it has SPF in it."

Dr. Shereene Idriss

1.73M subs

✓Yay

"EltaMD has a UV lip balm, which is interesting because we often forget about our lips, and so I do like this one. It's probably one of the only EltaMD products that I care for personally."

Top Pick: uv lip balm

Dr. Sam Ellis

898k subs

✓Mixed

"You do need some practice with application, so it may not be the most user-friendly lip sunscreen, [...] but if you get the method down you can make it look sheer and good on your lips. It's water resistant up to 80 minutes which makes it really nice for outdoor activities and swimming and going to the beach. This is not my absolute holy grail lip sunscreen but if I found it in the bottom of my purse and I was in a pinch I would not be mad about it."

The Budget Dermatologist

724k subs

✓Yay

"This is SPF 36 with the transparent zinc oxide. It comes in a nice applicator tip. [...] Don't forget to protect your lips."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Frequently asked.

What is EltaMD UV Lip Balm Broad-Spectrum SPF 36?

Mineral lip balm with zinc oxide and octinoxate offering broad-spectrum SPF 36 sun protection, designed to hydrate and protect lips from UV damage.

Is EltaMD UV Lip Balm Broad-Spectrum SPF 36 worth it?

Mostly yes. 7 of the 8 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 83%.

What is EltaMD UV Lip Balm Broad-Spectrum SPF 36's Guru Score?

EltaMD UV Lip Balm Broad-Spectrum SPF 36 holds a Guru Score of 83%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 8 expert reviewers we have collected. At least one expert has named it a Top Pick in its category.