Beauty Shelf: Lip service, from nourishing balms to scrubs and glosses.

I am rarely without a lip balm. There’s usually one in my handbag, another floating around the house and a trusty Carmex somewhere within reach. While I love a lipstick, a good balm is often all I wear, especially when it leaves my lips feeling soft and adds a little shine.

Lip care deserves some attention beyond finding a favourite flavour, though. Sun exposure, dry weather and licking our lips can all contribute to dryness, and repeatedly picking at flaky skin can make things worse. Applying a balm that doesn’t irritate your lips throughout the day and before bed is a good place to start.

Exfoliants and scrubs are designed to buff away surface flakes, but go gently and leave them alone if your lips are cracked, sore or inflamed. You don’t need to scrub your lips every day, and a moisturising balm should follow any exfoliation.

These are the balms and treatments on my Beauty Shelf this month, from an affordable handbag staple to a vanilla balm that took me straight back to the Lip Smacker years.

Balmydays Lip Sno. Lip Exfoliant, Vanilla Bean, 20g, $25; Hydra Glo. Lip Love Balm, Mirror Mirror Vanilla, $36

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From lip liners to exfoliants, this vegan and cruelty-free range is stunning. I love a flavoured lip balm, and the Mirror Mirror Vanilla Hydra Glo. Lip Love Balm took me straight back to the ‘00s Lip Smacker era, when choosing a flavour was almost as exciting as wearing it. The glossy finish gives it a more grown-up place in my makeup bag.

The Lip Sno. exfoliant uses fine sugar crystals to polish the surface of the lips, with shea butter, mango seed butter and vitamin E in the formula. It’s an option for preparing a smoother base before balm or colour, particularly when lipstick is catching on little flakes. Use a light touch, wipe it away and follow with balm, rather than trying to scrub your way through sore or damaged skin.

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Lip Balm, 4g, $5.50

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A good hydrating lip balm doesn’t need to cost a fortune, and this is an easy one to keep in your handbag. Made with cocoa butter and vitamin E, Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Lip Balm helps soften and smooth lips in a compact stick that’s convenient for topping up throughout the day.

At $5.50, it’s also an affordable option if, like me, you prefer having a balm within reach rather than moving the same one between every bag.

Carmex Shimmer, $10.95 each

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I am a long-term Carmex addict. It’s in my top 10 beauty products and would probably make the top three. I’m never without one and often forgo other lip products in favour of my trusty OG Carmex.

I was hesitant to try the Shimmers, but I love them. They leave my lips feeling hydrated and nourished, with a little extra shine that works beautifully with a completed makeup look.

The Shimmer range comes in vanilla, raspberry and watermelon, combining a sheer shimmer finish with ingredients including shea butter and meadowfoam seed oil. It suits those days when I want something more than a plain balm without reaching for lipstick.

Modelrock Hydrating Lip Butter Balm, Vanilla Bean, 15ml, $18

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For those who like a balm with a glossy finish, Modelrock’s Vanilla Bean Lip Butter Balm contains squalane, shea butter and vitamin E to help condition lips.

The tube applicator makes it convenient to apply throughout the day, and it can also be worn over lipstick for extra gloss. It’s a useful option if you like your lip care to double as a finishing touch to your makeup, with a vanilla flavour for fellow sweet balm fans.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick Sunscreen SPF 15, $37

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Elizabeth Arden’s Eight-Hour lip protectant helps moisturise, soften and smooth lips in a clear formula that can be worn alone or under lipstick. The twist-up stick is easy to tuck into your handbag and apply throughout the day, making it a convenient option for keeping lips conditioned without adding colour or dipping your fingers into a pot.

Smith’s Rosebud Salve Tin, $19.95

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There’s something appealing about a traditional balm tin, and Smith’s Rosebud Salve has been around for more than a century. The rose-scented formula contains cottonseed oil and is designed to soften dry skin, making it an option for those who enjoy a classic balm rather than a tube or stick.

Use clean hands when applying it from the tin. If your lips are sensitive or already irritated, fragranced products may not suit you, and a plain, fragrance-free balm or petroleum jelly can be a better choice while they recover.