The Best Lip Balm With SPF From Black Owned Suncare Brand, Cay Skin

Need a tinted lip balm with SPF 30? I’ve got you covered! This one is *perfect* for dry lips!

As a busy mom of 5, tinted lip balms and glosses have long been staples in my makeup bags. Yes, I love a bright, pigmented lipstick. But let’s be honest, lipsticks require a bit of effort and extra time to apply neatly. Plus, if I’m wearing minimal or no makeup at all, a full pigment lip can make the rest of my face look naked and bare by comparison.

Since I’m usually addressing my lips on the way out of the bathroom after getting ready or just before getting out of my car, a quick, easy-to-apply wash of color is more my speed most days.

I have dry lips, so I’m always on the hunt for a hydrating lip balm or gloss. When I heard about Cay Skin’s Isle Lip Balm With SPF 30, I was excited to try it out. If you weren’t tracking putting sunscreen on your lips until reading this post, you’re not alone! Apparently, the lips are one of the most forgotten body parts when it comes to applying sunscreen.

Luckily, Cay Skin, which also happens to be this month’s Black Owned Business of the Month has us all covered with the best lip balm with SPF 30 that offers hydration, a beautiful wash of sheer color, and, of course, sun protection. Keep reading for my review!

DISCLOSURE: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains affiliate links from which I earn a commission, at no extra cost to you, when you make a purchase. Read more about it HERE.

What SPF Is Best For Lips?

I couldn’t find a recommendation specifically for lips, so I’m going with the minimum SPF that’s recommended for the rest of your body. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends a minimum of SPF 30.

Is It Okay To Put SPF On Your Lips?

Not only is it okay, but it’s also recommended! Your lips, just like your other body parts, need to be protected from the sun. Whether you choose a chemical sunscreen or a physical one, both are safe in lip balms and glosses.

What Can I Put On My Lips To Protect From The Sun?

You may be wondering if there’s a non-sunscreen alternative to protect your lips from the sun, but sunscreen is your best bet! You may have read about the whole chemical vs physical sunscreen debate; here’s a great article that breaks down the pros and cons of each formula. Here’s another one that breaks down the controversy surrounding chemical sunscreen.

Which Is Best For Dry Lips? Lip Balm vs Lip Gloss

Traditionally, lip balms are thicker formulas in stick or salve form that contain hydrating and moisturizing ingredients. There are scented lip balms, tinted lip balms, and, of course lip balms with SPF.

Glosses are on the other hand, have traditionally focused on ingredients that will give your lips a shiny, “glossy” finish, hence the name. There are scented and tinted lip glosses too.

Today, the lines are blurred a bit; you have balms that offer a bit of shine and lip glosses that have hydrating ingredients. One of the things I love about the Cay Skin Isle Lip Balm With SPF 30 is that it gives me the best of both worlds, but we’ll get to that in just a second!

Searching For The Perfect Lip Balm With SPF

I’ve tried quite a few lip glosses and balms with SPF and have been disappointed in most of them. They’re either not hydrating, feel weird applying, or taste/ smell awful. I’ve resorted to applying a bit of my facial sunscreen to my lips during my morning routine, and that… well, it’s better than nothing, but I wouldn’t recommend it!

When I read about Cay Skin’s Isle Lip Balm with SPF 30, I decided to give SPF lip balm another try. What convinced me? Well, Cay Skin, has made a name for themselves as “skincare led suncare”. They actually carry a full suite of suncare products for the face and body. And each product contains ingredients designed to nourish and pamper your skin. Skincare, but with SPF.

Ingredients That Matter

So how do they do this? Their Isle Lip Balm, for example, contains Sea Moss for hydration and protection, Aloe Stem Cells for nourishment and to soothe redness, and Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant.

Other products in Cay Skin’s lineup include beautiful island inspired ingredients like Sea Moss and Fermented Guava as well as high-performance skincare ingredients you already know and love like Niacinamide and Vitamin E.

Plus, when I read that Cay Skin’s founder, Winnie Harlow, told Refinery 29 last year that she “wants SPF to become something you WANT to wear…”, I was convinced to at least give the Cay Skin Isle Lip Balm a try.

The Best Lip Gloss With SPF: Cay Skin’s Isle Lip Balm with SPF 30

Isle Lip Balm comes in three different shades: Bad Gyal Berry, Irie Rose, and Nude Ting. There’s also a clear balm if you prefer no tint at all. You know I’m a berry girl, so, of course, I decided to try Bad Gyal Berry. Let me tell you, instantly obsessed! Picture your favorite balm, gloss, and sunscreen, and then combine those three. That’s Isle Lip Balm.

Initial Thoughts

First of all, it smells super yummy, like cookies! It also applies really well. Yes, it’s technically a balm, but it has the shine of a good lip gloss! Plus, it’s hydrating and silky with a beautiful sheer, not-too-shiny, berry color.

And finally, it doesn’t taste like sunscreen! It doesn’t taste like anything at all, actually, which was a pleasant surprise.

How Does Isle Lip Balm With SPF 30 Compare To Other Lip Balms With SPF?

As I mentioned earlier, a lot of the lip balms I’ve tried before with SPF didn’t quite work out for one reason or another. Some have been super thick and didn’t spread easily. Others have been too thin and didn’t hydrate or last very long.

In contrast, Isle Lip Balm’s consistency is just right. It coats my lips quite nicely, but it’s not too thick or too shiny. I do try to reapply since you’re supposed to with sunscreen. But there have been (gasp!) days where I forgot to, and I was impressed to find that the color literally lasted all day through eating and drinking. Once it’s on, it stays, with minimal smudging.

Price Point

At the time of publishing this blog post, Isle Lip Balm goes for $15 a tube, though you can buy a set of three different shades for $38 and save a few bucks. For some, that may seem a bit steep for a lip balm.

But I think that for what you’re getting, a gloss, balm, and sunscreen in one product, it’s a bargain. Just for perspective, I have a really beautiful lip balm that I love that I use at night that cost me $20 and there’s no SPF or tint to it!

Overall Thoughts

I will say, my only con is that I wish it came in a larger tube. That’s mostly because I love the formula so much and I know I’m going to run through it quickly. I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes open this upcoming sale season for any promos!

You may have read some of the hubbub online about Isle Lip Balm’s packaging. Some critical comments have mentioned that the product itself can get stuck in the tube once it’s almost empty. I did read on Reddit that Cay Skin is in the process of reformulating their tubes, but I was unable to confirm that on the brand website.

Personally, I’ve had my tube for a little over a month and have had no such issues, but I’ll come back and update ya’ll once I’ve emptied it!

With all that being said I’ve officially added Bad Gyal Berry as a permanent staple in my bag, and I plan on trying the other shades as well. I have balms that I love, and tinted lip glosses that I love, and this SPF lip balm effectively replaces ALL OF THEM! I’m all for anything that protects my lips and makes my makeup routine even faster and easier!

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