Lips stole the spotlight in 2025!  Lip products kept the make-up momentum alive, driving the category forward when it could have stalled. Thanks to their standout performance, makeup posted steady gains in the first nine months of the year—up 3% in prestige and 1% in mass, according to Circana.

Lip care is an essential part of overall skincare because the skin on your lips is very different from the rest of your face—it's thinner, more delicate, and lacks oil glands. Here's why it matters:

  1. Thin, Sensitive Skin
    Lips have one of the thinnest layers of skin on the body, making them more vulnerable to dryness, cracking, and environmental damage.
  2. No Natural Moisture Barrier
    Unlike other areas of skin, lips don't produce sebum (oil), so they can't naturally lock in moisture. This makes hydration critical.

Innovative lip products launched in 2025:

  • Glass trend Glow up:
    Glow Recipe Glass Balm Lip Treatment
    This clinically proven high-shine lip treatment is infused with hyaluronic microspheres to deliver 12 hours of hydration and a glass-like glow. Also, an Allure 2025 best of beauty winner! This product features BASF's Hyaluronic ra Filling spheres to flood lips with deep hydration to fill and plump lines.
  • Playful Innovation:  
    Smushy Matte Lip Balm
    This NYX product brought a soft-matte twist with mochi rice powder and sugar ceramides to lock in moisture—hydration meets fun.
  • Tech-Infused Treatment:
    Charlotte Tilbury's Life‑Changing Lip Mask
    Launched in August 2025, stands out as a tech‑driven innovation in lip care. This lip mask leverages advanced biotech engineering with signal peptides, precision delivery via encapsulated ceramides, and clinically validated performance metrics—positioning it as a next-generation lip care solution that transcends traditional balms and scrubs. This product contains BASF's Irwinol to cocoon lips in an instant and long-lasting, comforting nourishment to soften, soothe, and defend lips!

What's driving lip care in 2026:

In 2026, lip beauty isn't just about color—it's about comfort, care, and cutting-edge science. Consumers want products that hydrate, protect, and enhance naturally while expressing individuality.

Skincare-first innovation:

Consumers seek lip products with real benefits—hydration, barrier repair, and comfort. Check out BASF's Active ingredient:

Irwinol LS 9890®
INCI: Octyldodecanol (and) Irvingia Gabonensis Kernel Butter (and) Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides

Irwinol provides hydration, smoothness, and repair for stressed lips.  At 3.0% it reduces lip scaliness by 31% and Lip dryness by 18%.

Soft-focus aesthetics:

A shift from sharp definition to diffused, natural beauty reflects broader 'skinimalism' beauty trends. Check out Ultra-filling spheres and Hyaluronic Filling Spheres by BASF.

Ultra Filling Spheres™
INCI: Ethylhexyl Palmitate (and) Trihydroxystearin (and) Sodium Hyaluronate (and) Glucomannan

Its technology is based on the ability of dehydrated and cross-linked spheres to penetrate the upper layers of the epidermis and to absorb the water that evaporates from the deep dermis. Thanks to their hygroscopic properties, the volume of the spheres increases rapidly. Thus inflated, they tighten the skin, smoothing out wrinkles and leaving an elastic skin surface with long-lasting hydration.  UFS improve Lip volume appearance by 4.0% after 2 hours in lipstick.

Hyaluronic Filling Spheres™ C00498
INCI: Ethylhexyl Palmitate (and) Trihydroxystearin (and) Sodium Hyaluronate

Dehydrated microspheres that fill in the lip where they swell, expand, and smooths the lips. They improve lip hydration by 8.0% after 2 hours in lipstick.

Individual expression & nostalgia:

Retro shapes (90s/2000s liners), velvet textures, and deep hues invite freedom to make lips uniquely your own. Check out Sun Chemical's pigments.  

Other ingredients for the perfect pout:

Hydrasensyl Glucan Green®
INCI: Water (and) Beta Glucan

Phytosoothe™ LS 9766
INCI: Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Sterols (and) Cetearyl Alcohol

Inspirational Lip Formulations:

Age correcting lip concentrate formulation 

Formulation that fits the trend of skincare-first innovation by providing long-lasting comfort and hydration.

Moisturize, smooth, and visibly diminish the appearance of lip lines with this Age correcting lip concentrate. Ultra Filling Spheres™ offer an advanced delivery system for long-lasting hydration and comfort. Get immediate and long-term results for a younger, softer, sexier smile.

Perfect lips recover formulation

Fits the soft-focus aesthetics trend as the Hyaluronic Filling Spheres help to plump and smooth the lips.

Calendar girl's balm formulation

fits the trend of skincare-first innovation with the incorporation of lip nourishing Irwinol and Proteasyl a natural multipeptide solution containing more than 400 natural (poly)peptides extracted from winter pea.

"Next-Gen Lip Care: Science Meets Sensory"