I Tried a K-Beauty Lip Essence and Now All of My Other Lip Balms Have Gone Into Retirement—Here's Why These New Products Are So Good

When I tell you I have the driest lips in the world, I mean it. They're constantly chapped—a combination of chronic dehydration (I know, I don't help myself) and regular long-haul flights between London and Melbourne. It's certainly not for lack of trying— over my many years as a beauty editor, I’ve tried hundreds of lip balms, from £40 luxe viral hits to £3 cheap-as-chips supermarket bestsellers. And I’ve found some great ones, but I've still never found that one product I can turn to to keep my lips hydrated and smooth in the long run.

So when I heard about lip essences, I knew I was the intended audience. Anything that’s born in the K-beauty space automatically has me hooked (Korean skincare is simply elite), and the premise of a lip product that acts as a skincare essence (an extra hydrating prep step between cleanser/toner and serum) felt very appealing. Here’s what you need to know about this product category, and what happened when I—the perfect reviewer for lip hydrators—gave one a go.

What is a lip essence?

Dr Christine Hall, an aesthetic doctor and K-beauty expert, says that the way lip essences work is what makes them unique. As their name suggests, they’re like a skincare essence step but for the delicate lip area – but with a slightly different delivery method.

“People often think of an essence as the watery skincare layer that sits between your toner and serum when it comes to skincare. With the lips, however, essences are almost always still in balm form,” she says.

An essence aims to hydrate tissue, which means “ingredients are absorbed more effectively.” This can lead to deeper, longer hydration over time. And guess what? When used alongside lip balms, they’re most effective. “There are small experiments where people have shown that applying a standard hydrating serum or essence under your lip balm will increase moisture levels in the lips. Effectively, the essence hydrates and the lip balm occludes the moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss.”

Lip essences, however, do all the work. “In reality, you don't need two steps with them, as they’re formulated with lipids integrated, so they're effectively like a 2-in-1.”

How do they differ from ‘regular’ lip balms?

As Dr Hall explained, the delivery and hydration method is unique in an essence. “Historically, lip balms are about protection, being wax, oil or butter-based. They are about forming a protective barrier and sealing moisture in. Essences, in contrast, are about delivering more than just protection.”

In fact, they’re more like longer-term “skincare to the lips,” she says, rather than simple, short-term protection. And their ingredients lists are what count here. “They are often formulated with ceramides, hyaluronic acid and glycerin to plump, as well as specialised ingredients like PDRN for repair, retinoids for anti-ageing and lactic acid to exfoliate away dry skin.”

Despite this, I won’t lie: I had my doubts. Can lip essences really outperform balms in a noticeable way? Consultant Dermatologist Dr Sidra Khan—despite acknowledging they are undoubtedly a “great product”—says: “'Lip essence’ is largely a marketing term rather than a distinct dermatological category. The Torriden product is essentially a sophisticated lip balm or gloss, combining occlusive ingredients such as petrolatum with emollients including jojoba oil, shea butter and several other plant oils. It also contains ceramides and panthenol, which will help support the lip barrier.”

She says that examples like Torriden’s are undoubtedly “well-formulated product[s]” and “soften dry lips and reduce moisture loss.” However, as it stands, “there is no good evidence that products labelled ‘lip essences’ are inherently more effective than a good traditional, fragrance-free lip balm. They may offer a more lightweight or cosmetically elegant texture, but you are partly paying for the formulation experience and the K-beauty terminology rather than an entirely new category of lip care.”

I really enjoyed trying the Torriden Lip Essence and I’m torn between what I think about this product category more generally. On the one hand, this product felt lightweight, silky, smooth and refreshing on my lips, while performing beautifully under lipstick and liner. It also effectively delivered hydration and didn’t need continuous application; in fact, I do see how it could aid in lip health over time, acting more as skincare than simply instant gratification.

However, I’d say this worked similarly to some of the better quality traditional lip balms I’ve used in my time, when we’re discussing initial efficacy for chapped lips. It fixed dryness well, but I’m not sure it did this on a clearly superior level compared to my favourite balms. I would need to try more essences before deciding, and analyse the overall quality of the skin on my lips over time.

That said, I definitely think they’re worth trying if you suffer from very chapped lips—particularly given how affordable many are.

Where can you buy a lip essence?

With K-beauty now in stores such as Boots and Superdrug, trying lip essences is easier than ever. Below are some of the frontrunners and where to pick them up.