The 16 Best Lip-Plumping Products for the Perfect Pout
No need to set foot in a derm’s office.
Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.
Beauty trends come and go as quickly as the seasons change—sometimes even quicker. Remember pencil-thin ‘90s brows? Or maybe you dabbled with glitter roots during festival season? While there will always be wacky trends entering the beauty realm at lightspeed, a heap of them have proved their staying power; namely, lip enhancements.
For the uninitiated, lip augmentation is an increasingly popular, non-surgical, semi-permanent cosmetic procedure that adds volume to thin lips. But, there’s an alternative (and more frugal) way to perfect your pout without committing to lip enhancement treatments long-term and the hefty price tag that comes along with the endeavor: lip plumpers.
That’s right, the plumper, softer pout of your dreams is just one lip gloss or serum away. These formulas impart a subtle (or not-so-subtle) tingling sensation and make your lips swell without you ever having to set foot in a derm’s office.
“A lip plumper is designed to give a transitory fullness to the upper and lower lip bodies,” Dr. Anthony Rossi, MD, tells ELLE.com. As simple as it sounds, there are a few key players that make lip plumpers work as well as they do. “Some lip plumpers hydrate the lips using moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which absorb up to 1000 times its weight in water.”
Other lip plumpers use ingredients that can cause a little localized allergic reaction, and sometimes sting when applied. “Ingredients such as propolis or extracts of cinnamon, menthol, and capsaicin are added to stimulate blood flow and give a swollen look,” Rossi explains.
Cosmetic chemist Ginger King echoes this sentiment and adds that the slight tingle you feel is usually from menthol. She also attributes vinyl butyl ether, a chemical compound also commonly used in these products, as a cause for the sensation. King’s suggestion when using these products: exfoliate your lips first. “Using a lip exfoliator prior to any lip gloss can help promote microcirculation, leading to a more healthy-looking, plump appearance,” she says. She also suggests applying a regular balm as a base and gently scrubbing on top of it with an exfoliating tool (like this silicone brush she designed for her brand, FanLoveBeauty).
Rossi advises staying away from plumpers with stronger ingredients if your lips tend to itch more after application, and instead look for those with hyaluronic acid. While lip plumpers can’t permanently plump your lips, you should still take care of your lip health. “There really is no natural way to do this, but you can improve lip health by staying hydrated to prevent dry chapped lips, using moisturizer and SPF to make sure UV damage doesn’t cause solar elastosis which ages the skin, and even skin cancer,” he says.
Shop the best lip-plumping glosses for your dream pout, ahead.
Watch Next
Supergoop's New Skin Tint Is SPF Sorcery
The 20 Best Korean Makeup Brands in 2024
Heather McMahan Is a Budding Beauty Icon
16 Tinted Moisturizers for ‘No Makeup’ Makeup