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One of the best treatments for lip lines? Targeted skin care. As we age, collagen and elastin levels dip, and by our forties, those effects often show up as vertical lines around the lips. While nothing matches the power of in-office treatments like lip filler, Botox, lasers, or microneedling, lip formulas with peptides, retinol, and hydrators can help smooth fine lines and restore moisture, explains New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Brian Hibler, MD. These treatments work gradually to replenish hydration and stimulate collagen production, leading to smoother, plumper lips over time. Now, ready to kiss those lines goodbye—or at least make them a little less visible? Keep reading for Allure editor and dermatologist-approved treatments, below.
Our Top Picks
- Best Overall: Verso Lip Serum, $29
- Best with Peptides: Paula's Choice Boost Hyaluronic Acid + Peptide Lip Booster, $33
- Best Repairing: The Outset Lip Oasis Glossy Treatment, $28
- Best Blurring: Sarah Creal Lip Grip Peptide Priming Treatment, $36
- Best Hydrating: Dr. Whitney Bowe Beauty Tri-Liptide, $34
- Best Plumping: Ourself Lip Filler, $145
- Best Budget: The Inkey List Tripeptide Plumping Lip Balm, $13
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the best ways to treat lip lines?
- How can you prevent lip lines?
- Meet the experts
- How we test and review products
- Our staff and testers
Best Overall: Verso Lip Serum
Why we love it: The Verso Lip Serum pulls double duty as a serum-balm hybrid, delivering potent active ingredients while keeping lips soft and smooth. “To address the loss of collagen, topical retinols can be helpful to rebuild this scaffolding of the skin,” says Dr. Hibler. This one uses retinyl linoleate, a gentler form of retinol that works more gradually and is made up of retinol and linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid. This combination “makes it oil-soluble and easier to penetrate the skin with less irritation,” explains NYC-based board-certified dermatologist Pooja Rambhia, MD. This treatment does more than just moisturize—it works on your lips to gradually increase cellular turnover and soften fine lines.
Editor’s tip: Because the lip serum contains retinol (even in a gentler version), your lips will be more sensitive to UV damage. Apply the lip serum before bed, and use a lip balm with SPF during the day to protect against irritation and damage from the sun’s rays.
Key ingredients: retinyl linoleate, tripeptide-1, sodium hyaluronate | Fragrance-free: yes
Best with Peptides: Paula's Choice Boost Hyaluronic Acid + Peptide Lip Booster
Why we love it: If you're looking to give your lips a little extra love, try a peptide-packed formula like Paula's Choice Boost. With a cooling metal applicator that glides on smoothly, it delivers more than just hydration. The formula features two powerhouse peptides—palmitoyl tripeptide-38 and palmitoyl tripeptide-1, found in the trademarked ingredients Volulip and Maxi-Lip—that work to smooth and plump lips over time.
“Volulip helps with lip lines by boosting hyaluronic acid production, making lips appear fuller, while Maxi-Lip stimulates collagen and hyaluronic acid synthesis to create a firmer, smoother look,” explains Los Angeles-based cosmetic chemist Laura Lam-Phaure. Translation: Expect softer lips with amped-up volume after every swipe.
Editor’s tip: It's "the perfect choice for those with dry, aging lips who want to add volume and softness,” Margarita Lolis, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New Jersey, previously shared with Allure.
Key ingredients: palmitoyl tripeptide-38, palmitoyl tripeptide-1, squalane | Fragrance-free: yes
Best Repairing: The Outset Lip Oasis Glossy Treatment
Why we love it: Celebrity-founded brands are sometimes over-hyped, but The Outset by Scarlett Johansson is one we can truly get behind. One of our favorite products? The super cushiony Lip Oasis Treatment. This one isn’t just about adding shine—it’s a lip treatment that helps repair and restore your lips over time. Infused with Maxi-Lip (which we’ve already established as a proprietary blend that includes palmitoyl tripeptide-1), it works to smooth and plump your lips gradually.
Dr. Rambhia breaks it down: “Palmitoyl tripeptide-1 is like a coach for your skin, helping it repair itself.” She adds that it smooths out fine lines and rough spots (especially those caused by sun damage) while encouraging your skin to produce fresh, healthy cells. The result? Fuller, smoother lips as this peptide boosts collagen production, working with your skin’s natural repair process. While it won’t plump like fillers would, with continued use, your lips will look healthier, softer, and more supple.
Editor’s note: Your lips don’t have oil glands, which makes them more prone to drying out and chapping—especially due to factors like dehydration, weather, diet, and frequent lip-licking. That’s why products like The Outset’s Lip Oasis Treatment are key to keeping lips smooth and plump.
Key ingredients: palmitoyl tripeptide-1, lactic acid, squalane | Fragrance-free: yes
Best Blurring: Sarah Creal Lip Grip Peptide Priming Treatment
Why we love it: A not-so-fun fact: Lipsticks can accentuate the fine lines around your mouth. And because it’s such a common gripe among those with mature skin, there are some really great products designed to prevent this very thing. Case in point: The Lip Grip Peptide Priming Treatment from Sarah Creal is packed with line-smoothing peptides, alongside exfoliating and hydrating lactic acid. “This is a go-to for clients over 40 because it prevents feathering and keeps lip color in place with honey polymer, which grips onto color for longer wear,” Lindsey Sanchez, a makeup artist based in Santa Paula, CA, previously told Allure. “You can even use it around your mouth to soften the look of fine lines.”
Editor’s tip: “The purpose of lip primers—as with a face primer—is to prep the base for a better application and assist with longevity,” Stevi Christine, a makeup artist based in Los Angeles, California, previously told Allure. “When prepping the base of your lips with a lip primer, it fills in fine lines, creating a smooth canvas for lipstick.”
Key ingredients: palmitoyl tripeptide-1, lactic acid, dimethicone | Fragrance-free: yes
Best Hydrating: Dr. Whitney Bowe Beauty Tri-Liptide
Why we love it: Dr. Whitney Bowe's Tri-Liptide is more than just your average lip balm—it's a treatment that works to hydrate, repair, and nourish even the most sensitive, dry, or post-procedure lips. “Think of it like filling in small cracks,” says Dr. Rambhia. The combination of sodium hyaluronate to draw in moisture, ceramides to strengthen the skin’s barrier, and peptides to boost collagen helps leave lips smoother, plumper, and healthier with every swipe, she explains.
Tester feedback: “After getting Clear + Brilliant laser and lip filler, my entire face felt chapped and irritated—but this was the only lip treatment that gave me moisture without any extra irritation, says Allure contributor Siena Gagliano. “The formula is also a win: It left my lips with a healthy-looking shine that wasn’t too glossy or sticky.”
Key ingredients: palmitoyl tripeptide-1, sodium hyaluronate, vitamin E | Fragrance-free: yes
Best Plumping: Ourself Lip Filler
Why we love it: Yes, the Ourself Lip Filler is pricey, but it’s a product we would buy time and time again due to its seriously effective formula that is the next best thing to lip filler. “The tiered vesicles encapsulate different molecular-weight fractions of hyaluronic acid, which helps these large, water-soluble materials penetrate the skin on the lips more deeply,” cosmetic chemist Kelly Dobos previously shared with Allure. For best results, the brand recommends applying five layers in the morning and night for the first five days, waiting a few seconds in between each layer to allow the product to fully absorb. From then on, apply one layer at least three times per day.
Just note: “It’s a vasodilator, meaning it causes a temporary increase in blood flow that will also increase the pink and red colors of the lips and bring a warming sensation,” Dobos says, warning that there's potential for slight irritation with this ingredient.
Tester feedback: “I'm not a fan of plumping glosses, but I absolutely adore Ourself's Lip Filler, a lightweight lip serum," gushes commerce writer Jennifer Hussein. "I have seasonal lip filler appointments, and when my lips look deflated between Restylane re-ups, this hyaluronic acid-powered formula restores my lips's not-so-natural plumpness. I use it nightly after buffing dry flakes away with a lip scrub.”
Key ingredients: hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, multiphasic vesicles, peppermint oil | Fragrance-free: yes
Best Budget: The Inkey List Tripeptide Plumping Lip Balm
Why we love it: The Inkey List is known for its budget-friendly yet powerful formulas and the Tripeptide Plumping Lip Balm—approved by cosmetic chemist Lam-Phaure—lives up to that reputation. Packed with hydrating hyaluronic acid, this balm gives you a smooth, plumped-up look over time without any irritation or tingling. The tripeptide blend helps minimize the appearance of lip lines by boosting hydration and supporting collagen production, making lips look fuller and smoother with continued use. It comes in its signature clear color, plus a range of pretty shades, including pink, brown-pink, and berry, so you can treat and tint your lips all at once.
Tester feedback: “I have separate lip balms for daytime and overnight—no one has ever called me low-maintenance—and this checks all the boxes for a nighttime balm: It feels plush and occlusive, doing a bang-up job of keeping my lips hydrated and protected all night,” says contributing editor Deanna Pai. “Come morning, any flakiness or chapping has disappeared. Plus, it delivers unreal shine.”
Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, palmitoyl tripeptide-1, palmitoyl tripeptide-38 | Fragrance-free: yes
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best ways to treat lip lines?
Treating lip lines can be done through a mix of at-home treatments and professional procedures. While you can’t permanently erase them, some options can help soften their look and give your lips a smoother, more youthful appearance. Dr. Hibler recommends retinol to address the loss of collagen that comes with aging, as it stimulates collagen production, strengthening the skin's structure and improving its firmness and texture. He also suggests using lip treatments with hyaluronic acid: "They hydrate and plump the skin, making lips appear fuller."
For more immediate results, in-office treatments are often the go-to. While filler is often the most common lip procedure, neuromodulator injections can also help. For example, Botox works by relaxing the muscles around the mouth, which helps soften lines, explains Dr. Hibler. He adds that collagen-building treatments like microneedling or Fraxel laser therapy can also improve the look of lines over time and help prevent them from worsening.
For deeper lines, stronger procedures like ablative lasers or phenol peels can offer significant improvements, says Dr. Hibler, noting that these treatments come with more risk and should only be performed by an experienced dermatologist. While at-home treatments can slowly help reduce lip lines, professional options deliver quicker, more noticeable results. It’s all about finding what works best for you and consulting with a dermatologist to get the most out of your treatment.
How can you prevent lip lines?
Preventing lip lines entirely isn’t possible, as they’re a natural part of aging, but there are proactive steps you can take—staying hydrated, wearing SPF, and not smoking—to help soften their look. According to Dr. Hibler, lip lines form due to a loss of collagen and elastin, which happens naturally with age and is exacerbated by factors like sun exposure. Genetics can also play a role in how and when these lines develop.
Dr. Hibler adds that repetitive muscle movements—such as puckering your lips, drinking through a straw, or smoking—can make these lines more prominent over time. So, while you can’t entirely prevent lip lines, you can take steps to slow their formation and maintain smoother-looking skin around your lips.
Meet the experts
- Brian Hibler, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York City
- Pooja Rambhia, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at UnionDerm in New York City
- Laura Lam-Phaure, a cosmetic chemist in Los Angeles
- Kelly Dobos, a cosmetic chemist in Cincinnati
- Margarita Lolis, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group in New Jersey
How we test and review products
We always enlist a range of testers for any review, but mascaras are another story. While some can be used across different lash lengths, thicknesses, shape, colors, and concerns, many are created with specific consumers and their needs in mind. When reviewing tools, we also take into account testers’ experience. For instance, a new, innovative mascara may feature an industry-leading formula, but if the wand still needs some tweaking to prevent clumps and webbing, we have to consider this when determining whether it is worthy of a recommendation.
For our review of the best treatments for lip lines to smooth, plump, and hydrate, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, and experts you interviewed for the piece—who all have different lash concerns, desired outcome (i.e., want length over volume), and whether one product was tested across varying lash types. Testers considered performance across three primary categories: efficacy, ease of use, and value. For more on what's involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we’ve solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We’re proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we can fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
Your lips deserve extra TLC which, yes, includes SPF:
- 15 Best Lip Balms to Soothe Dry, Chapped Lips All Year Round
- Our Editors Swear by These Super-Moisturizing Lip Masks
- These Lip Balms Also Act as Sunscreen
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