If you’re breastfeeding your baby, then you know very well what a full-time job it can be. Your nipples are working overtime, and they deserve the best creams and balms you can find.
Pumping and nursing are not only a considerable time commitment, but they can take a massive toll on the body both physically and mentally when you’re already navigating so many changes.
Quick shop the best nipple creams
- Soothing herbs: Among the Flowers Soothing Lanolin-Free Nipple Balm
- Sold at Target: The Honest Company Honest Mama Calm Your Nip Balm
- Made for pumping: Bamboobies Pumping Lubricant
- Organic ingredients: Motherlove Nipple Cream
- Vegan-friendly: Anointment Natural Nourishing Nipple Balm
- Lanolin balm: Lanisoh HPA Lanolin Cream
- Anti-inflammatory: Bubs & Boobs Co. Boob Balm
- Cooling formula: Mama & Bird Skincare Mama Balm
I remember feeling so overwhelmed as a new mom trying to figure out how to latch my baby (while recovering from a c-section), understanding when to start pumping, and learning how to care for my (very cracked) nipples.
Among the many essential tools a breastfeeding mom might need to have on hand, nipple creams can genuinely make a world of difference when it comes to soothing and protecting sensitive skin, especially in the first weeks after giving birth.
I’ll never forget when I was breastfeeding my son (my first child) and was endlessly searching and learning about the different nipple balms: lanolin, lanolin-free, natural ingredients, organic, etc.
I also didn’t realize that some nipple balms require you to wipe them off before pumping or feeding your baby, which completely freaked me out!
Thankfully, the one I used (number four on this list!) didn’t require wiping off and was made with natural ingredients.
In retrospect, I was having too much lingering, intense pain with breastfeeding (something that even a good nipple cream couldn’t solve). I should have contacted an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) for more support.
If this is you, don’t hesitate to find one in your area or one offering virtual appointments. Find and IBCLC.
There are many nipple cream options available on the market today, so it can be challenging to know which ones are the best or fit the description of what you’re looking for. Or maybe you were like me and didn’t know at all!
We’ve compiled a list of the best nipple creams for pumping and nursing, so if you’re a new mom looking to ease sore or cracked nipples (goodbye, nipple pain!) or want guidance on which one to gift a breastfeeding mom in your life, we’re here to help.
Keep reading to find our top-notch products to relieve and heal throughout breastfeeding, no matter your preferences!
How to apply (most) nipple creams
To apply nipple balm or cream, take a pea-sized amount and gently rub it around your nipple and areola.
It’s a great choice to use before feeding or pumping sessions to help offer some much-needed relief and create a soothing barrier on your skin. Check your jar or tube to see if you need to wipe it off before a feeding session.
Our picks: the best nipple creams
Keep reading to see our picks for eight of the best nipple creams and balms in no particular order. We love each one as much as the next, and hope you do, too!
1. Among the Flowers Soothing Lanolin-Free Nipple Balm
It can be challenging to find lanolin-free nipple creams since it’s such a popular ingredient in many of the products in this realm. This nipple balm is a bestseller in our Postpartum Shop for a reason!
It’s also infused with ultra-soothing lavender and calendula to help ease dry nipples in the early days of nursing.
Among the Flowers Soothing Nipple Balm is a great option that’s formulated with vitamin E*, coconut oil, jojoba oil, and raw beeswax, making it a super hydrating and soothing nipple cream that’s free from preservatives.
*Due to the addition of Vitamin E, please wipe it off before nursing or use it after a breastfeeding session.
2. The Honest Company Honest Mama Calm Your Nip Balm
A fantastic option and excellent product that’s highly trusted and easily accessible at chain stores (like Target!) around North America is The Honest Company’s Organic Nipple Balm.
This whole brand is centered around using clean ingredients, with this unscented nipple balm being made with moisturizing coconut oil, shea butter, beeswax, aloe vera, and jojoba seed extract for ultimate skin nourishment.
This product can be used as needed and is safe to leave on while nursing.
3. Bamboobies Pumping Lubricant
Bamboobies Pumping Lubricant is a unique and outstanding product that is a pumping mom’s best friend. The best part is that it’s under $10!
This lanolin-free lubricant can be applied to nipples or flanges before pumping, allowing a much more comfortable experience!
This product is very hydrating and is made with coconut oil, sunflower seed oil, olive oil, beeswax, Matricaria flower extract, and cocoa seed butter. It doesn’t need to be wiped off before pumping.
4. Motherlove Nipple Cream
Another great and accessible option is the Motherlove Nipple Cream, which is supremely moisturizing and even multipurpose.
Made with extra virgin olive oil, beeswax, shea butter, marshmallow root, and calendula flower, this unscented nipple cream is certified organic and created by moms.
This cream can be applied to the nipples and other areas of the skin as often as needed or even to your flanges as a pump lubricant.
5. Anointment Natural Skincare Vegan Nourishing Nipple Balm
The Anointment Vegan Nourishing Nipple Balm is Canada’s only vegan nipple butter made with skin-loving organic ingredients such as calendula, marshmallow root, and shea butter.
This balm is designed to relieve the super delicate skin of the nipples, does not need to be wiped off before nursing, and can be applied as needed, with the best results when applied to damp skin after bathing!
6. Lansinoh HPA Lanolin Cream
One of the most popular nipple creams on the market is the Lansinoh HPA Lanolin Cream, which is made with naturally moisturizing ingredients and medical-grade lanolin.
Healthcare providers and moms have trusted this lanolin nipple cream for over 35 years.
It is, though, important to consider that lanolin is not vegan (if you are trying to avoid animal products), as it is “a wax secreted by the sebaceous glands of wool-bearing animals.” Like sheep’s wool!
It is formulated without any petroleum, parabens, or preservatives, so it’s safe to leave on while breastfeeding. This cream is made only with lanolin, a naturally occurring material that is immensely healing for sore, cracked nipples.
7. Bubs & Boobs Co. Boob Balm
The Boob Balm by Bubs & Boobs Co. is an Australian-made vegan balm that’s phenomenal at soothing and healing nipples that are feeling the effects of constant pumping and nursing.
It’s truly one of the best products to soothe itchy nipples and form a protective barrier for nursing moms. I especially love a woman-owned small business created it.
This balm is made with manuka, tamanu, marshmallow, rosehip, kanuka, pomegranate, avocado, grapeseed oil, mango, and kokum butter.
These unique, quality ingredients result in a natural product made from plant-based ingredients that are anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, pain and redness relieving, and immensely healing and soothing.
8. Mama & Bird Skincare Mama Balm
For a versatile product that can be used for many things, consider trying Mama & Bird Skincare’s Mama Balm.
This vegan replenishing cream includes main ingredients like mango butter and camellia oil, which are hydrating, skin barrier replenishing, cooling, anti-inflammatory, and healing.
This balm is perfect for relieving dry, cracked nipples and anywhere else experiencing dryness.
It’s recommended to use this product two weeks before you start nursing to adequately condition the skin and then twice a day, and you don’t have to wipe it off before breastfeeding, either.
Making dry, painful nipples a thing of the past
When the round-the-clock demands of breastfeeding leave you with tender areas and sore nipples, a suitable nipple cream can make a huge difference (but it can’t fix issues with improper latch, the wrong size flange, or tongue/lip tie issues — all common reasons for tender nipples).
The best nipple cream is whatever works perfectly for you and your preferences, with each one we covered today offering unique ingredients and benefits.
Whether you’re looking for a nipple cream packed full of nourishing ingredients, including lanolin, or is lanolin-free, certified organic, or easily grabbed during your next run to the store, there’s something on this list for you!
Make sure to have a jar for your preferred feeding spot at home and one for your diaper bag. Organic, washable nursing pads or breast pads are always a good option to have on hand, too!
Regardless of your choice, what matters most is that you’re focusing on your needs while also providing for your baby.
With the right nipple cream, breastfeeding should remain free of any dryness or encourage a more comfortable feeding experience. Well, that’s the hope, anyway.
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