This barrier-repair lip moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Fragaria Ananassa Seed Oil to strengthen the lip barrier and hydrate lips.
This barrier-repair lip moisturizer is formulated around Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil and Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil to strengthen the lip barrier and hydrate lips.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Bran Wax
Skin Conditioning
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Aroma
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Fragaria Ananassa Seed Oil
Antioxidant
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Saccharin
MaskingTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin Protecting
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
CI 15850
Cosmetic ColorantCI 16035
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantDiisostearyl Malate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Oryza Sativa Bran Wax, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Aroma, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Fragaria Ananassa Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Phenoxyethanol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Saccharin, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Tocopherol, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, CI 15850, CI 16035, CI 77891, CI 19140
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Aroma
Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Jojoba Esters, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Beeswax, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Octyldodecanol, Persea Gratissima Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Tocopherol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Aroma, Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Aroma refers to an ingredient, or mixture of ingredients, that impart or mask a flavor.
The name is slightly confusing. This is because INCI associates aroma with flavor instead of smell.
Here is the official definition from the The International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook:
“Aroma is a term for ingredient labeling used to identify that a product contains a material or combination of materials normally added to a cosmetic to produce or to mask a particular flavor.”
INCI shows the only purpose of aroma to be "flavouring".
However, due to regulation differences, some companies may use aroma in place of parfum.
In Canada, this ingredient only has to be listed in concentrations above 1%.
Learn more about AromaThis ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
This ingredient shows up on a lot of "pore-clogging" lists but there's no real evidence behind that. It doesn't even have a comedogenic rating from an actual study; the numbers you'll find online come from blogs citing other blogs.
Ratings for other ingredients mostly come from a 1980s rabbit ear test. This test doesn't translate well to human skin or to real products because the ingredient sits at a much lower percentage.
Some people still find it breaks them out. So if that's you, definitely trust your skin. Just know this one's based on experience and not evidence.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil comes from the seeds of the safflower plant. It is a skin conditioning agent that helps soften skin and keep it hydrated.
This seed oil has an unusual fatty acid profile: it is one of the highest linoleic acid plant oils out there (~55-77%). It also has low amounts of oleic acid, and this high-linoleic/low-oleic ratio gets people excited.
Linoleic acid helps maintain skin barrier integrity and is a building block for the ceramides in your stratum corneum. Notably, people with acne tend to have lower linoleic acid in their skin lipids as well (and this gets worse as acne gets more severe).
Overall, it's a lightweight, fast-absorbing oil that has a long safety track record. Lab testing has found it to be non-irritating for skin or eyes.
The Malassezia yeast can metabolize the fatty acids in this oil to grow; therefore this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Carthamus Tinctorius Seed OilCopernicia Cerifera Wax comes from a palm tree native to Brazil; another name for this ingredient is Carnauba Wax.
This ingredient is used to thicken texture and also leaves behind a film when applied.
Fun fact: This wax has the highest melting point of all natural waxes and low solubility.
Learn more about Copernicia Cerifera WaxHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilThough this ingredient might sound like a juicy fruit extract, it's actually the fat pressed from the mango seed kernel (or the pit).
In skincare, it behaves more like shea butter and cocoa butter than like a plant active.
The fatty acid makeup of mango seed butter makes it special; it's typically rich in stearic acid and oleic acid, with small amounts of palmitic and linoleic acid.
This combo helps it melt on skin, feel creamy, and leave behind a protective "seal" that slows down water loss.
It also contains a small amount of "extras" like tocopherols (vitamin E) and phytosterols, which are often used to support skin soothing.
Due to its fatty acid content (like oleic acid), this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. In vitro studies have shown that Oleic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
Learn more about Mangifera Indica Seed ButterThis ingredient is also known as olive oil. It has been used in skincare for centuries and science largely backs up its reputation as a nourishing emollient.
The main components of olive oil are oleic acid (55-83%), linoleic acid (3.5-20%), and palmitic acid (7-20%). Oleic acid promotes skin regeneration and helps regulate inflammatory responses.
Squalene is also naturally present in olive oil and exhibits moisturizing and antioxidant properties.
The polyphenols in olive oil also show anti-aging promise; one clinical study found a measurable improvement in skin appearance after 30 days of topical serum use.
Just be aware that applying olive oil directly to skin can weaken the barrier and cause redness. One study with volunteers found even people without sensitive skin experienced a significant reduction in stratum corneum integrity and induced mild erythema.
It's best to use this ingredient as part of a carefully crafted formula (instead of putting it on skin directly from the bottle).
Because it has a 0-2 on the comedogenic scale, it is low risk for acne-prone skin. Just remember the overall formulation of a product matters more than a few ingredients with comedogenic ratings.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because of the oleic and palmitic acid content. These fall within the C11-24 fatty acid range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize to grow.
Overall, olive oil is a well-studied and nourishing skincare ingredient.
Learn more about Olea Europaea Fruit OilTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about Tocopherol
