Paula's Choice Lipscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Versus La Roche-Posay Anthelios SPF 50+ Stick For Sensitive Lips
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Homosalate 3%
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV Absorber
Octocrylene 5%
UV Absorber
Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
Emollient
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Hydrogenated Olive Oil
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Ozokerite
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Jojoba Oil
Abrasive
Polyethylene
Abrasive
Hydrogenated Polycyclopentadiene
Microcrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Water
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Homosalate 3%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Octocrylene 5%, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Hydrogenated Olive Oil, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Beeswax, Ozokerite, Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil, Polyethylene, Hydrogenated Polycyclopentadiene, Microcrystalline Wax, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Silica, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Phytosterols, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Water, Phenoxyethanol
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Polyethylene
Abrasive
Isohexadecane
EmollientHomosalate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Drometrizole Trisiloxane
UV Absorber
Paraffin
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Microcrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Isopropyl Palmitate, Polyethylene, Isohexadecane, Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Octocrylene, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Drometrizole Trisiloxane, Paraffin, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Microcrystalline Wax, Citric Acid, Glycine Soja Oil, Synthetic Wax, Tocopherol, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Also known as Avobenzone, this ingredient is an oil-soluble used to absorb the full spectrum of UVA rays (peak 357 nm).
It's one of the most effective UVA filters available but has a major caveat of photostability: avobenzone is susceptible to photodegradation.
This means it can lose efficacy when exposed to sunlight without the help of a stabilizing agent.
Studies show antioxidants (like vitamin E or vitamin C) and some UV filters (like octocrylene and Tinosorb S) can meaningfully improve its stability in a formulation.
The maximum allowable concentration according to regulation is 3% in the US + Canada, and 5% in the EU, Australia, China, Korea, and ASEAN countries.
It has a well-support safety profile: a comprehensive 2025 review found minimal toxicity with no evidence of carcinogenicity.
Overall, avobenzone is a safe and regulated ingredient used in sunscreen for over 40 years.
Learn more about Butyl MethoxydibenzoylmethaneThis 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.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterHomosalate is an oil-soluble organic UVB filter that has been a sunscreen staple for decades. Its job is to absorb UVB rays (~295-315 nm) and protect your skin against sunburn,
This is one of the more photostable organic UV filters; it holds up pretty well under UV and a 2022 quantum-chemistry study found it stays stable in sunlight.
It's actually so reliable that formulators often pair it with shakier ingredients like oxybenzone and avobenzone. Formulators also use it to help dissolve the other UV filters into the oil phase.
One thing to keep in mind: "stable" isn't the same as "strong". On its own, homosalate is actually a pretty weak UV filter so it's better off as a helpful team player that helps boost overall SPF protection.
The safety picture is a bit nuanced but not scary.
This ingredient has a long track record of being gentle and regulators agree it isn't an irritant; EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety found that homosalate is not considered a skin irritant and doesn't raise eye-irritation flags either.
There's talk about homosalate because your skin absorbs a little bit of it into your bloodstream. A 2020 FDA-backed study found homosalate showed up in people's blood levels at the level where the FDA decides to double check.
The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) also found small amounts in blood and breast milk. They estimated that about 5% of what you apply gets absorbed through the skin.
Due to the debate about whether it might mess with hormones, the SCCS recommended a maximum limit of 0.5% in most products of 7.3% in face creams/pump sprays.
One important thing to keep in mind: in the US, Homosalate is currently labeled "non-GRASE" by the FDA. This sounds alarming but really just means the FDA wants more data to confirm it's safe. It's not confidently saying this ingredient is harmful.
As of now, homosalate is still completely legal and widely used while that research gets done.
The current maximum limits are:
Learn more about HomosalateMicrocrystalline Wax is derived from petroleum through a de-oiling process, then highly refined and purified before use in cosmetics.
In skincare formulations, it is used to improve texture and create a smooth, even consistency. It also helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating.
Octocrylene is an oil-soluble organic UV filter that mainly absorbs UVB and short wave UVA II light.
Its real superpower is teamwork: octocrylene is remarkably photostable and is most famous for stabilizing avobenzone (the workhorse UVA filter).
This ingredient is commonly used to enhance both UVB and UVA protection due to its unique property in stabilizing avobenzone. It also pulls double duty by boosting water resistance and giving formulas a smooth, spreadable feel.
The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has deemed octocrylene to be safe as a UV-filter at concentrations up to 10% (capped at 9% in propellant sprays). The US also permits it up to 10%.
Two things worth knowing:
You'll usually see this ingredient used in concentrations between 2-10% (higher amounts when used as a stabilizer for avobenzone).
Learn more about OctocrylenePolyethylene is a synthetic ingredient that helps the skin retain moisture. It is a polymer.
It is also typically used within product formulations to help bind solid ingredients together and thicken oil-based ingredients. When added to balms and emulsions, it helps increase the melting point temperature.
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter comes from the Theobroma cacoa, or Cacao tree. Cacao trees are native to tropical landscapes.
Like other plant butters, Cacao seed butter is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and soften your skin. By creating a barrier to trap moisture in, emollients help keep your skin hydrated.
Cacao seed butter contains antioxidants known as polyphenols. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules by stabilizing them. Unstable free-radicals may cause damage to your skin cells. Antioxidants may help with anti-aging.
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter can be bad for acne prone skin.
Learn more about Theobroma Cacao Seed ButterTocopherol 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
