Allies of Skin Peptide & Ceramide Repair Lip Balm Versus Aquaphor Lip Repair Ointment

Allies of Skin Peptide & Ceramide Repair Lip Balm Versus Aquaphor Lip Repair Ointment

This barrier-repair lip moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Ceramide NP to strengthen the lip barrier and hydrate lips.

This barrier-repair lip moisturizer is formulated around Panthenol and Butyrospermum Parkii Butter to strengthen the lip barrier and hydrate lips.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate

Diisostearyl Malate

Octyldodecanol

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Hydrogenated Castor Oil Dimer Dilinoleate

Polyisobutene

Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax

Candelilla Cera

Ricinus Communis Seed Oil

Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil

Ceresin

Tribehenin

Persea Gratissima Oil

Ceramide NP

Ascorbic Acid

Tocopherol

Glycerin

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Water

Dehydroacetic Acid

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Diisostearyl Malate, Octyldodecanol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrogenated Castor Oil Dimer Dilinoleate, Polyisobutene, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Candelilla Cera, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Ceresin, Tribehenin, Persea Gratissima Oil, Ceramide NP, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol, Glycerin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Water, Dehydroacetic Acid

C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Panthenol

Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2

Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate

Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Tocopheryl Acetate

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Bisabolol

Beeswax

C20-40 Alkyl Stearate

Magnesium Stearate

Magnesium Sulfate

Octyldodecanol, C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Panthenol, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Water, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Bisabolol, Beeswax, C20-40 Alkyl Stearate, Magnesium Stearate, Magnesium Sulfate

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

This 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.

Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.

Topically, glycerin does several things at once:

Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.

Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.

This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.

Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Octyldodecanol is a fatty alcohol sourced from plant oils like coconut or palm (or made synthetically).

It is:

You'll likely see this in many BHA products because this is the go-to solvent for salicylic acid.

This ingredient is typically used at levels between 2-20%.

Regarding fungal acne: In 2019, this ingredient was tested against multiple Malassezia species (the yeast that causes fungal acne) and showed no growth.

This ingredient is also known as castor oil. It is a skin conditioning ingredient.

The star component of castor oil is ricinoleic acid, an unusual fatty acid that makes up ~80-92% of its composition.

In skincare, it is an emollient that dries down to a solid film with water-binding properties. This helps keep skin hydrated and helps reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).

A 2026 dermatology review pulls together its broader uses:

Human clinical testing found this ingredient to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.

Because castor oil contains fatty acids in the C11-24 range, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

At this time, the literature does not support castor oil in regrowing hair. A 2022 systematic review found no strong evidence that it supports hair growth and only weak evidence that it improves hair shine.

Castor oil itself carries "perfuming" and "masking" function tags according to the official CosIng database. This is because of its mild odor and odor-dampening properties.

Tocopherol 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.

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!

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