Aquaphor Lip Balm Repair Stick Versus Burt's Bees Vanilla Bean Lip Balm

Aquaphor Lip Balm Repair Stick Versus Burt's Bees Vanilla Bean Lip Balm

This barrier-repair lip moisturizer is formulated around Ricinus Communis Seed Oil and Butyrospermum Parkii Butter to strengthen the lip barrier and hydrate lips.

This barrier-repair lip moisturizer is formulated around Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil and Cocos Nucifera Oil to strengthen the lip barrier and hydrate lips.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Octyldodecanol

Ricinus Communis Seed Oil

Beeswax

Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax

Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Panthenol

Dimethicone

Water

Tocopheryl Acetate

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Tocopherol

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Octyldodecanol, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Beeswax, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Panthenol, Dimethicone, Water, Tocopheryl Acetate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Cocos Nucifera Oil

Aroma

Lanolin

Ammonium Glycyrrhizate

Canola Oil

Glycine Soja Oil

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter

Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract

Vanilla Tahitensis Fruit Extract

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Beeswax, Aroma, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Lanolin, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Canola Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Tocopherol, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Vanilla Tahitensis Fruit Extract

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.

Beeswax is natural wax produced by honey bees to build their honeycomb.

Because it forms a protective layer on your skin, it can help lock in moisture and reduce water loss. It is also widely used as a thickener and emulsifier in lip balms and lotions. Research suggests beeswax containing moisturizers can support skin barrier integrity.

In comedogenic testing, Beeswax scored a 0-2, which is on the low end. Whether or not a product clogs your pores really comes down to the formula as a whole (not any single ingredient on its own).

Cera Alba is the white, bleached form of this ingredient.

Just so you know, beeswax is not vegan since it is animal-derived. It cannot be removed with water, but can be taken off with an oil cleanser.

People with a known Propolis allergy also report to have reactions from beeswax.

Beeswax's wax esters are derived primarily from palmitic and oleic acid (C16 and C18:1). Both of these fall within the C11-C24 feeding window.

The Malassezia yeast can potentially cleave these esters and release usable fatty acids, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. However, not everyone will react to this ingredient.

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.

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.

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