Carmex Naturally Intensely Hydrating Lip Balm Versus Aquaphor Lip Balm Repair Stick

Carmex Naturally Intensely Hydrating Lip Balm Versus Aquaphor Lip Balm Repair Stick

This lip moisturizer is formulated around Ricinus Communis Seed Oil and Cera Alba to hydrate lips.

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ricinus Communis Seed Oil

Cera Alba

Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter

Raphanus Sativus Seed Extract

Aroma

Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter

Rhus Succedanea Fruit Wax

Rhus Verniciflua Peel Wax

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Avena Sativa Kernel Flour

Copernicia Cerifera Wax

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Stevia Rebaudiana Extract

Tocopherol

Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil

Limonene

Linalool

Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Cera Alba, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Raphanus Sativus Seed Extract, Aroma, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Rhus Succedanea Fruit Wax, Rhus Verniciflua Peel Wax, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Stevia Rebaudiana Extract, Tocopherol, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil, Limonene, Linalool

Octyldodecanol

Beeswax

Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax

Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Panthenol

Dimethicone

Water

Tocopheryl Acetate

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

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

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Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Ascorbyl Palmitate is a fat-soluble form of vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) made by combining it with palmitic acid.

It is able to blend easily into creams and oil-based formulas because it dissolves in oils rather than water.

As you may know, regular vitamin C is notorious for breaking down when exposed to sunlight and air. Ascorbyl Palmitate is more stable and degrades at a slower rate.

Research on whether it converts efficiently into active vitamin C once it's applied on your skin is still limited.

Some in-vitro studies suggest it may support collagen production, but it is not considered one of the stronger vitamin C derivatives, like:

Due to the palmitic acid base, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. Comedogenic studies have also shown this ingredient to have a rating of 2.

It's also worth keeping in mind that comedogenic and irritancy ratings are tested on individual ingredients, not finished formulas. The final product's formulation, concentration, and other ingredients all play a role in how something actually behaves on your skin.

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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