Dr. Lara Devgan Platinum Lip Plump SPF 30 Versus Paula's Choice Anti-Aging Lip Gloss SPF 40

Dr. Lara Devgan Platinum Lip Plump SPF 30 Versus Paula's Choice Anti-Aging Lip Gloss SPF 40

This anti-aging lip moisturizer is formulated around Hyaluronic Acid and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate lips.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Homosalate 15%

Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7.5%

Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%

Hyaluronic Acid

Niacin

Pantothenic Acid

Ceramide AP

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer

Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer

Octocrylene

Benzyl Nicotinate

Glycerin

Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate

Sorbitan Isostearate

Portulaca Pilosa Extract

Sucrose Cocoate

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38

Sodium Hyaluronate

Menthone Glycerin Acetal

Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Powder

Niacinamide

Tocopheryl Acetate

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Glutathione

Ergothioneine

Ceramide NP

Ceramide EOP

Phytosphingosine

Cholesterol

Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

Carbomer

Xanthan Gum

Yucca Schidigera Root Extract

Salix Alba Bark Extract

Panthenol

Mentha Spicata Flower/Leaf/Stem Oil

Mentha Piperita Oil

Aroma

Homosalate 15%, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7.5%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Hyaluronic Acid, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Ceramide AP, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Octocrylene, Benzyl Nicotinate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Portulaca Pilosa Extract, Sucrose Cocoate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Sodium Hyaluronate, Menthone Glycerin Acetal, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Powder, Niacinamide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Glutathione, Ergothioneine, Ceramide NP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Yucca Schidigera Root Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Panthenol, Mentha Spicata Flower/Leaf/Stem Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Aroma

Homosalate 5%

Octocrylene 2.5%

Polybutene

Octyldodecanol

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Cera Microcristallina

Polyethylene

Polyglyceryl-2 Tetraisostearate

Cocos Nucifera Oil

Silica Silylate

Adenosine

Retinyl Palmitate

Lecithin

Tocopherol

Isononyl Isononanoate

Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate

Stearalkonium Hectorite

Isopropyl Myristate

Propylene Carbonate

Polyhydroxystearic Acid

Silica

CI 15850

Iron Oxides

Titanium Dioxide

Tin Oxide

Mica

Phenoxyethanol

CI 77742

Blue 1 Lake

CI 15985

CI 19140

CI 45380

CI 45410

CI 73360

CI 12085

CI 16035

Homosalate 5%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Octocrylene 2.5%, Polybutene, Octyldodecanol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Cera Microcristallina, Polyethylene, Polyglyceryl-2 Tetraisostearate, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Aroma, Silica Silylate, Adenosine, Retinyl Palmitate, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Isopropyl Myristate, Propylene Carbonate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Silica, CI 15850, Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide, Tin Oxide, Mica, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77742, Blue 1 Lake, CI 15985, CI 19140, CI 45380, CI 45410, CI 73360, CI 12085, CI 16035

Alternatives

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%.

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.

Ethylhexyl Salicylate (also called Octisalate or Octyl Salicylate) is an oil-soluble organic UV filter that's been used in sunscreen since the 1950's.

It absorbs UVB light in the 280-320 nm range with a peak absorbance around 306 nm.

You'll often see it paired with other UV filters to boost overall SPF because octisalate is a fairly week filter on its own.

The reason you'll see it so often is because it can help solubilize and stabilize the trickier filters like oxybenzone and avobenzone.

Unlike these filters, octisalate has pretty good photostability and doesn't create skin-damaging free radicals when exposed to sunlight.

The fatty-alcohol part of the molecule also gives it a light, emollient feel so it doubles as a nice texture enhancer.

Usage levels vary around the world:

Safety-wise, this ingredient has a pretty reassuring track record. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) found very low skin penetration in human skin tests and negative results for irritation, phototoxicity, and photoallergy.

The real-world allergy risk is pretty low too; a 2012 European study of 1,031 people recorded only 2 reactions to it (a rate of 0.19%).

You might have seen scary headlines about sunscreen getting into your blood.

In 2019, the FDA found that several chemical filters can absorb through the skin and show up in the bloodstream at small but measurable levels.

Here's the important part: these tiny levels are just a cutoff the FDA uses to decide which ingredients need more testing and doesn't mean anything harmful was found.

The researchers were clear that the results are no reason to stop wearing sunscreen.

Homosalate 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:

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).

Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.

Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.

It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.

One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.

Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.

Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.

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.

Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.

The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.

Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.

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