Farmacy Lip Smoothie Versus Tower 28 Beauty JuiceBalm Tinted Lip Balm

Farmacy Lip Smoothie Versus Tower 28 Beauty JuiceBalm Tinted Lip Balm

This smoothing lip moisturizer is formulated around Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 to refine skin texture.

This barrier-repair lip moisturizer is formulated around Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2 and Butyrospermum Parkii Butter to strengthen the lip barrier and hydrate lips.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Diisostearyl Malate

Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Polybutene

Mangifera Indica Seed Butter

Synthetic Wax

Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer

Euphorbia Cerifera Wax

Brassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Glycerin

Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil

Curcuma Longa Leaf Extract

Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Melia Azadirachta Extract

Tocopherol

Tribehenin

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Glyceryl Caprylate

Malic Acid

Lactic Acid

Sorbitan Isostearate

Amber Powder

Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer

Aroma

Limonene

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Diisostearyl Malate, Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polybutene, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Synthetic Wax, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Brassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Curcuma Longa Leaf Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Extract, Tocopherol, Tribehenin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Malic Acid, Lactic Acid, Sorbitan Isostearate, Amber Powder, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Aroma, Limonene

Octyldodecanol

Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2

Polyethylene

Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate

Mica

Synthetic Beeswax

Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil

Phenoxyethanol

CI 77491

CI 77891

CI 15850

Octyldodecanol, Diisostearyl Malate, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Polybutene, Polyethylene, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Mica, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Synthetic Beeswax, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, CI 77491, CI 77891, CI 15850

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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.

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.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

Diisostearyl Malate is an emollient and most often used in lip products. It comes from isostearyl alcohol, a fatty acid, and malic acid, an AHA.

As an emollient, Diisostearyl Malate helps create a thin film on your skin to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin soft and smooth.

Glyceryl Caprylate comes from glycerin and caprylic acid. It is an emollient, co-emulsifier, and preservative booster.

Its short C8 fatty acid chain makes it behave differently from its longer-chain emollient cousins like Glyceryl Stearate. It feels more lightweight, fast-absorbing, and silky instead of rich and waxy.

As a co-emulsifier, its "head" and "tail" sit at the oil-water interface. But overall, the short C8 tail and not being water soluble means it doesn't really have the muscle to emulsify a formula on its own. That's why you'll often see it paired with a primary emulsifier like Cetearyl Glucoside.

Interestingly, Glyceryl Caprylate acts as a preservative booster. This is because its fatty-acid backbone disrupts microbial lipid membranes. It shows excellent activity against bacteria and yeast but is weaker against mold.

Typical concentrations range from 0.5-1% and this ingredient is generally non-irritating.

Because this ingredient has a C8 fatty acid chain, it is outside the range that the Malassezia yeast metabolizes (making it fungal acne safe).

Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate (long name, huh?) is a synthetic antioxidant.

It is used to help stabilize other antioxidants or prevent the color from changing in a product.

As an antioxidant, it helps fight free-radical molecules. Free-radical molecules are capable of damaging our cells and other genetic material. Thus, antioxidants may reduce the signs of aging.

This ingredient is oil-soluble.

Polybutene is used to help control the viscosity of a product. This just means it helps adjusts the texture.

It is a polymer and does not get absorbed into the skin due to its large size.

Studies found this ingredient did not irritate skin in concentrations below 15%.

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