Skin science article
Paula's Choice Boost Hyaluronic Acid + Peptide Lip Booster Versus Biossance Squalane + Rose Vegan Lip Balm
Paula's Choice Boost Hyaluronic Acid + Peptide Lip Booster Versus Biossance Squalane + Rose Vegan Lip Balm This anti-aging lip moisturizer is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate lips. This
Paula's Choice Boost Hyaluronic Acid + Peptide Lip Booster Versus Biossance Squalane + Rose Vegan Lip Balm
This anti-aging lip moisturizer is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate lips.
This barrier-repair lip moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Ceramide NP to strengthen the lip barrier and hydrate lips.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Diisostearyl Malate
Hydrogenated Castor Oil/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Dipentaerythrityl Tetrabehenate/Polyhydroxystearate
Polyamide-8
Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax
Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Triisostearin
Squalane
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Unsaponifiables
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline
Water
Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide
Tocopherol
Tribehenin
Palmitic Acid
Hydroxystearic Acid
Sorbitan Isostearate
Trihydroxystearin
Glycine Soja Oil
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Portulaca Pilosa Extract
Sodium Hyaluronate
Lactic Acid
Sucrose Cocoate
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Glucomannan
Sorbic Acid
Diisostearyl Malate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Dipentaerythrityl Tetrabehenate/Polyhydroxystearate, Polyamide-8, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Triisostearin, Squalane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Unsaponifiables, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Water, Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide, Tocopherol, Tribehenin, Palmitic Acid, Hydroxystearic Acid, Sorbitan Isostearate, Trihydroxystearin, Glycine Soja Oil, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Portulaca Pilosa Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lactic Acid, Sucrose Cocoate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Glucomannan, Sorbic Acid
Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Glycerin
Hydroxystearic/Linolenic/Oleic Polyglycerides
Myristic/Palmitic/Stearic/Ricinoleic/Eicosanedioic Glycerides
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Rosa Damascena Flower Wax
Ceramide NP
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Jojoba Esters
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Glyceryl Caprylate
Glyceryl Undecylenate
Dextrin Palmitate
Diisostearyl Malate, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Glycerin, Hydroxystearic/Linolenic/Oleic Polyglycerides, Myristic/Palmitic/Stearic/Ricinoleic/Eicosanedioic Glycerides, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Squalane, Water, Rosa Damascena Flower Wax, Ceramide NP, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Jojoba Esters, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Dextrin 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.
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.
Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Squalane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
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!