The INKEY List Tripeptide Plumping Lip Balm Versus Indeed Labs Hydraluron+ Volumising Lip Treatment

The INKEY List Tripeptide Plumping Lip Balm Versus Indeed Labs Hydraluron+ Volumising Lip Treatment

This anti-aging lip moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate lips.

This anti-aging lip moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Sodium Hyaluronate to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate lips.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ricinus Communis Seed Oil

Hydroxystearic/Linolenic/Oleic Polyglycerides

Glyceryl Rosinate

Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Candelilla Cera

Mangifera Indica Seed Butter

Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil

Squalane

Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate

Hydrogenated Olive Oil

Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Glyceryl Behenate

Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables

Tribehenin

Sorbitan Isostearate

Tocopherol

Portulaca Pilosa Extract

Trihydroxystearin

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Sucrose Cocoate

Brassica Alba Sprout Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38

Glucomannan

Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Hydroxystearic/Linolenic/Oleic Polyglycerides, Glyceryl Rosinate, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Candelilla Cera, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Squalane, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Hydrogenated Olive Oil, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Behenate, Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables, Tribehenin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Tocopherol, Portulaca Pilosa Extract, Trihydroxystearin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sucrose Cocoate, Brassica Alba Sprout Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Glucomannan

Polybutene

Hydrogenated Polydecene

Punica Granatum Sterols

Euphorbia Cerifera Wax

Isosorbide Disunflowerseedate

Hydroxystearic Acid

Tocopheryl Acetate

Polyethylene

Silica Dimethyl Silylate

Stearic Acid

1,2-Hexanediol

Caprylyl Glycol

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil

Palmitic Acid

Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract

Coffea Arabica Seed Extract

Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract

Garcinia Mangostana Peel Extract

Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract

Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract

Punica Granatum Extract

Polybutene, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Punica Granatum Sterols, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Isosorbide Disunflowerseedate, Hydroxystearic Acid, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Polyethylene, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Stearic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Palmitic Acid, Portulaca Pilosa Extract, Trihydroxystearin, Sucrose Cocoate, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Garcinia Mangostana Peel Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Glucomannan

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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.

This ingredient shows up on a lot of "pore-clogging" lists but there's no real evidence behind that. It doesn't even have a comedogenic rating from an actual study; the numbers you'll find online come from blogs citing other blogs.

Ratings for other ingredients mostly come from a 1980s rabbit ear test. This test doesn't translate well to human skin or to real products because the ingredient sits at a much lower percentage.

Some people still find it breaks them out. So if that's you, definitely trust your skin. Just know this one's based on experience and not evidence.

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%.

Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate is derived from cetearyl alcohol and sorbic acid.

It is an emollient and helps hydrate the skin. Emollients form a barrier on the skin to prevent water from escaping.

Ethylhexyl Palmitate, also known as octyl palmitate, is created from 2-ethylhexyl alcohol and palmitic acid.

In cosmetics, it plays many roles:

One thing worth noting: a controlled study found this ingredient applied under occlusion to acne-prone subjects increased microcomedones. Just keep in mind this was under occlusive conditions and don't reflect how most products are used day-to-day.

For most people, this is a well-tolerated and lightweight ingredient.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because it is an ester of palmitic acid, a C16 fatty acid that falls within the C11-24 range that Malassezia can metabolize.

Glucomannan is a fiber created from the Konjac plant. It is an emulsifier and thickener.

The high polysaccharide content makes it great at adjusting the texture of products. (Kind of like starch).

Polysaccharides also help our skin stay hydrated.

This ingredient is water-soluble.

Though this ingredient might sound like a juicy fruit extract, it's actually the fat pressed from the mango seed kernel (or the pit).

In skincare, it behaves more like shea butter and cocoa butter than like a plant active.

The fatty acid makeup of mango seed butter makes it special; it's typically rich in stearic acid and oleic acid, with small amounts of palmitic and linoleic acid.

This combo helps it melt on skin, feel creamy, and leave behind a protective "seal" that slows down water loss.

It also contains a small amount of "extras" like tocopherols (vitamin E) and phytosterols, which are often used to support skin soothing.

Due to its fatty acid content (like oleic acid), this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. In vitro studies have shown that Oleic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.

This synthetic, signal peptide has unique skin conditioning properties in that is a matrikine-mimetic compound.

First of all, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 is a signal peptide; signal peptides tell the body to create more collagen.

What is a matrikine-mimetic compound?

This peptide has the ability to mimic matrikines in skin. Our skin created matrikines by breaking down matrix proteins into peptides.

Matrikines play a role in:

Though further research is needed, this ingredient seems pretty promising. In one study, women over the age of 40 with visible photoaging used a vitamin C serum with this ingredient for 56 days (15% ascorbid acid, 5 ppm palmitoyl tripeptide‐38). The results found improvement in skin roughness and skin tone.

This peptide is also part of the famous Matrixyl synthe’6, a blend of ingredients that also includes glycerin, water, and hydroxypropyl cyclodextrin.

We don't have a description for Portulaca Pilosa Extract yet.

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.

Sorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifer. It is created from isostearic acid and sorbitol.

As an emulsifier, it keeps the water and oil ingredients from separating. This keeps formulas stable and smooth.

In a 24 hour occlusive patch test on 56 subjects, 10% sorbitan isostearate was completely non-irritating. Most formulas use less than 10%.

Because it's a fatty acid ester, it may not be fungal acne safe since the Malassezia yeast can utilize it as a nutrient source.

Sucrose cocoate is a mild multitasking ingredient made by esterifying sugar with the fatty acids of coconut oil.

It functions as a surfactant, emulsifier, and skin-conditioning ingredient all in one.

Typical use concentrations range from:

This ingredient is well-tolerated across skin types and has been classified safe for use in cosmetic products by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel. It's even considered gentle enough for use in baby care products like shampoos and lotions.

Fungal acne note: Sucrose cocoate is a fatty acid ester derived from coconut oil that contains fatty acids in the C12-18 range. This is the range that Malassezia can metabolize, meaning this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

Trihydroxystearin is what you get when you fully hydrogenate castor oil into a waxy, fine powder.

It's mostly a behind-the-scenes texture enhancer that's especially good at "thixotropic" thing where the product stays thick but applies nicely.

Because of its structure, it also acts as a mild skin conditioning emollient that helps soften skin while preventing moisture loss.

Safety studies show it to be safe and non-irritation in clinical tests. It's typically used in concentrations up to 5%.

Since its an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it falls into the C11-24 range that Malassezia can potentially feed on. This makes it not fungal-acne safe.

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