Drunk Elephant Lippe Balm Versus The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

Drunk Elephant Lippe Balm Versus The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

This barrier-repair lip moisturizer is formulated around Cocos Nucifera Oil and Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil to strengthen the lip barrier and hydrate lips.

This oil-control serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Zinc PCA to balance excess oil and refine the look of pores.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Cocos Nucifera Oil

Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2

Beeswax

Ozokerite

Polyisobutene

Glycine Soja Oil

Copernicia Cerifera Cera

Euphorbia Cerifera Cera

Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract

Dictyopteris Membranacea Extract

Magnolia Grandiflora Bark Extract

Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil

Persea Gratissima Oil

Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernel Oil

Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil

Tocopheryl Acetate

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Dicaprylyl Ether

Tribehenin

Sorbitan Isostearate

Lauryl Alcohol

Linoleic Acid

Linolenic Acid

Caprylyl Glycol

Phenoxyethanol

Cocos Nucifera Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Beeswax, Ozokerite, Polyisobutene, Glycine Soja Oil, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Dictyopteris Membranacea Extract, Magnolia Grandiflora Bark Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernel Oil, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Tribehenin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Lauryl Alcohol, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol

Water

Niacinamide 10%

Pentylene Glycol

Zinc PCA 1%

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum

Xanthan Gum

Isoceteth-20

Ethoxydiglycol

Chlorphenesin

Water, Niacinamide 10%, Pentylene Glycol, Zinc PCA 1%, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum, Xanthan Gum, Isoceteth-20, Ethoxydiglycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

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