February 2024

I got a Sephora gift card for my birthday but didn't really need to restock on skincare or makeup. I'm not one to haul, so I thought about what products would be fun to try and write about in my blog. Enter, The INKEY List Tripeptide Plumping Balm.

THE INKEY LIST
Tripeptide Plumping Lip Balm Review

The INKEY List Tripeptide Plumping Lip Balm Review

INFO SHEET

Brand:  The INKEY List
Product: Tripeptide Plumping Lip Balm
Scent: Petroleum Jelly
Price:  $13.00
Where to Buy:  Sephora, The INKEY List

I love taking care of my skin, but for some reason I've always neglected my lips. It was just never at the top of my list even though thinning lips, lip lines, and wrinkles are all leading signs of aging. So why wouldn't I care for my lips? Then one day I stumbled upon this video by James Welsh on YouTube titled "The Truth AND LIES About The Inkey List’s Latest Launch" (I love his sass). It was interesting enough until Michelle from Lab Muffin Beauty Science chimed in towards the end of the video. I love Lab Muffin Beauty Science because she is a cosmetic chemist that really delves deep into skin care ingredients and how it all works (something I'm passionate about).

INGREDIENTS

Lab Muffin piqued my interest when she spoke about White Mustard Extract (aka Brassica Alba Sprout Extract) which was a new ingredient that I was unfamiliar with. Yeah yeah The INKEY List Tripeptide Plumping Lip Balm has hyaluronic acid and tripeptides, but tell me more about this White Mustard Extract. It seemingly irritates the lips more gently in comparison to capsaicin and "... when you have that irritation, it'll increase blood circulation which makes your lips look redder, and it also makes them swell up a bit with water..."

Awesome! A new ingredient to try that will get me in the habit of applying lip balm, with the added benefit of hyaluronic acid and tripeptides. Let's take a more detailed look into this ingredients list:

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

Notable Ingredients:

Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil - This fatty acid rich ingredient helps bind water to the skin.
Theobroma Grandiflorum (Cupuaçu) Seed Butter - Improves hydration, elasticity, and firmness.
Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter - Skin-soothing ingredient that helps mitigate damage from free radicals due to it's high antioxidant content.
Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter - Improves hydration, elasticity, and smoothness
Orbignya Oleifera (Babassu) Seed Oil - Provides skin smoothing and softening effects with added antioxidant benefits.
Squalane - Rich in antioxidants, this ingredient nourishes and smooths the skin while also helping support a healthy skin barrier.
Hydrogenated Olive Oil - Rich in antioxidants, improves hydration, and promotes a healthy skin barrier.
Salvia Hispanica (Chia) Seed Oil - Helps prevent water loss and has a soothing effect on the skin.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride - Rich in fatty acids / antioxidants, this ingredient helps replenish the skin, provides a softening effect, and reduces moisture loss.
Glyceryl Behenate - Skin smoothing and softening.
Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil Unsaponifiables - Helps restore the skin barrier, suppleness, and elasticity while also preventing water loss.
Portulaca Pilosa Extract - Powerful anti-oxidant that helps smooth and repair the skin, increases collagen production, and has anti-inflammatory qualities.
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil - Reduces inflammation, supports skin barrier health, and is said to help boost the synthesis of ceramides.
Brassica Alba Sprout Extract - aka White Mustard Extract. Increases blood flow which results in a reddening effect.
Sodium Hyaluronate - aka Hyaluronic Acid. A very effective humectant that boosts the skin's moisture content, prevents dehydration, and preserves skin moisture.
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 - Peptide said to reduces fine lines and increase moisture in the skin.
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 - Peptide said to reduces fine lines and wrinkles, improves dullness and uneven skin tone.
Glucomannan - Derived from the Konjac plant, this prebiotic nourishes the skin's microbiome resulting in wrinkle reduction, and an overall improvement of skin health.

Wow... I got a little annoyed with the above write up because there was just so much going on with this ingredients list, but in a GOOD way. With almost every ingredient, I told myself "Damnit I have to write about this too..." The INKEY List Tripeptide Plumping Balm is more of a very good skin care product but they are pushing the plumping effect angle more than anything else. A lot of these ingredients are really complementary which tells me a lot of thought was put into it. Anyone can slap together a capsaicin and shea butter solution, but this takes more skill.

COSDNA ALERTS

Plugging the above ingredients list into COSDNA reveals the following:

Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil - 1 out of 5 (Acne)
Ethylhexyl Palmitate - 1 out of 5 (Acne), 4 out of 5 (Irritant)
Squalane - 1 out of 5 (Acne)
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride - 1 out of 5 (Acne)
Sorbitan isostearate - 2 out of 5 (Acne)
Tocopherol - 2/3 out of 5 (Irritant), 2 out of 5 (Irritant)

There are a few triggers on this list for acne, but considering there are so many thickening agents within the ingredients list, I believe as long as it doesn't migrate away from the lips it should be okay. I'm not very concerned about the irritant aspect because that is kind of the point of the product... to cause irritation to cause a reddening and plumping effect.

BEFORE AND AFTER

The INKEY List Tripeptide Plumping Lip Balm Before and After

The instructions say to apply The INKEY List Tripeptide Plumping Lip Balm at least three times per day; so I have been applying with my morning skincare routine, reapplying after lunch, and then again with my evening routine. I really appreciated that this plumping lip balm has great staying power. When I go to bed and wake up several hours later, it is still very noticeable applied to my lips, which also made them very soft. It also didn't spread to anywhere else on my face. I've had so many lip balms in the past that just seem to evaporate; so this was a plus.

The above pictures show the before and after results for The INKEY List Tripeptide Plumping Lip Balm. One thing that I found particularly irritating with the before and after photos I found online is that the after photo often showed lips covered in the lip balm. I felt that if you are really going to compare apples to apples, you need to see if it truly did plump the lips or if the product applied is giving you the illusion of plumped lips. I've made it a point to show the after shot without the plumping lip balm applied.

Now, I think my lips are somewhat more plump than before, but not dramatically so. They do look healthier and hydrated. I also like how they are more pink because my normal lip color can appear quite dull. All in all I'm not sure that you will get the results that appear on the packaging.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Okay.. I like The INKEY List Tripeptide Plumping Balm, but the reason why might not be what you would expect. First, the ingredients list is excellent. There are so many skin nourishing, anti-oxidant rich, and anti-aging beneficial ingredients that even if it didn't have the advertised plumping effect it is STILL a good product. With that said, it TRICKS you into taking care of your lips by saying your lips will be plump if you apply this lip balm three times a day. I kind of think that psychological aspect of telling me this will plump my lips actually holds me accountable.

STORE	PRICE	OFFERS
Sephora	$13.00	Free Shipping
The INKEY List	$13.00	Free Shipping Orders $35+

I want to give it 3.5 stars as a lip plumper, because no you will absolutely not get the same effect that you would with a lip filler. I do however, like how it makes my lips more pink as they normally can appear quite dull in color. What bumps it into the four star category is if you review it from a skin care perspective, it is very good. Like I said before, anyone can make a capsaicin and shea butter lip balm, but this one is different.