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The Ordinary

Squalane + Amino Acids Lip Balm.

The Ordinary Squalane + Amino Acids Lip Balm
Lip

About this product

A lip balm formulated with squalane and amino acids designed to hydrate and nourish lips while helping prevent moisture loss.

Best for

Dry skin
Lip

The Guru Index verdict

65%

Mixed

~Mixed · 65%
6Reviewers
3Approved
0Mixed
3Skip
#7 in Best Lip

What the gurus are saying

The community is sharply divided. Enthusiasts praise its hydrating formula, lightweight feel, affordability, and long-lasting moisture that requires minimal reapplication. Detractors describe it as thick, pasty, and paradoxically drying, with a difficult-to-open cap. The split hinges on formula compatibility: some find it silky and plumping; others report it pulls moisture from lips and feels uncomfortable to wear.
Synthesized from 6 expert reviews

Key actives & flags

Vitamin ESqualaneFragrance-freeAlcohol-free

Full ingredients

Squalane, Sorbitan Olivate, Aqua (Water), Trihydroxystearin, Betaine, Jojoba Esters, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Sodium PCA, Pca, Serine, Alanine, Arginine, Proline, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Lysine Hcl, Threonine, Sodium Lactate, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Caprylic/​Capric Triglyceride, Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax, Polyglycerin-3, Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone, Tocopherol, Calcium Gluconate, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate

Every take, in full

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Approved only Skip only Mixed only Hide sponsored
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"I didn't love the Ordinary lip balm they came out with. I had it on my nightstand for a while, but it wasn't my favorite. The Ordinary lip balm felt more like a paste to me than it did like a gloss or a gel. I just didn't like it."
All 4 takes from No BS Beauty
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"The Ordinary's released dozens of new products, this lip balm. I don't know who likes it. It feels gross."
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"The Ordinary came out with a lip balm so I had to pick that one up and try it when it came to Ulta and so far I like it. The only challenge with this one is getting the cap off of it, it's hard to do especially the first few times, but then after that it's not too hard. It's not quite as thick as some but it feels nice, it's not as shiny as some other ones but it feels nice on the skin."
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"I didn't love the Ordinary lip balm they came out with. I had it on my nightstand for a while, but it wasn't my favorite. The Ordinary lip balm felt more like a paste to me than it did like a gloss or a gel. I just didn't like it."
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"I hate their lip balm from The Ordinary. It just doesn't do it for me. I'm trying to hate pan finish it, but I'm not getting there yet."
Skip
"I love the packaging. It is so adorable, and I thought it was going to be like the most hydrating, the most nourishing lip balm. Oh boy. It is just not. Sadly, there just wasn't much that I liked about this. Putting it on, it just goes on like so thick and weird on the lips. I just didn't enjoy it. I didn't feel like it gave me any kind of hydration. I felt like it actually dried out my lips by the time it was off. My lips were so dry and I was running for my regular lip hydrator."
Approved
"The Ordinary Squalane + Amino Acids Lip Balm is very moisturizing, great to repair dry lips and also great to prevent dryness. It really gives that nice plump to the lips and I really like it. I use this all the time, I use this before bed sometimes and it's wonderful. You just spin off the top and squeeze the little tube and apply it."
All 4 takes from Sincerely Miss Ash
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"The Ordinary Squalane + Amino Acids Lip Balm is very moisturizing, great to repair dry lips and also great to prevent dryness. It really gives that nice plump to the lips and I really like it. I use this all the time, I use this before bed sometimes and it's wonderful. You just spin off the top and squeeze the little tube and apply it."
SMOOTHER LIPS WITHOUT FILLER - THE ORDINARY SQUALANE + AMINO ACIDS LIP BALM - NO LIP BALM ADDICTION
"This is really beautiful for the lips. It really keeps the lips nice and comfortable and it's not greasy, it's not sticky. My hair never sticks to my lips. So the formulation really is like a nice balm. It feels very silky when it's on your lips as well, and it's absolutely beautiful."
8 ANTI-AGING SKINCARE PRODUCTS I'M LOVING FOR 2024 | FACIAL MISTS & MORE | Sincerely Miss Ash
"I've really been enjoying the new Ordinary Squalane + Amino Acids Lip Balm. I really love this. I love squalane because it's super hydrating, but amino acids is also very hydrating as well, and this prevents transepidermal water loss, so this doesn't give you the urge to reapply all the time just to keep your lips nice and moisturized and comfortable. Honestly, you could just use this once or twice a day and that is it and your lips feel amazing. I like to use this in the morning, especially before bed, maybe once during the day if I'm not wearing anything tinted on my lips. This is a dream. You can also use this on your cuticles and underneath your eyes. It really helps to keep that moisture in the skin, preventing transepidermal water loss, but also it's just so moisturizing as well. I think it's amazing."
MY NIGHTTIME ANTI-AGING SKINCARE ROUTINE - P.M. SUMMER SKINCARE ROUTINE USING TRETINOIN
"Squalane is very hydrating but so are amino acids and this can help to repair the lips but also it can help to keep your lips nice and moisturized and hydrated for a long period of time. There's no fragrance, there's no harsh ingredients in here that would make you have to reapply this all the time as that lip balm addiction. This really repairs and heals your lips really quickly but then for maintenance it just keeps your lips nice and moisturized. There's also a little bit of a plumping effect with this as well and there's no sensation or ingredient in here that plumps up the lips per se but the squalane and the amino acids naturally give that fullness to the lips. You can put this on top of lipsticks, you can put this on top of lip liners to add that shine and that comfort, but they say you can also apply this to your cuticles and sometimes I use this underneath my eyes as that eye cream, that eye bomb. I absolutely love it and I highly recommend it."
Approved
"The Ordinary has squalane which is beautifully nourishing and hydrating, and amino acids which should go into the lips and hydrate from within. They also have some studies that do show that amino acids can be a little bit plumping on the lips too. This just works wonderful. It's got a nice applicator which I really like, easy access and easy application, and it just leaves behind really nice light but meaningful hydration to the lips. It's super affordable at like 6 pounds here in the UK, and one of my personal favorites. The ingredients are so so good."
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All 7 takes from Mad About Skin
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"The Ordinary has squalane which is beautifully nourishing and hydrating, and amino acids which should go into the lips and hydrate from within. They also have some studies that do show that amino acids can be a little bit plumping on the lips too. This just works wonderful. It's got a nice applicator which I really like, easy access and easy application, and it just leaves behind really nice light but meaningful hydration to the lips. It's super affordable at like 6 pounds here in the UK, and one of my personal favorites. The ingredients are so so good."
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"This actually goes on quite creamy, it has quite a creamy consistency and I'd say it takes a little time to sink in. I love this because it doesn't break me out. Sometimes I can get blackheads and breakouts around the Vermillion border if I'm not careful, and I don't get that with this, which I love. It's a great little multitasking balm that I absolutely love."
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"I used The Ordinary lip balm which is great. I'd fully recommend The Ordinary one. I think it's cheap, it's affordable, it does the job which I love. When you use it with a lip exfoliator, you massage it in and sleep on it, and when you wake up you get the smoothest lips and a lot less irritation and dryness that you would otherwise get. Just go for an unscented, unflavored lip balm because you don't want to be triggering any potential sensitivity when you're using an exfoliator."
THE ORDINARY DISCONTINUING SERUMS - Is Your Favourite Gone?
"One of my absolute favorites has to be their new lip balm which I'm using and loving. Super affordable, really well formulated."
New DRUGSTORE LIP BALM 2024 - The Ordinary Squalane + Amino Acids Lip Balm Review
"I've been so impressed. I'm going to rate this a solid 10 out of 10. Another star performant new launch from The Ordinary and they just keep coming. I think this could be a wonderful affordable addition to your lip care routine. Swap it out for one of your other drugstore lip balms and trust me your lips will love you."
New DRUGSTORE LIP BALM 2024 - The Ordinary Squalane + Amino Acids Lip Balm Review
"It's ergonomic and really nice and easy to apply. There's none of the nasties in here that you see in some other lip balms, so nothing here that's going to strip and dry in the long term, just great ingredients to nourish and hydrate. This goes on quite glossy in terms of its appearance, but that does dry down after about a minute. The gloss tends to disappear as you work it in. If you're someone that likes a real matte lip balm, this probably isn't going to be for you because there's always that little touch of dewiness and gloss to the lips. But if you're someone that likes that, then this is going to be a holy grail for sure. I've been using it for the past two weeks, and after the first couple of days you can absolutely get away with just applying this morning and evening and maybe once at lunchtime, and that's all your hydration needs for your lips sorted."
New DRUGSTORE LIP BALM 2024 - The Ordinary Squalane + Amino Acids Lip Balm Review
"It takes a couple of days to see that hydration really building on the lips, but after the first couple of days you can absolutely get away with just applying this morning and evening and maybe once at lunchtime after you've eaten and that's all your hydration needs for your lips sorted. You don't need to reapply constantly, which honestly I love. I find it gives a really nice level of hydration. It doesn't feel sticky, tacky, or too waxy on the lips, which is fantastic. I've been so impressed I'm going to rate this a solid 10 out of 10."
Approved
"I absolutely love this one from The Ordinary, the Squalane and Amino Acids Lip Balm. It's nourishing, it's glossy, it's light. It feels a bit like a hydrating serum as well as a lip balm. I love the texture and if we're being honest I love the packaging maybe even more."
All 2 takes from Gothamista
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"I absolutely love this one from The Ordinary, the Squalane and Amino Acids Lip Balm. It's nourishing, it's glossy, it's light. It feels a bit like a hydrating serum as well as a lip balm. I love the texture and if we're being honest I love the packaging maybe even more."
My Gold-Standard Well-Aging Routine - PM, Peptides, Retinoids
"I am loving this from The Ordinary, their Squalane + Amino Acids lip balm. My main attraction to this is its packaging, but it's actually a great lip balm as well. It's not a heavy sleeping mask lip balm, it's almost like a serum. This does feel instantly hydrating, as though it kind of plumps the skin of your lips, which is a different sensation that I get from very buttery or waxy lip balms. This feels like a proper nourishing lip serum. When things are a lot drier and inevitably my lips are peeling and flaking, I may use this and put a lip mask over it."
Skip
"I didn't like this. I actually think this irritated my lips. My lips just stung with this. They start to crack all up here. And when I use this, throughout the day I was having to like remove soft, dead skin from my lips because it did that to my skin throughout the day."
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