The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Serum 30ml vs Burt's Bees 100% Natural Moisturizing Lip Balm 4-Pack

What separates them

These two differ on 4 recorded specifications. The Burt's Bees 100% Natural Moisturizing Lip Balm 4-Pack is ₹299 dearer.

The Ordinary

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Serum 30ml

₹700

10 percent is the number to think about, because it is not a better version of 5 percent.

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Burt's Bees

Burt's Bees 100% Natural Moisturizing Lip Balm 4-Pack

₹999

The peppermint tingle that people read as the balm working is a mild irritant, and for a minority it is the reason their lips stay dry -- they reapply, the irritation continues, and the cycle sustains itself.

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Who the The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Serum 30ml is for

Buy it if: People with resilient, oily or congestion-prone skin who tolerate high active concentrations.

Avoid it if: Anyone with reactive or sensitised skin -- start at 5 percent instead.

Who the Burt's Bees 100% Natural Moisturizing Lip Balm 4-Pack is for

Buy it if: Anyone wanting a simple occlusive balm who is not sensitive to peppermint.

Avoid it if: Anyone whose lips stay dry despite frequent balm use -- peppermint may be the cause.

Specifications, side by side

4 of 17 rows differ. Differences first.

Specification	The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Serum 30ml	Burt's Bees 100% Natural Moisturizing Lip Balm 4-Pack
Price	₹700	₹999
Fragrance	Fragrance free	Peppermint oil, which is a fragrance ingredient and a mild irritant
Key actives	Niacinamide 10 percent, zinc PCA 1 percent	Beeswax, coconut oil, sunflower oil, vitamin E, peppermint oil
Period after opening	12 months after opening	24 months after opening
Volume	30 ml	4 x 4.25 g
Mains voltage	Not applicable	Not applicable
Warranty	1 Year Official Brand Warranty	1 Year Official Brand Warranty
Concentration note	10 percent is high. Most published benefit occurs at 4 to 5 percent, and above that the main change is more irritation, not more effect	not published
Melting	not published	Softens above about 35 degrees C, so it should not live in a car in an Indian summer
Natural claim	not published	100 percent natural is accurate as an ingredient claim; it says nothing about irritation, and peppermint is natural
No SPF	not published	None of the four has any sun protection
Occlusive versus humectant	not published	Beeswax is occlusive -- it seals moisture in and adds none. On already-dry lips, seal in water first
Patch test	Recommended, given the concentration	not published
Peppermint	not published	Provides the tingle, and it is also a known lip irritant for some people. The tingle is not the balm working
Texture	Water-light, slightly tacky as it dries	not published
The vitamin C myth	Niacinamide and vitamin C were long said to cancel out. That came from a 1960s study at high heat and does not apply to modern formulations at skin temperature	not published
Who reacts	A significant minority get flushing or stinging at 10 percent. Starting at 5 percent and building up avoids it	not published
Zinc PCA	1 percent, included for oil regulation rather than for the niacinamide effect	not published

Every row is a figure one or both products record. A blank is a figure the catalogue does not hold, not a zero.

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