Vaseline vs Burt’s Bees 2024 (The Definitive Guide)

After a winter of assault on our lips from the cold weather and unforgiving winds, it’s time to heal and nourish them! Burt’s Bees and Vaseline are both brands that we're positive you’ve heard of, but how do their lip products compare?

Let’s take a look at two of their most popular options in depth so you can make the right decision for you and your lips!

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Vaseline vs Burt's Bees Lip Balm

A good lip balm will relieve the dryness while giving your lips a soft and glossy look. In contrast, a bad one won’t relieve your symptoms and will make your lips look greasy. That’s why finding the right lip balm is essential to your year-round comfort.

Two of the best balms that you can find for your lips are Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm and Vaseline Lip Therapy Stick. But how do they differ?

The companies both claim that their products provide soothing long lasting hydration, with no sticky residue. They are both easy to acquire, as you can buy them at almost any drugstore or online for just a few dollars.

Both products are paraben and phthalate free. Vaseline is not certified cruelty-free, although there is more to that statement. The company doesn’t test on animals, but they do export them to China, and by law, all cosmetics brought into the country have to be tested on animals by a third party. Supposedly they are working to stop this practice ASAP. Burt’s Bees however, is certified cruelty free because they don’t sell in countries where animal testing is done. Neither product can be considered truly vegan because of the addition of beeswax, but that is also a varying opinion that depends on the source.

Burt's Bees Lip Balm has been around for a long time and is thought to be a safe, natural product for your lips. It is infused with beeswax and vitamin E, as well as peppermint oil for a refreshing tingle.

It’s ingredients are 100% naturally based and it contains nourishing oils such as coconut oil, sunflower oil and soybean oil.

The reviews on Burt’s Bees’ website vary greatly. While some users swear it’s the only lip balm that has ever worked for them and it’s all they will ever use, others disagree. On the negative side of the comments we noticed that some customers that used to love the product have started reacting to it with a recent change in the formula. While it’s true that the ingredients are 100% naturally derived, a few of them are irritants, and not 100% ideal for use in skincare.

The first problem seems to be with the addition of Linolene, which is a cheap fragrance ingredient. It oxidizes when exposed to the air, and when it does, it can cause contact dermatitis and extreme skin sensitivity. The reason it can still be included as a natural ingredient is because it is the main component of the peel oil of many fruits. Linalool, another natural oil derived fragrance, acts much the same as Linolene in the Burts Bees formula. Eugenol is the same and has a high allergen potential. When we read through the ingredients, it’s clear that not just a couple of customers experienced the negative effect of these ingredients in the lip balm.

If the fragrance ingredients in Burt's Bees turn you off, you will be happy to know that Vaseline Lip Therapy Stick is fragrance free.

When you compare the ingredients lists of these two products, Vaseline’s seems longer and more scientifically confusing at first glance, which could lead some customers to believe that the ingredients are harmful in some way. Looking at them closer however, Vaseline’s ingredients are all considered safe and effective in skincare, and there are no common allergens included. The main active ingredients of Lip Therapy are Petrolatum, Shea Butter, and Beeswax, although it does contain a few other emollients as well.

The reviews are mainly positive, with most customers enjoying extra hydrated lips after using it. They say that it glides on easily and is smooth and thick without leaving a sticky residue.

When given the choice between Burt’s Bees Lip Balm and the Vaseline Lip Therapy Stick, we would have to choose Vaseline.

Vaseline vs Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm

A hybrid of care and colour, tinted lip balms are one of the most hardworking products in our makeup bags. Not only do they promise to boost hydration and protect against environmental aggressors, they're also an easier, low maintenance alternative to lipstick.

Both Burt’s Bees and Vaseline have tinted versions of their most popular lip balms! Today we will be comparing Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm vs Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy Lips.

Burt's Bees Tinted Balm comes in 6 shades. Interestingly, the ingredients composition is different from the regular lip balm and doesn’t include the same irritating fragrance additives. It does, however, contain a list of oils, botanical waxes, and shea butter to deeply hydrate your lips. It claims to hydrate your lips for up to 8 hours, and reviews from online customers seem to agree, saying that it provides a smooth, moisturizing experience with no stickiness.

It does contain one ingredient that some customers avoid however, and that is Carmine. Carmine is an animal (insect) derived red colorant that is commonly used in beauty products because it provides such rich pigment.

Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy Lips is one of the four variations of the regular version. This is the only tinted one, and has a beautiful pink shade to it. The color in this product comes from an ingredient called Red 7 Lake, which is considered very safe for use, but when we read the reviews, it doesn’t seem to give much color when applied. If you are looking for a very subtle pink tint, Rosy Lips would be perfect for you!

As for its hydrating properties, there are really no complaints. Vaseline has been a trusted brand for decades and is a classic when it comes to soothing and hydrating your skin (or lips in this case!). The website says it is “clinically proven to help heal dry lips”, and almost all of the reviews we found agreed with this statement.

The product is available in a stick or in a tin. Any negative reviews we found seemed to be related to the tin version; customers don’t find it to be sanitary in that form.

So which one would we choose? When it comes to the tinted versions of these lip balms, the score is pretty even. Vaseline Lip Therapy still comes out ahead though, with its slightly cleaner ingredients list and time-proven hydration.

This article was originally published on March 10th 2022, but it has been reviewed and updated with the latest available information on February 1st 2024 by Sara Mckay, MA.