What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Dimethicone
Emollient
Iron Oxides
Silica
Abrasive
Isoamyl Cocoate
Sucrose Tetrastearate Triacetate
Emollient
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantPolybutene
Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil
Abrasive
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Trimethylsiloxysilicate/Dimethiconol Crosspolymer
CI 77742
Cosmetic ColorantGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSilica Silylate
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Ethylene/Methacrylate Copolymer
Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate
Emollient
Dimethicone, Iron Oxides, Silica, Isoamyl Cocoate, Sucrose Tetrastearate Triacetate, Mica, Polybutene, Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil, Synthetic Wax, Trimethylsiloxysilicate/Dimethiconol Crosspolymer, CI 77742, Glyceryl Caprylate, Silica Silylate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Ethylene/Methacrylate Copolymer, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate
Dimethicone
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Isoamyl Cocoate
Sucrose Tetrastearate Triacetate
Emollient
Polybutene
Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil
Abrasive
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Trimethylsiloxysilicate/Dimethiconol Crosspolymer
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Mangifera Indica Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Silica Silylate
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Ethylene/Methacrylate Copolymer
Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate
Emollient
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantDimethicone, Silica, Isoamyl Cocoate, Sucrose Tetrastearate Triacetate, Polybutene, Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil, Synthetic Wax, Trimethylsiloxysilicate/Dimethiconol Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Caprylate, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Silica Silylate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Ethylene/Methacrylate Copolymer, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Mica, Iron Oxides, CI 77891
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeWe don't have a description for Ethylene/Methacrylate Copolymer yet.
Glyceryl Caprylate comes from glycerin and caprylic acid. It is an emollient, co-emulsifier, and preservative booster.
Its short C8 fatty acid chain makes it behave differently from its longer-chain emollient cousins like Glyceryl Stearate. It feels more lightweight, fast-absorbing, and silky instead of rich and waxy.
As a co-emulsifier, its "head" and "tail" sit at the oil-water interface. But overall, the short C8 tail and not being water soluble means it doesn't really have the muscle to emulsify a formula on its own. That's why you'll often see it paired with a primary emulsifier like Cetearyl Glucoside.
Interestingly, Glyceryl Caprylate acts as a preservative booster. This is because its fatty-acid backbone disrupts microbial lipid membranes. It shows excellent activity against bacteria and yeast but is weaker against mold.
Typical concentrations range from 0.5-1% and this ingredient is generally non-irritating.
Because this ingredient has a C8 fatty acid chain, it is outside the range that the Malassezia yeast metabolizes (making it fungal acne safe).
Learn more about Glyceryl CaprylateHydrogenated Jojoba Oil is created from the process of converting jojoba oil to a solid or semi-solid. Jojoba oil has occlusive and emollient properties, making it a great hydrator.
Due to the solid structure of this ingredient, it provides abrasive or exfoliating properties.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Hydrogenated Jojoba OilIsoamyl Cocoate isn't fungal acne safe. It can be bad for dry skin.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and used as a surface treatment for pigment particles (like iron oxides or titanium dioxide).
It "wraps" these ingredients in a form of slippery jacket so they disperse more evenly in oils, glide better on skin, and stick longer without smudging.
The ātriisostearateā part of this ingredient is an ester derived from isostearic acid, a long-chain fatty acid. Malassezia species are lipid-dependent so they rely on external fats to survive. This is why ingredient is flagged for being potentially fungal-acne unsafe.
Learn more about Isopropyl Titanium TriisostearateMica is a naturally occurring mineral used to add shimmer and color in cosmetics. It can also help improve the texture of a product or give it an opaque, white/silver color.
Serecite is the name for very fine but ragged grains of mica.
This ingredient is often coated with metal oxides like titanium dioxide. Trace amounts of heavy metals may be found in mica, but these metals are not harmful in our personal products.
Mica has been used since prehistoric times throughout the world. Ancient Egyptian, Indian, Greek, Roman, Aztec, and Chinese civilizations have used mica.
Learn more about MicaPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate (long name, huh?) is a synthetic antioxidant.
It is used to help stabilize other antioxidants or prevent the color from changing in a product.
As an antioxidant, it helps fight free-radical molecules. Free-radical molecules are capable of damaging our cells and other genetic material. Thus, antioxidants may reduce the signs of aging.
This ingredient is oil-soluble.
Learn more about Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl HydroxyhydrocinnamatePolybutene is used to help control the viscosity of a product. This just means it helps adjusts the texture.
It is a polymer and does not get absorbed into the skin due to its large size.
Studies found this ingredient did not irritate skin in concentrations below 15%.
Learn more about PolybuteneSilica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.
Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.
The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.
It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.
In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.
Learn more about SilicaSilica Silylate is a siloxane polymer, meaning it is made up of silicon and oxygen atoms. It is not soluble in water.
This ingredient is a white powder with oil-absorbing, emollient, and anticaking properties.
Sucrose Tetrastearate Triacetate isn't fungal acne safe.
Synthetic Wax is a manufactured hydrocarbon wax. In formulas, it works as an occlusive emollient that helps reduce water loss and improves the spreadability of products.
Research comparing synthetic wax to traditional mineral-derived products found that formulas containing it perform as well for skin hydration.
It is considered non-comedogenic and vegan-friendly.
It has a well-established safety record by the CIR Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety.
Learn more about Synthetic WaxWe don't have a description for Trimethylsiloxysilicate/Dimethiconol Crosspolymer yet.
This ingredient is a combination of red, black, and yellow iron oxide pigments. This combination of colors is usually found in foundation, because it results in a "skin" color.
The EU typically uses CI numbers for colorants when applicable, such as CI 77489. In the US, iron oxides are regulated as color additives and "iron oxides" is the most commonly used name in US cosmetic practice.
A 2021 paper looked at skincare formulations containing iron oxides and found that they reduced transmission of blue light when measured optically. In simple terms, the pigment particles helped block or scatter part of the visible light spectrum in lab testing and the authors suggest this could translate into better protection against blue-light-related skin effects.
There is also clinical and experimental research showing that tinted products containing iron oxides can reduce visible light-induced pigmentation:
Please note, whether a product reduces visible or blue light depends on things like:
In the EU's CosIng database, iron oxides are only listed as a colorant. CosIng groups ingredients by their main cosmetic role, such as colorant, preservative, or UV filter.
Though studies say iron oxides can "attenuate blue light", they're describing an optical property and not an officially recognized cosmetic function.
So CosIng isnāt contradicting the research. Itās just classifying iron oxides by what they officially are: pigments that add color.
Learn more about Iron Oxides
