What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Alumina
Abrasive
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Magnesium Sulfate
Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingParaffin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingMicrocrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Silica Silylate
Emollient
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientTocopherol
Antioxidant
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Sorbitan Isostearate, Glycerin, Propanediol, Propylene Glycol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Alumina, Phenoxyethanol, Magnesium Sulfate, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Paraffin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Microcrystalline Wax, Caprylyl Glycol, Silica Silylate, Synthetic Wax, Caffeine, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Tin Oxide, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, CI 77891, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
PEG-75
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Extract
RefreshingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Sodium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingTamarindus Indica Seed Gum
Emulsion Stabilising
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientPropylene Carbonate
SolventAmodimethicone
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
SurfactantAlcaligenes Polysaccharides
EmollientParfum
Masking
Lysine
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Chloride
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBHT
Antioxidant
CI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantMica
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Glycerin, Methyl Gluceth-20, PEG-75, Pentylene Glycol, Octyldodecanol, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Sodium Carbomer, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum, Aluminum Hydroxide, Propylene Carbonate, Amodimethicone, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Alcaligenes Polysaccharides, Parfum, Lysine, Magnesium Chloride, Ethylhexylglycerin, BHT, CI 77007, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77891, Mica
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Aluminum Hydroxide is a form of aluminum. It can be naturally found in nature as the mineral gibbsite. In cosmetics, Aluminum Hydroxide is used as a colorant, pH adjuster, and absorbent.
As a colorant, Aluminum Hydroxide may add opacity, or reduce the transparency. Aluminum hydroxide is contains both basic and acidic properties.
According to manufacturers, this ingredient is an emollient and humectant. This means it helps hydrate the skin.
In medicine, this ingredient is used to help relieve heartburn and help heal ulcers.
There is currently no credible scientific evidence linking aluminum hydroxide in cosmetics to increased cancer risk.
Major health organizations allow the use of aluminum hydroxide in personal care products and have not flagged it as a carcinogenic risk at typical usage levels.
Learn more about Aluminum HydroxideCi 77491 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It's sole purpose is to give a red/pink hue to products.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
Synthetically created Ci 77491 is considered safer than those naturally found. This is because the synthetically created version may contain less impurities. Iron oxides are generally non-toxic and non-allergenic.
Learn more about CI 77491CI 77492 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It's sole purpose is to give a yellow hue to products.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
Synthetically created CI 77492 is considered safer than those naturally found. This is because the synthetically created version may contain less impurities. Iron oxides are generally non-toxic and non-allergenic.
Learn more about CI 77492Ci 77499 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It is created from mixing red and black iron oxides. This helps give shades of darkness to a product.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
Ci 77891 is a white pigment from Titanium dioxide. It is naturally found in minerals such as rutile and ilmenite.
It's main function is to add a white color to cosmetics. It can also be mixed with other colors to create different shades.
Ci 77891 is commonly found in sunscreens due to its ability to block UV rays.
Learn more about CI 77891Disteardimonium Hectorite comes from the clay mineral named hectorite. It is used to add thickness to a product.
It can also help stabilize a product by helping to disperse other ingredients.
Hectorite is a rare, white clay mineral.
Learn more about Disteardimonium HectoriteGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
