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 Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingMicrocrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Silica Silylate
Emollient
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
ChelatingAluminum 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 ConditioningCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantBis-Stearyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Isohexadecane
EmollientCetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientDiphenyl Dimethicone
Emollient
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantPolyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
C30-45 Alkyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Stearyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Alumina
Abrasive
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Boron Nitride
Absorbent
Sodium Potassium Aluminum Silicate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientC20-24 Olefin
Skin ConditioningSilica
Abrasive
Propylene Carbonate
SolventParfum
Masking
CI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantVitis Vinifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPortulaca Grandiflora Extract
Skin ConditioningCapsicum Annuum Extract
MaskingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Water, CI 77891, Bis-Stearyl Dimethicone, Caprylyl Methicone, Isohexadecane, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Glycerin, Isononyl Isononanoate, Diphenyl Dimethicone, CI 77492, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, C30-45 Alkyl Dimethicone, Stearyl Dimethicone, Alumina, Butylene Glycol, Boron Nitride, Sodium Potassium Aluminum Silicate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, CI 77491, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Tocopheryl Acetate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, C20-24 Olefin, Silica, Propylene Carbonate, Parfum, CI 77499, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Portulaca Grandiflora Extract, Capsicum Annuum Extract, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alumina (aka aluminum oxide) is an inorganic mineral powder refined from bauxite that works as a quiet workhorse in a formula.
It shows up often as an abrasive, absorbent, anticaking, bulking, and viscosity-controlling agent.
One of its most common jobs is acting as a pigment carrier and dispersant.
Alumina platelets are often blended with inorganic sunscreens like Titanium Dioxide (or with colorants) and then coated with a silicone such as Triethoxycaprylylsilane so the pigment spreads evenly and smoothly.
In makeup, it can also double as a light-diffusing powder or oil absorber to keep formulas from looking greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded alumina to be safe in present practices of use and concentration.
They note it's a stable, oxidized compound and scientific research has failed to establish links to health issues.
Concentrations vary depending on the product:
Learn more about AluminaCi 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
