What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Dimethicone
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Sodium Chloride
MaskingTriethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate
Emollient
Alumina
Abrasive
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Caprylyl Methicone, Propanediol, Dimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Alcohol Denat., Sodium Chloride, Triethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Alumina, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Citrate, Tocopherol
Dimethicone
Emollient
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Water
Skin ConditioningPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Iron Oxides
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate
EmollientBoron Nitride
Absorbent
Bis-Butyldimethicone Polyglyceryl-3
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientMica
Cosmetic ColorantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
CI 77120
Cosmetic ColorantAluminum Dimyristate
Emulsion StabilisingCitrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Behenic Acid
Cleansing
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingTin Oxide
Abrasive
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Alumina
Abrasive
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
AstringentPEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether
Skin ConditioningPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Polysilicone-2
Dimethicone, Titanium Dioxide, Water, Phenyl Trimethicone, Glycerin, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Iron Oxides, Cyclopentasiloxane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Boron Nitride, Bis-Butyldimethicone Polyglyceryl-3, Butylene Glycol, Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Mica, Phenoxyethanol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Behenyl Alcohol, CI 77120, Aluminum Dimyristate, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Behenic Acid, Stearic Acid, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Stearyl Alcohol, Sodium Lactate, Potassium Hydroxide, Tin Oxide, Sodium PCA, Alumina, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopherol, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, PEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Polysilicone-2
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 AluminaDimethicone 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 DimethiconeGlycerin (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 PhenoxyethanolTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
