What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialSynthetic Wax
Abrasive
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientSilica
Abrasive
Helianthus Annuus Seed Cera
Emollient
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingOlea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Carbonate
SolventHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Rhus Verniciflua Peel Cera
EmollientShorea Robusta Resin
TonicTocopherol
Antioxidant
Beta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Squalene
Emollient
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15850
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantRicinus Communis Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Synthetic Wax, Isononyl Isononanoate, Silica, Helianthus Annuus Seed Cera, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables, Propylene Carbonate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Rhus Verniciflua Peel Cera, Shorea Robusta Resin, Tocopherol, Beta-Sitosterol, Squalene, CI 77891, CI 15850, CI 19140
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Euphorbia Cerifera Cera
Astringent
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientSilica
Abrasive
Parfum
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Wax
Skin ConditioningMangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantStearalkonium Hectorite
Gel FormingIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Bis-Stearyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate
Emollient
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15850
Cosmetic ColorantCI 73360
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantRicinus Communis Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Silica, Parfum, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Wax, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Mica, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Isopropyl Myristate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Bis-Stearyl Dimethicone, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, Palmitic Acid, Limonene, Linalool, CI 77891, CI 77492, CI 15850, CI 73360, CI 19140
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is a lightweight emollient made by combinig benzoic acid with fatty alcohols that are 12-15 carbons long.
In cosmetics, it plays several roles:
The Cosmetic Review Expert Panel has concluded the alkyl benzoate group to be safe as used in cosmetics; it wasn't found to be a skin irritant and unlikely to be absorbed due to its low water solubility.
This report recorded almost 1000 reported uses with concentrations up to 59% in leave-on products but your cosmetics will typically use 0.5-15% depending on the product.
It's often called a "SPF booster": this is because it keeps UV filters properly dissolved and evenly distributed to support a sunscreen's performance. It doesn't actually raise SPF on its own.
Overall, this ingredient is well tolerated.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because it is an ester of benzoic acid.
Think of this ingredient as two parts stuck together: an oily part and an acid part. Malassezia only gets a meal when it can snip off a fatty acid to eat. With C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, the acid part is benzoic acid, which isn't a fatty acid and which the yeast can't use as food.
Benzoic acid is actually used as a preservative to stop yeast from growing.
The oily part is a blend of C12-15 fatty alcohols but fatty alcohols in this size range can support only a little Malassezia growth (mostly for one species of Malassezia as well).
In the ingredient, those alcohols stay locked inside the molecule. The yeast can only reach them by snipping the benzoate bond, and that type of bond is harder for it to cut than a normal fatty bond.
So not much gets released. And whatever does get snipped comes packaged with benzoic acid, which discourages yeast growth.
Learn more about C12-15 Alkyl BenzoateCi 15850 is the pigment color red. It is an azo dye and created synthetically.
Azo dyes need to be thoroughly purified before use. This allows them to be more stable and longer-lasting.
This ingredient is common in foundations, lipsticks, and blushes. This color is described as brown/orangey red.
It has many secondary names such as Red 6 and Red 7. According to a manufacturer, Red 6 usually contains aluminum.
Learn more about CI 15850CI 19140 is also known as Tartrazine. Tartrazine is a synthetic dye used in cosmetics, foods, and medicine to add a yellow color.
Tartrazine is created from petroleum and is water-soluble.
Some people may experience allergies from this dye, especially asthmatics and those with an aspirin intolerance.
Learn more about CI 19140Ci 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 77891Ethylhexyl Palmitate, also known as octyl palmitate, is created from 2-ethylhexyl alcohol and palmitic acid.
In cosmetics, it plays many roles:
One thing worth noting: a controlled study found this ingredient applied under occlusion to acne-prone subjects increased microcomedones. Just keep in mind this was under occlusive conditions and don't reflect how most products are used day-to-day.
For most people, this is a well-tolerated and lightweight ingredient.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because it is an ester of palmitic acid, a C16 fatty acid that falls within the C11-24 range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Ethylhexyl PalmitateIsononyl Isononanoate is a synthetic skin-conditioner and texture enhancer. It is created from nonanoic acid, a fatty acid found in cocoa and lavender oil.
As an emollient, Isononyl Isononanoate helps keep your skin soft and smooth. This is because emollients create a barrier on the skin to trap moisture in.
Isononyl Isononanoate helps give products a velvet feel and improves spreadability.
Learn more about Isononyl IsononanoateThis ingredient is also known as Avocado oil. It's the cold-pressed oil from the flesh of the avocado fruit packed with fatty acids (mostly oleic acid).
The rich fatty acid profile allows it to function as a skin conditioning agent and emollient; it helps soften and smooth skin while reducing water loss.
Preclinical research has found that topical avocado oil increased collagen synthesis and reduced inflammation during wound healing, giving it some skin-repairing credibility.
The unsaponifiable fraction of the oil is also interesting: studies on avocado unsaponifiables showed that it helped skin produce more collagen and other structural compounds that support healing.
The CIR Expert Panel has found this ingredient to be non-irritating in formulations.
It's a great ingredient for dry or compromised skin. Just know it may not be fungal acne safe. This is because the oleic acid content falls within the range that Malassezia can use as a food source.
Learn more about Persea Gratissima OilThis ingredient is also known as castor oil. It is a skin conditioning ingredient.
The star component of castor oil is ricinoleic acid, an unusual fatty acid that makes up ~80-92% of its composition.
In skincare, it is an emollient that dries down to a solid film with water-binding properties. This helps keep skin hydrated and helps reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
A 2026 dermatology review pulls together its broader uses:
Human clinical testing found this ingredient to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Because castor oil contains fatty acids in the C11-24 range, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
At this time, the literature does not support castor oil in regrowing hair. A 2022 systematic review found no strong evidence that it supports hair growth and only weak evidence that it improves hair shine.
Castor oil itself carries "perfuming" and "masking" function tags according to the official CosIng database. This is because of its mild odor and odor-dampening properties.
Learn more about Ricinus Communis Seed OilSilica, 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 Silica
