What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Polyglyceryl-3 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientStearic Acid
Cleansing
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Propylheptyl Caprylate
EmollientZea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingCeteareth-12
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientGlyceryl Undecylenate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol
UV AbsorberParfum
Masking
Tetrasodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Dimethicone, Titanium Dioxide, Polyglyceryl-3 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Aluminum Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Zinc Oxide, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Propylheptyl Caprylate, Zea Mays Starch, Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Glyceryl Stearate, Ceteareth-20, Ceteareth-12, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Sorbitan Olivate, Benzyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Cetyl Alcohol, Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol, Parfum, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientTriethoxycaprylylsilane
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Diheptyl Succinate
EmollientCapryloyl Glycerin
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Glycyrrhizinate
Skin ConditioningEDTA
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Phospholipids, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Dimethicone, Aluminum Hydroxide, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Diheptyl Succinate, Capryloyl Glycerin, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Potassium Glycyrrhizinate, EDTA
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 HydroxideCeteareth-20 is an emulsifier and surfactant made by reacting cetearyl alcohol with 20 moles of ethylene oxide.
This gives it both oil and water-loving properties that makes it an effect emulsifier; it's really great at pulling oil droplets into water to create a stable, creamy, and easy-to-spread base.
Typical use ranges from 0.5-30%. Most leave-on products are in the 1-10% zone.
The 20 ethylene oxide units is well above the PEG-10 threshold and therefore not a food source for Malassezia (it's fungal acne safe).
This ingredient has a comedogenic rating of 2 and an irritancy rating of 3. These numbers come from testing the raw ingredient on rabbit ears and doesn't reflect how it will behave in a finished product.
In practice, this ingredient is a well-tolerated ingredient. The ratings reflect cautious lab conditions and not real-world use. Just be sure to patch test any formulas you feel unsure about.
Learn more about Ceteareth-20Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholDimethicone 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 DimethiconeSorbitan Olivate is created from the fatty acids in olive oil and sorbitol.
This ingredient is an oil in water emulsifier. It helps stabilize a product by preventing oils and waters from separating. Sorbitan Olivate also helps hydrate the skin.
This ingredient is also known as part of Olivem 1000, with Cetearyl Olivate being the other part.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient helps preserve the natural microbiome of skin. Having a healthy microbiome helps keep our skin healthy and protects against harmful bacteria.
Please note, having a healthy microbiome is different from fungal acne; a healthy microbiome includes small amounts of yeast that normally live on your skin without causing problems.
Fungal acne happens when one type of yeast (Malassezia) grows out of control. This is usually because it's feeding on certain oils or fatty acids. Due to the olive oil base, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Sorbitan OlivateTriethoxycaprylylsilane is a silicon-based surface modifier that makes sunscreens feel silky and makeup stay put.
Its main job is to coat mineral particles like titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and color pigments in a thin, oily layer so they spread smoothly, don't clump, and stick to skin better.
This ingredient is typically used at low levels (up to 2.5% in eyeshadow and 1% in lipstick).
Learn more about TriethoxycaprylylsilaneWater. 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
