What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialZinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Isoceteth-10
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Arnica Montana Flower Extract
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Squalane
Emollient
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
CI 26100
Cosmetic ColorantCyclopentasiloxane, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Zinc Oxide, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Silica, Isoceteth-10, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycine Soja Oil, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Tocopherol, Squalane, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Bisabolol, CI 26100
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Isoceteth-10
EmulsifyingTrisiloxane
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Aroma
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Swertia Chirata Extract
HumectantCI 47000
Cosmetic ColorantParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Silica, Isoceteth-10, Trisiloxane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Octocrylene, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Bisabolol, Aroma, Saccharide Isomerate, Maltodextrin, Swertia Chirata Extract, CI 47000, Paraffinum Liquidum, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bisabolol is a gentle skin conditioner, antioxidant, and soothing ingredient.
It's primary claim to fame is soothing and research shows topically applied bisabolol can quiet the chemical messengers that cause your skin to become inflamed, helping to sooth any irritation.
A clinical study found that applying 0.5% bisabolol daily for 8 weeks produced an average 9% decrease in skin pigmentation. Researchers found it can also suppress the process that leads to excess melanin production in skin.
In vitro studies found that bisabolol combined with propylene glycol significantly increased skin permeability by increasing lipid fluidity in the stratum corneum.
You'll likely see use concentrations quite low, usually 0.1-0.2%.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated ingredient that works well in formulas designed for sensitive, reactive, or post-procedure skin.
Learn more about BisabololC12-15 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 BenzoateCyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.
Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.
The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics
There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.
Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.
The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneThis ingredient is a silicone elastomer that works as a texture enhancer, adds a silky slip, and also helps absorb excess oil.
Because it's a large macromolecule that's insoluble in water and chemically inert, it's not expected to penetrate or be absorbed into skin.
Human patch tests with a facial lotion containing 1% of this ingredient found no sensitization.
Learn more about Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone CrosspolymerEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinWe don't have a description for Isoceteth-10 yet.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Silica, 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
