Bubble Secret Agent Color Correcting Balm Redness Fix Versus Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Soothing Color Correcting Treatment SPF 40
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientC13-15 Alkane
SolventPropanediol
SolventDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPolyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate
EmulsifyingButyloctyl Salicylate
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate
EmulsifyingHdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Silica
AbrasiveSqualane
EmollientDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingIsononanoic Acid
Hydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingRicinus Communis Seed Oil
MaskingNiacinamide
SmoothingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Titanium Triisostearate
EmollientAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
AbrasiveGlycerin
HumectantPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeOctadecenedioic Acid
EmulsifyingHelianthus Annuus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantCellulose Acetate
Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer
Propylene Glycol Stearate
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Benzoate
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Sodium Glycolate
BufferingSodium Formate
BufferingAlpha-Arbutin
AntioxidantTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
AntioxidantBakuchiol
AntimicrobialCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantChromium
Water, Isononyl Isononanoate, C13-15 Alkane, Propanediol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Silica, Squalane, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Isononanoic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Niacinamide, Allantoin, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Glycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Octadecenedioic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract, Tocopherol, Cellulose Acetate, Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Propylene Glycol Stearate, Magnesium Stearate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Glycolate, Sodium Formate, Alpha-Arbutin, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Bakuchiol, CI 77891, CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499, Chromium
Water
Skin ConditioningZinc Oxide
Cosmetic ColorantIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlycerin
HumectantButyloctyl Salicylate
Skin ConditioningLauryl PEG-10 Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone
EmulsifyingLauryl Polyglyceryl-3 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic ColorantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingTriheptanoin
Skin ConditioningSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingMagnesium Sulfate
Pentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningBeeswax
Emulsion StabilisingCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientAsiaticoside
AntioxidantMadecassic Acid
Skin ConditioningAsiatic Acid
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-8
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantPolyglyceryl-4 Oleate
EmulsifyingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingTocopherol
AntioxidantDimethicone
EmollientZea Mays Starch
AbsorbentSilica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingStearic Acid
CleansingSodium Surfactin
CleansingIsopentyldiol
HumectantPropanediol
SolventZein
Skin ConditioningDextran
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Zinc Oxide, Isononyl Isononanoate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Lauryl PEG-10 Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone, Lauryl Polyglyceryl-3 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Titanium Dioxide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Triheptanoin, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Magnesium Sulfate, Pentylene Glycol, Beeswax, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Niacinamide, Allantoin, Glyceryl Caprylate, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8, Caprylyl Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Tocopherol, Dimethicone, Zea Mays Starch, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Stearic Acid, Sodium Surfactin, Isopentyldiol, Propanediol, Zein, Dextran, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, CI 77492, CI 77891, CI 77288, CI 77491
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinButyloctyl Salicylate is a chemical UV filter structurally similar to octisalate. It is a photostabilizer, SPF booster, emollient and solvent. This ingredient helps evenly spread out ingredients.
According to a manufacturer, it is suitable for pairing with micro Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, and pigments.
Photostabilizers help stabilize UV-filters and prevents them from degrading quickly.
Learn more about Butyloctyl SalicylateC12-15 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 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 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 GlycerinHydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.
It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.
Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.
A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Learn more about Hydrogenated LecithinIsononyl 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 IsononanoateNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamidePropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolTocopherol 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