What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsododecane
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientTrisiloxane
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Bis-Hydroxyethoxypropyl Dimethicone/Ipdi Copolymer Ethylcarbamate
Quaternium-90 Bentonite
Calcium Sodium Borosilicate
Di-C12-13 Alkyl Tartrate
EmollientDiisostearyl Malate
EmollientSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Chloride
MaskingAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Saccharomyces Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Menthyl PCA
HumectantMarrubium Vulgare Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Dextrin Palmitate
Emulsifying
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Alumina
Abrasive
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Polyphenylsilsesquioxane
C20-24 Olefin
Skin ConditioningPropylene Carbonate
SolventGlycogen
HumectantTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Isomalt
HumectantLauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Phytol
Emollient
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
Water, Isododecane, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Trisiloxane, Silica, Bis-Hydroxyethoxypropyl Dimethicone/Ipdi Copolymer Ethylcarbamate, Quaternium-90 Bentonite, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Di-C12-13 Alkyl Tartrate, Diisostearyl Malate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, Alcohol, Saccharomyces Ferment, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Menthyl PCA, Marrubium Vulgare Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Dextrin Palmitate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Alumina, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polyphenylsilsesquioxane, C20-24 Olefin, Propylene Carbonate, Glycogen, Tocopheryl Acetate, Isomalt, Lauroyl Lysine, Citric Acid, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Phytol, CI 77891, Iron Oxides
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Triethanolamine
BufferingSalicylic Acid
Masking
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingEperua Falcata Bark Extract
Skin ProtectingTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Salicylic Acid, Aluminum Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Eperua Falcata Bark Extract, Titanium Dioxide, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethicone 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 DimethiconeDimethicone Crosspolymer is a silicone created by modifying dimethicone with hydrocarbon side chains. Due to its large size, it does not penetrate skin. It is considered non-occlusive.
Dimethicone Crosspolymer is used to stabilize and thicken products. It also helps give products a silky feel.
Glycerin (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 PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
