What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMethyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientNiacinamide
Smoothing
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Polyaspartate
HumectantAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Resveratrol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Trihydroxystearin
Skin Conditioning
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
PPG-15 Stearyl Ether
EmollientPEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitol
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Micrococcus Lysate
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Isostearate
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Zinc Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantDimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
Alumina
Abrasive
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Silica
Abrasive
Glyceryl Polymethacrylate
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingMagnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPEG-8
HumectantDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingPropylene Glycol Caprylate
Skin ConditioningVinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
Polysilicone-11
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Chloride
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantBHT
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77163
Cosmetic Colorant
Water, Methyl Trimethicone, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Niacinamide, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Glycerin, Sodium Polyaspartate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Caffeine, Phytosphingosine, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Resveratrol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Salicylic Acid, Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Trihydroxystearin, Triethyl Citrate, PPG-15 Stearyl Ether, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Sorbitol, Trehalose, Micrococcus Lysate, Isopropyl Isostearate, Lecithin, Zinc Stearate, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Alumina, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Silica, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Laureth-7, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Hexylene Glycol, PEG-8, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Propylene Glycol Caprylate, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Polysilicone-11, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Dipropylene Glycol, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Citrate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Mica, CI 77891, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77163
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCI 77163 is the color-index name for Bismuth Oxychloride, a lab-made white powder that acts as a pearl pigment.
It's what gives a lot of pressed powders, eyeshadows, highlighteres, and mineral foundations that soft pearly glow.
Due to its structure as flat, plate-like crystals that stack like tiles, it feels silky and sticks to skin well. This also makes it very chemically stable and insoluble under normal skin conditions (this just means it sits on top of skin rather than going into it).
It has an interesting quirk: it slowly goes gray in sunlight and the graying is partly reversible in the dark.
At this time, there's no legal cap on how much a brand can use. Both the FDA and the EU permit it without restriction so real-world concentration levels come down to formulation:
Allergy risk is low as well since it's insoluble and doesn't release free metal ions into skin. True allergic contact dermatitis to it is rare enough that there's very little published cases.
However, mineral makeup users do report itching or stinging. The leading explanation for this is irritation from those stiff platelet crystals rubbing on skin (also more likely with heavy, high-percentage loose mineral powders) rather than an immune reaction.
This ingredient shows up on a lot of "pore-clogging" lists but there's no real evidence behind that. It doesn't even have a comedogenic rating from an actual study; the numbers you'll find online come from blogs citing other blogs.
Some people still find it breaks them out. So if that's you, definitely trust your skin.
Learn more about CI 77163Mica is a naturally occurring mineral used to add shimmer and color in cosmetics. It can also help improve the texture of a product or give it an opaque, white/silver color.
Serecite is the name for very fine but ragged grains of mica.
This ingredient is often coated with metal oxides like titanium dioxide. Trace amounts of heavy metals may be found in mica, but these metals are not harmful in our personal products.
Mica has been used since prehistoric times throughout the world. Ancient Egyptian, Indian, Greek, Roman, Aztec, and Chinese civilizations have used mica.
Learn more about MicaPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolTocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.
Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.
It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.
One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.
Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.
Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.
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.
Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.
The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.
Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.
Learn more about Tocopheryl Acetate
