What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientTriethylhexanoin
MaskingC20-40 Acid
CleansingC20-40 Alcohols
EmulsifyingPolyethylene
AbrasiveSynthetic Wax
AbrasiveGlyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate
EmollientEthylene/Propylene Copolymer
AbrasiveEthylcellulose
Boron Nitride
AbsorbentTocopherol
AntioxidantAscorbyl Palmitate
AntioxidantVp/Eicosene Copolymer
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77400
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77000
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77163
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77289
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77510
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77742
Cosmetic ColorantCI 75470
Cosmetic ColorantDiisostearyl Malate, Triethylhexanoin, C20-40 Acid, C20-40 Alcohols, Polyethylene, Synthetic Wax, Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate, Ethylene/Propylene Copolymer, Ethylcellulose, Boron Nitride, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Mica, CI 77891, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77400, CI 77000, CI 77163, CI 19140, CI 77007, CI 42090, CI 77289, CI 77288, CI 77510, CI 77742, CI 75470
Isododecane
EmollientCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientPEG/PPG-19/19 Dimethicone
EmulsifyingSynthetic Wax
AbrasiveHydrogenated Polydicyclopentadiene
Nylon-12
C20-40 Alcohols
EmulsifyingPerfluorononyl Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate
EmulsifyingPolyethylene
AbrasiveTocopherol
AntioxidantPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantMica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77510
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77742
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77289
Cosmetic ColorantCI 75470
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77163
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77000
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantIsododecane, Cyclopentasiloxane, PEG/PPG-19/19 Dimethicone, Synthetic Wax, Hydrogenated Polydicyclopentadiene, Nylon-12, C20-40 Alcohols, Perfluorononyl Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate, Polyethylene, Tocopherol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, Mica, CI 77510, CI 77742, CI 19140, CI 77288, CI 77289, CI 75470, CI 77163, CI 77891, CI 77000, CI 42090, CI 77007
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
We don't have a description for C20-40 Alcohols yet.
CI 19140 is also known as Tartrazine. Tartrazine is a synthetic dye used in cosmetics, foods, and medicine to add a yellow color.
Tartrazine is created from petroleum and is water-soluble.
Some people may experience allergies from this dye, especially asthmatics and those with an aspirin intolerance.
Learn more about CI 19140Ci 42090 is a synthetic dye created from petroleum. It is used to give a bright blue color to cosmetics, medicine, and food.
Ci 75470 is a bright-red pigment. It is AKA carmine.
Carmine is derived from insects such as the cochineal beetle. This ingredient has been used as a natural dye for over 2000 years.
We don't have a description for CI 77000 yet.
This pigment is called Ultramarine blue lazurite. It gives a saturated blue color, but can be used to create other colors as well.
According to the manufacturer, it is usually made from kaolin, sodium sulfate, sodium carbonate, sulfur, and charcoal.
CI 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 77163Ci 77288 is used to add green pigment to products.
We don't have a description for CI 77289 yet.
Ci 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 77499 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It is created from mixing red and black iron oxides. This helps give shades of darkness to a product.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
This ingredient is used to impart a blue color. It is not water-soluble.
It goes by two different names:
1. Ferric Ferrocyanide: a synthetic dark blue pigment
2. Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide: a synthetic blue pigment, also called Prussian blue
In the EU, both of these colors must be labeled as 'CI 77510'.
Learn more about CI 77510This ingredient is used to add a violet color to cosmetics.
It is created by reacting phosphoric acid, ammonium dihydrogen orthophosphate, and manganese dioxide.
Ci 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 77891Mica 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 MicaPolyethylene is a synthetic ingredient that helps the skin retain moisture. It is a polymer.
It is also typically used within product formulations to help bind solid ingredients together and thicken oil-based ingredients. When added to balms and emulsions, it helps increase the melting point temperature.
Synthetic Wax is a manufactured hydrocarbon wax. In formulas, it works as an occlusive emollient that helps reduce water loss and improves the spreadability of products.
Research comparing synthetic wax to traditional mineral-derived products found that formulas containing it perform as well for skin hydration.
It is considered non-comedogenic and vegan-friendly.
This ingredient has a well-established safety record by the CIR Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety.
Synthetic Waxes are straight/branched-chain hydrocarbons with no ester bond or fatty acids. That means there is nothing for the Malassezia yeast to feed on.
Learn more about Synthetic WaxTocopherol 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 Tocopherol