What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Talc
Abrasive
Isostearyl Linoleate
EmollientTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Trimyristin
Skin Conditioning
Alumina
Abrasive
Methicone
Emollient
Tetrasodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
CI 77742
Cosmetic ColorantCI 73360
Cosmetic ColorantCI 75470
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77163
Cosmetic Colorant
CI 15850
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Boron Nitride
Absorbent
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Alumina
Abrasive
Zinc Laurate
Methicone
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientHydrogen Dimethicone
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77163
Cosmetic Colorant
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Boron Nitride, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Silica, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Alumina, Zinc Laurate, Methicone, Dimethicone, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Hydrogen Dimethicone, Tocopherol, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77891, CI 77163
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alumina (aka aluminum oxide) is an inorganic mineral powder refined from bauxite that works as a quiet workhorse in a formula.
It shows up often as an abrasive, absorbent, anticaking, bulking, and viscosity-controlling agent.
One of its most common jobs is acting as a pigment carrier and dispersant.
Alumina platelets are often blended with inorganic sunscreens like Titanium Dioxide (or with colorants) and then coated with a silicone such as Triethoxycaprylylsilane so the pigment spreads evenly and smoothly.
In makeup, it can also double as a light-diffusing powder or oil absorber to keep formulas from looking greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded alumina to be safe in present practices of use and concentration.
They note it's a stable, oxidized compound and scientific research has failed to establish links to health issues.
Concentrations vary depending on the product:
Learn more about AluminaCI 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 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 77891Methicone is a type of silicone and is a simpler form of dimethicone.
Silicones are used to enhance the texture of products and have emollient properties. Methicone is used to give products a silky texture and improves spreadability.
Tocopherol 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
