What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Cellulose
Absorbent
Zinc Myristate
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientPhytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Methylparaben
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningSilica
Abrasive
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Algin
Masking
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Rosa Damascena Flower Extract
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Soluble Collagen
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingTalc
Abrasive
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Iron Oxides
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Cellulose, Zinc Myristate, Lauroyl Lysine, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Methylparaben, Tocopherol, Water, Silica, Butylene Glycol, Algin, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Maltodextrin, Lactobacillus, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Rosa Damascena Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Soluble Collagen, Sodium Citrate, Talc, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Iron Oxides
Talc
Abrasive
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientSqualane
Emollient
Polyethylene Terephthalate
Zinc Laurate
Silica
Abrasive
Isostearyl Sebacate
Skin ConditioningEthylparaben
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingStearyl Glycyrrhetinate
Skin ConditioningAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Iron Oxides
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantTalc, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Squalane, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Zinc Laurate, Silica, Isostearyl Sebacate, Ethylparaben, Methylparaben, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Iron Oxides, Mica
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidMethylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben. It is used to prevent the growth of fungus, mold, and other harmful bacteria. Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in both cosmetics and food.
Methylparaben can be synthetically created. It can also be found naturally in some fruits, such as blueberries.
Oftentimes, Methylparaben is combined with other parabens to help increase the shelf life.
The safety of Methylparaben is currently being studied. While ongoing studies are looking into the safety of parabens, the results have been very mixed. Some studies have not found Methylparaben to be harmful.
Learn more about MethylparabenSilica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.
Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.
The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.
It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.
In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.
Learn more about SilicaSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateTalc is a clay mineral. It helps absorb moisture and improve the texture of products. Like other types of clay, Talc can have a slight exfoliating effect on skin. Talc can be added to increase the volume of products.
Some Baby powders are made by combining talc with corn starch. The word "talc" comes from Latin and originates from Arabic. Talc is a mineral commonly found throughout the world.
If you have any concerns about using talc, we recommend checking out the FDA's official page.
Learn more about TalcThis ingredient is a combination of red, black, and yellow iron oxide pigments. This combination of colors is usually found in foundation, because it results in a "skin" color.
The EU typically uses CI numbers for colorants when applicable, such as CI 77489. In the US, iron oxides are regulated as color additives and "iron oxides" is the most commonly used name in US cosmetic practice.
A 2021 paper looked at skincare formulations containing iron oxides and found that they reduced transmission of blue light when measured optically. In simple terms, the pigment particles helped block or scatter part of the visible light spectrum in lab testing and the authors suggest this could translate into better protection against blue-light-related skin effects.
There is also clinical and experimental research showing that tinted products containing iron oxides can reduce visible light-induced pigmentation:
Please note, whether a product reduces visible or blue light depends on things like:
In the EU's CosIng database, iron oxides are only listed as a colorant. CosIng groups ingredients by their main cosmetic role, such as colorant, preservative, or UV filter.
Though studies say iron oxides can "attenuate blue light", they're describing an optical property and not an officially recognized cosmetic function.
So CosIng isn’t contradicting the research. It’s just classifying iron oxides by what they officially are: pigments that add color.
Learn more about Iron Oxides
