What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Zinc Oxide 12%
Cosmetic Colorant
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialButyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
Lauryl PEG-8 Dimethicone
Surfactant
Isododecane
EmollientPropanediol
Solvent
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Tridecyl Salicylate
Skin ConditioningDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Trilaureth-4 Phosphate
EmulsifyingDimethiconol
Emollient
Lauryl PEG-10 Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantPolyester-1
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Sodium Chloride
MaskingBisabolol
Antioxidant
Disodium Lauriminodipropionate Tocopheryl Phosphates
CleansingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Isoceteth-10
EmulsifyingZein
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingDimethylmethoxy Chromanol
Antioxidant
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Silica
Abrasive
Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Pod Extract
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Sprout Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Myristoyl Glutamate
CleansingAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
Zinc Oxide 12%, Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Lauryl PEG-8 Dimethicone, Isododecane, Propanediol, Caprylyl Methicone, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Tridecyl Salicylate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Trilaureth-4 Phosphate, Dimethiconol, Lauryl PEG-10 Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone, Mica, Polyester-1, Maltodextrin, Sodium Chloride, Bisabolol, Disodium Lauriminodipropionate Tocopheryl Phosphates, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Allantoin, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Caprylyl Glycol, Isoceteth-10, Zein, Hexylene Glycol, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Zea Mays Starch, Silica, Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Pod Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Helianthus Annuus Sprout Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Myristoyl Glutamate, Aluminum Hydroxide, CI 77891, Iron Oxides
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Tribehenin
Emollient
Polyurethane-62
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Hexyl Laurate
Emollient
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAluminum Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantPanthenyl Triacetate
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethyl Linoleate
Emollient
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Alumina
Abrasive
Olea Europaea Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Sorbitol/Sebacic Acid Copolymer Behenate
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Oleyl Alcohol
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Isostearic Acid
Cleansing
Disodium EDTA
Polyquaternium-7
Iron Oxides
Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tocopherol, Sorbitan Stearate, Pentylene Glycol, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Tribehenin, Polyurethane-62, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Hexyl Laurate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Aluminum Stearate, Panthenyl Triacetate, Propylene Glycol, Ethyl Linoleate, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, Alumina, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Sorbitol/Sebacic Acid Copolymer Behenate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Trideceth-6, Phenoxyethanol, Oleyl Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Isostearic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Polyquaternium-7, Iron Oxides
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is a lightweight emollient made by combinig benzoic acid with fatty alcohols that are 12-15 carbons long.
In cosmetics, it plays several roles:
The Cosmetic Review Expert Panel has concluded the alkyl benzoate group to be safe as used in cosmetics; it wasn't found to be a skin irritant and unlikely to be absorbed due to its low water solubility.
This report recorded almost 1000 reported uses with concentrations up to 59% in leave-on products but your cosmetics will typically use 0.5-15% depending on the product.
It's often called a "SPF booster": this is because it keeps UV filters properly dissolved and evenly distributed to support a sunscreen's performance. It doesn't actually raise SPF on its own.
Overall, this ingredient is well tolerated.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because it is an ester of benzoic acid.
Think of this ingredient as two parts stuck together: an oily part and an acid part. Malassezia only gets a meal when it can snip off a fatty acid to eat. With C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, the acid part is benzoic acid, which isn't a fatty acid and which the yeast can't use as food.
Benzoic acid is actually used as a preservative to stop yeast from growing.
The oily part is a blend of C12-15 fatty alcohols but fatty alcohols in this size range can support only a little Malassezia growth (mostly for one species of Malassezia as well).
In the ingredient, those alcohols stay locked inside the molecule. The yeast can only reach them by snipping the benzoate bond, and that type of bond is harder for it to cut than a normal fatty bond.
So not much gets released. And whatever does get snipped comes packaged with benzoic acid, which discourages yeast growth.
Learn more about C12-15 Alkyl BenzoateCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinPhenoxyethanol 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 WaterThis 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
