What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate
Emulsifying
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Beheneth-5
EmulsifyingC26-28 Alkyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Microcrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingPolyethylene
Abrasive
Paraffin
Skin Conditioning
Synthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Alumina
Abrasive
Acetylated Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polypropylsilsesquioxane
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingTin Oxide
Abrasive
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin Protecting
Propylene Carbonate
SolventEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Aluminum Calcium Sodium Silicate
Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate
Calcium Sodium Borosilicate
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientPalmitic Acid
Emollient
CI 77000
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77163
Cosmetic Colorant
CI 77266
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77400
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77289
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77510
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
CI 77742
Cosmetic ColorantMica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 16035
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Octyldodecanol, Beheneth-5, C26-28 Alkyl Dimethicone, Microcrystalline Wax, Polyethylene, Paraffin, Synthetic Beeswax, Alumina, Acetylated Glycol Stearate, Silica, Phenoxyethanol, Polypropylsilsesquioxane, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Tin Oxide, Tocopherol, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Propylene Carbonate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Aluminum Calcium Sodium Silicate, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Palmitic Acid, CI 77000, CI 77163, CI 77266, CI 42090, CI 77400, CI 77289, CI 77288, CI 77510, Iron Oxides, CI 77742, Mica, CI 16035, CI 77891, CI 77007, CI 19140
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Sodium Stearate
CleansingSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Calcium Sodium Borosilicate
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Silica Silylate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Silica
Abrasive
Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Sodium Phosphate
BufferingDisodium Phosphate
BufferingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77163
Cosmetic Colorant
Water, Butylene Glycol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Sodium Stearate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Sorbitan Stearate, Silica Silylate, Phenoxyethanol, Silica, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Tin Oxide, Sodium Phosphate, Disodium Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Mica, 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.
Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate is made up of calcium, aluminum, and silicates. It is a glass-like material. In cosmetics, it comes in the form of flakes or microspheres.
Calcium aluminum borosilicate is a bulking agent, meaning it helps thicken a product.
This ingredient is created by slowly mixing several minerals, including kaolin clay.
Although “aluminum” in an ingredient name can raise red flags for some consumers, the form and usage context matter significantly. For typical topical applications, there is no substantial evidence of health risks - such as cancer, neurotoxicity, or systemic “aluminum overload.”
Learn more about Calcium Aluminum BorosilicateCalcium Sodium Borosilicate is a bulking agent. It is considered a borosilicate glass; it is composed of powder or flakes of calcium and sodium borosilicates.
This ingredient is used to add volume, shine, and color to products. You'll most likely find this ingredient in makeup products.
According to in-vivo and ex-vivo studies done by a manufacturer, this ingredient works well with UV filters:
Learn more about Calcium Sodium BorosilicateCI 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 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 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 PhenoxyethanolSilica, 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 SilicaSynthetic Fluorphlogopite is the synthethic version of mica. It consists of fluorine, aluminum and silicate.
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite is used to add volume to products.
It is considered non-irritating on the skin.
Learn more about Synthetic FluorphlogopiteTin Oxide is an inorganic oxide used to add opacity and volume to a product. In nature, it is already found in mineral form. The main ore of tin is an opaque and shiny mineral called casseterite.
Tin Oxide helps remove translucency in a product, or make it more opaque. Besides adding opacity, tin oxide is used for bulking to add volume.
