What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclomethicone
EmollientPropylene Glycol
HumectantHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientTalc
AbrasiveTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic ColorantEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV AbsorberAluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
AbsorbentCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingBenzophenone-3
UV AbsorberEthoxydiglycol
HumectantSulfur
AntiseborrhoeicCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
EmollientMagnesium Aluminum Silicate
AbsorbentTocopherol
AntioxidantSorbitan Caprylate
EmulsifyingDipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantTriethanolamine
BufferingBisabolol
AntioxidantMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
AntioxidantHyaluronic Acid
HumectantWater, Cyclomethicone, Propylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Talc, Titanium Dioxide, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Polysorbate 20, Benzophenone-3, Ethoxydiglycol, Sulfur, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Tocopherol, Sorbitan Caprylate, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Triethanolamine, Bisabolol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Hyaluronic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV AbsorberEthylhexyl Salicylate
UV AbsorberHomosalate
Skin ConditioningButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV AbsorberOctocrylene
UV AbsorberPolymethyl Methacrylate
Butylene Glycol
HumectantButyloctyl Salicylate
Skin ConditioningBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientCyclohexasiloxane
EmollientArachidyl Alcohol
EmollientPolyester-7
Skin ConditioningBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientBisabolol
AntioxidantCetyl Alcohol
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeStearyl Alcohol
EmollientNeopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialArachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingPropanediol
SolventPolyacrylate-13
Disodium EDTA
Parfum
MaskingPolyisobutene
Pongamia Glabra Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingArtemisia Capillaris Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Homosalate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Octocrylene, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Butylene Glycol, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Arachidyl Alcohol, Polyester-7, Behenyl Alcohol, Bisabolol, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Stearyl Alcohol, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Chlorphenesin, Arachidyl Glucoside, Propanediol, Polyacrylate-13, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Polyisobutene, Pongamia Glabra Seed Oil, Polysorbate 20, Artemisia Capillaris Flower Extract
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bisabolol is a gentle skin conditioner, antioxidant, and soothing ingredient.
It's primary claim to fame is soothing and research shows topically applied bisabolol can quiet the chemical messengers that cause your skin to become inflamed, helping to sooth any irritation.
A clinical study found that applying 0.5% bisabolol daily for 8 weeks produced an average 9% decrease in skin pigmentation. Researchers found it can also suppress the process that leads to excess melanin production in skin.
In vitro studies found that bisabolol combined with propylene glycol significantly increased skin permeability by increasing lipid fluidity in the stratum corneum.
You'll likely see use concentrations quite low, usually 0.1-0.2%.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated ingredient that works well in formulas designed for sensitive, reactive, or post-procedure skin.
Learn more about BisabololCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate is an organic compound that provides UVB protection. It often goes by the more common name of octinoxate. It is created from methoxycinnamic acid and 2-ethylhexanol.
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate absorbs UVB rays with wavelengths between 280-320 nm. UV absorbers protect your skin by using chemical reactions to convert UV rays into heat and energy.
UVB (290-320 nm) rays emit more energy than UVA rays. They are capable of damaging DNA, causing sunburns and are thought to be linked to skin cancer.
The state of Hawaii has banned sunscreens containing octinoxate due to its potential impact on coral reefs. More research is needed to bridge gaps in this research. The European Union allows higher levels of octinoxate in sunscreens than the US and Australia.
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate is oil soluble. It is not stable and may lose efficacy when exposed to sunlight.
Learn more about Ethylhexyl MethoxycinnamatePolysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Water. 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 Water