What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Zinc Oxide 20%
Cosmetic Colorant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogen Dimethicone
Microcrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sodium Chloride
MaskingStearyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Triethanolamine
BufferingTriethoxycaprylylsilane
Water
Skin ConditioningZinc Oxide 20%, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethiconol, Disodium EDTA, Glycerin, Hydrogen Dimethicone, Microcrystalline Wax, PEG-10 Dimethicone, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Chloride, Stearyl Dimethicone, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethanolamine, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Water
Water
Skin ConditioningOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Polypropylsilsesquioxane
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Cetyl Diglyceryl Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone
Emulsion Stabilising
Isododecane
EmollientPPG-24-Glycereth-24
EmulsifyingCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Xanthophylls
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Octyldodecyl Xyloside
EmulsifyingPEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Emulsifying
Magnesium Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantTriethoxycaprylylsilane
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Methylpropanediol
SolventCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyquaternium-80
CleansingDidecyldimonium Chloride
EmulsifyingMagnesium Sulfate
Sodium Chloride
MaskingMagnesium Myristate
Water, Octyldodecanol, Dimethicone, Alcohol Denat., Polypropylsilsesquioxane, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Cetyl Diglyceryl Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone, Isododecane, PPG-24-Glycereth-24, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Xanthophylls, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Betaine, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Octyldodecyl Xyloside, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Magnesium Stearate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Methylpropanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyquaternium-80, Didecyldimonium Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Magnesium Myristate
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 BenzoateCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.
Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.
The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics
There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.
Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.
The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDimethicone Crosspolymer is a silicone created by modifying dimethicone with hydrocarbon side chains. Due to its large size, it does not penetrate skin. It is considered non-occlusive.
Dimethicone Crosspolymer is used to stabilize and thicken products. It also helps give products a silky feel.
This ingredient is a silicone elastomer that works as a texture enhancer, adds a silky slip, and also helps absorb excess oil.
Because it's a large macromolecule that's insoluble in water and chemically inert, it's not expected to penetrate or be absorbed into skin.
Human patch tests with a facial lotion containing 1% of this ingredient found no sensitization.
Learn more about Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone CrosspolymerThis ingredient is an emulsifier that keeps the oily and watery parts of a formula blended together. Its real party trick is making thin, flowable, and very stable emulsions.
Typical use sits around 2-4% (a bit higher for sunscreens and foundations).
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics and noted the large molecules aren't likely to be absorbed into skin.
Because it carries a fatty-acid ester component (stearic acid), it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about PEG-30 DipolyhydroxystearatePolyhydroxystearic Acid is a vegetable-derived soft wax made from castor oil. It's an emulsion stabilizer, thickener, and film former.
You'll likely see it in sunscreens because it helps disperse pigments and UV-reflecting minerals like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide evenly.
Depending on the concentration, it can drastically change the texture of a product from pasty solid (like lipstick) to sprayable liquid.
The CIR Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics. The highest reported use concentration is 14.2% in lipsticks.
Learn more about Polyhydroxystearic AcidChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideTriethoxycaprylylsilane is a silicon-based surface modifier that makes sunscreens feel silky and makeup stay put.
Its main job is to coat mineral particles like titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and color pigments in a thin, oily layer so they spread smoothly, don't clump, and stick to skin better.
This ingredient is typically used at low levels (up to 2.5% in eyeshadow and 1% in lipstick).
Learn more about TriethoxycaprylylsilaneWater. 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
