What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Mica
Cosmetic Colorant
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin ConditioningSilica
Abrasive
Boron Nitride
AbsorbentIsostearyl Neopentanoate
Emollient
Stearoyl Glutamic Acid
CleansingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Powder
Exfoliating
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Ethyl Linoleate
Emollient
Ethyl Linolenate
Emollient
Ethyl Oleate
Emollient
Iron Oxides
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantMica
Cosmetic Colorant
Silica
Abrasive
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin ConditioningIllite
Abrasive
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Calcium Chloride
AstringentHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Bisabolol
Masking
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Iron Oxides
Mica, Silica, Lauroyl Lysine, Illite, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Niacinamide, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Calcium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Tocopherol, Bisabolol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Phytosphingosine, Persea Gratissima Oil, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Iron Oxides
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dehydroacetic Acid is fungicide and bactericide. It is used as a preservative in cosmetics. Preservatives help elongate the shelf life of a product.
Dehydroacetic Acid is not soluble in water.
This ingredient comes from a fatty acid (lauric acid) and amino acid (lysine). It is used to add a silky feel to cosmetics.
According to a manufacturer, its fatty acid base leaves a silky feeling on the skin. It also has emollient properties because of this. Emollients help soften skin by preventing water from evaporating.
Lauroyl lysine is barely soluble in water.
Learn more about Lauroyl LysineMica 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 MicaPhytosphingosine is a phospholipid naturally found in our skin as a building block for ceramides.. It helps moisturize, soothe, and protect skin.
Phytosphingosine contributes to your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF). The NMF is responsible for hydration, a strong barrier, and plasticity. Our NMF decreases with age. Increasing NMF leads to more healthy and hydrated skin.
Studies show products formulated with NMF ingredients help strengthen our skin's barrier. Having a healthy skin barrier reduces irritation and increases hydration. Our skin barrier is responsible for having plump and firm skin. It also helps protect our skin against infection, allergies, and inflammation.
Fun fact: Phytosphingosine is abundant in plants and fungi.
More ingredients that help boost collagen in skin:
Learn more about PhytosphingosineSilica, 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 SilicaTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THD) is a stable and oil-soluble form of Vitamin C.
THD is special in that it has the ability to travel deeper into skin than traditional ascorbic acid while maintaining the same skin benefits (double win!).
Because it’s oil-soluble, THD dives deep into your skin’s fatty layers (think ceramides and cholesterol) to fight off the kind of free radicals that mess with your skin barrier. This makes it a great pair with water-based vitamin C (ascorbic acid) that mainly works on the surface.
Even at just 0.1%, THD is already showing great antioxidant activity. When used up to 2%, it helps keep your skin happy and calm, especially when it’s stressed from pollution or sun.
Want to fade dark spots or tackle hyperpigmentation? You’ll want 5% or more. Pairing it with brightening buddies like niacinamide or licorice root gives even better results. One study even used 30% THD with other brighteners and saw real results on stubborn discoloration, even in melasma-prone skin.
A note on THD: It’s has a slightly silky, oily texture and usually shows up colorless or pale yellow (though the exact shade can vary by supplier).
While you can sneak it into water-based formulas, it really shines when paired with silicones or oils, which help your skin soak it up better.
THD is pretty stable, but it’s still vulnerable to degradation like ascorbic acid. Too much light or heat (above 113°F / 45°C) can break it down over time. Go for dark and opaque packaging that keeps it safe and shady!
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Learn more about Tetrahexyldecyl AscorbateTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolThis 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.
