What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPEG-12 Carnauba
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-8 Beeswax
Emulsifying
Styrene/Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer
Vp/Eicosene Copolymer
Paraffin
Skin ConditioningPvp
Emulsion StabilisingStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Aminomethyl Propanediol
BufferingBis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Laureth-12 Sulfate
Cleansing
Tetrasodium EDTA
Decyloxazolidinone
AntimicrobialTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Gossypium Herbaceum Extract
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Hydroxide
BufferingHydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
BHT
Antioxidant
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77163
Cosmetic Colorant
CI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77289
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
CI 77510
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77742
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, PEG-12 Carnauba, PEG-8 Beeswax, Styrene/Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Paraffin, Pvp, Stearyl Alcohol, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylyl Glycol, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Sodium Laureth-12 Sulfate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Decyloxazolidinone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Gossypium Herbaceum Extract, Ammonium Hydroxide, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, BHT, CI 19140, CI 42090, CI 77007, CI 77163, CI 77288, CI 77289, Iron Oxides, CI 77510, CI 77742, CI 77891
Water
Skin ConditioningSynthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Paraffin
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingTriethanolamine
BufferingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Polybutene
Vp/Eicosene Copolymer
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Stearate
CleansingIron Oxides
Water, Synthetic Beeswax, Paraffin, Stearic Acid, Acacia Senegal Gum, Triethanolamine, Butylene Glycol, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Polybutene, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Potassium Sorbate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Sodium Stearate, 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.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseParaffin is a solid wax that pulls its weight as an emollient, occlusive, and consistency-booster.
It softens skin and lays down a protective film to slow water loss and gives products a stable body and structure.
The cosmetic grade stuff is highly refined with a solid safety record. The CIR Expert Panel has repeatedly reaffirmed this ingredient to be safe in current practices of use and concentration.
The worry about carcinogenic compounds only applies to industrial grades, not the purified version used in skincare.
Despite its reputation, the highly reformed form is non-comedogenic and doesn't penetrate deeply into skin.
The good news for fungal-acne prone folks: the Malassezia yeast feeds on fatty acids and lipids and paraffin doesn't contain any of these (so there's nothing for the yeast to metabolize). This ingredient is considered fungal acne safe.
Learn more about ParaffinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWe don't have a description for Vp/Eicosene Copolymer yet.
Water. 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
