Updated on October 13, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe face primers. They have a total of 7 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain exfoliants
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin and sensitive skin
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, parabens or sulfates
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.
Ingredient Info
e.l.f. cosmetics Poreless Putty Primer 27 ingredients
Milani Bright Side Illuminating Primer 31 ingredients
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
e.l.f. cosmetics Poreless Putty Primer 27 ingredients
Milani Bright Side Illuminating Primer 31 ingredients
Benefits
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Ingredients Side-by-side
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.
Cyclopentasiloxane is a silicone used to improve texture and trap moisture. An easier name for this is D5.
Ceresin is a wax derived from ozokerite. It is an alternative to beeswax.
Dimethicone is a silicone used for making products smooth and silky. It also has the added benefit of sealing in hydration. The amount of dimethicone found in beauty products is considered safe and non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene is a synthetic polymer. Polymers are compounds with high molecular weight. Hydrogenated Polyisobutene is an emollient and texture enhancer.
Polymethylsilsesquioxane is a silicone used as a film forming agent.
This silicone is an emollient. Emollients create a thin film on the skin to prevent moisture from escaping.
Propylene Glycol is an odorless, colorless liquid. As a humectant, it helps skin retain moisture. It also aids in delivering active ingredients.
Lauryl Peg-10 Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone is a type of silicone.
Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt.
5 Benefits
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract is derived from the leaves of the tea plant. Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from this plant.
Squalane is an emollient that helps the skin hold onto moisture. It's an oily liquid that occurs naturally in certain types of fish and plant oils.
Oryza Sativa Bran Wax is wax from the outer layer of a rice kernel. It is a byproduct of milling rice, or the operation to produce a whole grain rice product.
Dimethicone 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.
2 Concerns
Silica is a mineral naturally found in our skin. It helps to thicken and smooth the texture of a product. It also acts as an agent for other ingredients by increasing the absorption of other ingredients into the skin.
Triethoxycaprylylsilane is a silicone used to bind and stabilize ingredients.
Talc is a clay mineral. It helps absorb moisture and improve the texture of products. Like other types of clay, Talc can have a slight exfoliating effect on skin. Talc can be added to increase the volume of products.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Ci 77891 is a white pigment from Titanium dioxide. It is naturally found in minerals such as rutile and ilmenite.
Ci 77491 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It's sole purpose is to give a red/pink hue to products.
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ceresin, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Propylene Glycol, Lauryl Peg-10 Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Squalane, Oryza Sativa Bran Wax, Dimethicone/Peg-10/15 Crosspolymer, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Silica, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Talc, Butylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77891, CI 77491
Rosa Damascena Flower Water comes from the Damask rose. It is a dilluted version of the Rose Essential oil.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate is a citric acid ester of glyceryl stearate.
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Not safe for Fungal Acne
This ingredient is the fixed oil extracted from seeds of the desert shrub Jojoba. It is more commonly known as jojoba oil. The seed oil is liquid wax ester from the plant. It is non-comedogenic.
Triethylhexanoin is created from glycerin and 2-ethylhexanoic acid. It is a solvent and emollient.
Mica refers to a group of silicate minerals. Mica crystals are easily split to give products a shimmer. These crystals are able to reflect light to temporarily give your skin a glowy look.
Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It can be found naturally in our skin and hair.
Antioxidant 4 Benefits Not safe for Fungal Acne
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate is a version of ascorbic acid, or pure Vitamin C.
Antioxidant 4 Benefits May cause irritation
Tocopherol (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.
Hydrogenated Lecithin is created from the hydrogenation of lecithin. Hydrogenation is a chemical reaction between molecule hydrogen and another element.
Squalane is an emollient that helps the skin hold onto moisture. It's an oily liquid that occurs naturally in certain types of fish and plant oils.
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Propanediol helps absorb ingredients into your skin, boosting their benefits. It can act as an emollient, making your skin softer. Propanediol can help products last longer by boosting the properties of preservatives within the formulation.
Phospholipids are naturally found in our skin as they are the main component of cell membranes. Phospholipids have humectant, emollient, antioxidant properties.
Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Sorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifer and cleaning agent. It is created from isostearic acid and sorbitol.
This ingredient is volatile gas with a sweet odor. It is often used to make other ingredients less harsh and sterilize medical equipment.
Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
Glyceryl Caprylate comes from glycerin and caprylic acid, a fatty acid from coconut.
Hydroxyacetophenone is antioxidant and helps with skin conditioning.
This is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
Tin 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.
Ci 77491 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It's sole purpose is to give a red/pink hue to products.
Ci 77891 is a white pigment from Titanium dioxide. It is naturally found in minerals such as rutile and ilmenite.
Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Butylene Glycol, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Triethylhexanoin, Mica, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Panthenol, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Squalane, Sodium Hyaluronate, Propanediol, Phospholipids, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Ethylene Oxide, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tin Oxide, CI 77491, CI 77891
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinSqualane is an emollient that helps the skin hold onto moisture. It's an oily liquid that occurs naturally in certain types of fish and plant oils.
Because squalane boosts hydration in the skin, it also comes with plenty of benefits: it is an antioxidant and can help fight free radicals and skin damage. Squalane is also found to have a detoxifying effect when applied.
Squalane comes from squalene, which occurs naturally within the sebum of our skin. It is one of the oils our skin produces to keep itself hydrated. Squalane is the hydrogenated version of squalene and has a longer shelf life.
Research shows that squalane is non-irritating (even at 100% concentration).
In general, it's a fantastic ingredient. It does a great job at hydrating the skin, and it's suitable for those with sensitive skin.
The source of squalane may impact malassezia / fungal acne. This is because olive oil derived squalane can contain impurities such as fatty acids and plant waxes. Sugarcane derived squalane is recommended for anyone with malassezia concerns.
Is squalane vegan?
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Learn more about SqualaneButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
- It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
- It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
- It helps improve product application.
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.
Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Ci 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 77891Ci 77491 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It's sole purpose is to give a red/pink hue to products.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
Synthetically created Ci 77491 is considered safer than those naturally found. This is because the synthetically created version may contain less impurities. Iron oxides are generally non-toxic and non-allergenic.
Learn more about CI 77491Ingredient Ratings
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When to use
e.l.f. cosmetics Poreless Putty Primer 27 ingredients
Milani Bright Side Illuminating Primer 31 ingredients
Reviews
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