What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Dimethiconol
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Homosalate
Skin Conditioning
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide
Skin ConditioningDibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Phenyl Trimethicone, Dimethiconol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Homosalate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide, Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide NP, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Tocopheryl Acetate
Water
Skin ConditioningZinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialIsostearic Acid
Cleansing
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Isododecane
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Silica
Abrasive
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
PEG-12 Dimethicone/PPG-20 Crosspolymer
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Talc
Abrasive
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSalix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Scutellaria Baicalensis Callus Culture
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Hamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Glycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Rehmannia Chinensis Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPhellodendron Amurense Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus/Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientO-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Sulfate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Zinc Oxide, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Isostearic Acid, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Cyclopentasiloxane, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Isododecane, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Silica, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Methicone, PEG-12 Dimethicone/PPG-20 Crosspolymer, Titanium Dioxide, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Talc, Sodium Chloride, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Callus Culture, Centella Asiatica Extract, Bisabolol, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Rehmannia Chinensis Root Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Lactobacillus/Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Glycolic Acid, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glyceryl Caprylate, O-Cymen-5-Ol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Magnesium Sulfate, Phenoxyethanol
Alternatives
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 Benzoate
