What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffin
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientSynthetic Beeswax
Emulsion StabilisingStearic Acid
CleansingButylene Glycol
HumectantAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingPalmitic Acid
EmollientOryza Sativa Bran Wax
Skin ConditioningPolybutene
Vp/Eicosene Copolymer
Aminomethyl Propanediol
BufferingOzokerite
Emulsion StabilisingTropolone
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
EmollientStearyl Stearate
EmollientHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Paraffin, Glyceryl Stearate, Synthetic Beeswax, Stearic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Acacia Senegal Gum, Palmitic Acid, Oryza Sativa Bran Wax, Polybutene, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Ozokerite, Tropolone, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Stearyl Stearate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77499
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ci 77499 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It is created from mixing red and black iron oxides. This helps give shades of darkness to a product.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
Ozokerite is a naturally occuring mineral wax. In cosmetics, ozokerite is used as a texture enhancer.
Ceresin wax is derived from this ingredient.
The melting point of ozokerite is 58-100 C.
Ozokerite is found all over the world including Scotland, the US, and India.
Learn more about OzokeritePhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about Phenoxyethanol