What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSynthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Paraffin
Skin ConditioningCopernicia Cerifera Wax
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Microcrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingAminomethyl Propanediol
BufferingGlycerin
Humectant
Magnesium Silicate
AbsorbentHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater
Skin ConditioningParaffin
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Synthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Polybutene
Oryza Sativa Bran Wax
Skin Conditioning
Vp/Eicosene Copolymer
Ozokerite
Emulsion StabilisingAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingTropolone
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Stearyl Stearate
Emollient
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Paraffin, Glyceryl Stearate, Synthetic Beeswax, Stearic Acid, Acacia Senegal Gum, Butylene Glycol, Palmitic Acid, Polybutene, Oryza Sativa Bran Wax, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Ozokerite, Aminomethyl Propanol, Tropolone, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Stearyl Stearate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77499
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acacia Senegal Gum has skin soothing, thickening, and formulation stabilizing properties. It comes from the Acacia tree that is native to sub-Saharan Africa.
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.
Hydroxyethylcellulose 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 HydroxyethylcellulosePalmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources.
In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.
Learn more about Palmitic AcidParaffin 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 AcidSynthetic beeswax is created to be identical in structure to beeswax without involving bees, making it a go-to for vegan formulas.
It's mainly used an an emulsion stabilizer and thickener.
This ingredient (alongside other synthetic waxes) have been concluded to be safe in cosmetics under the present practices.
Reported usage goes up to 18% and it is non-sensitizing.
Just one caveat for fungal acne: This ingredient is made up of C16-32 fatty acids and fatty acid esters. Part of this overlaps with the C11-24 range that the Malassezia yeast can feed on, so it's not fungal-acne safe.
Learn more about Synthetic BeeswaxWater. 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 Water
