What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic ColorantCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientPolymethyl Methacrylate
Propanediol
SolventPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin ConditioningCyclohexasiloxane
EmollientLauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
EmollientTrimethylsiloxysilicate
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantPEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantDisteardimonium Hectorite
Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/Ethylhexyl Acrylate/Dimethicone Methacrylate Copolymer
Skin ConditioningCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Chloride
MaskingAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientTriethoxycaprylylsilane
Parfum
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientIron Oxides
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantDisodium EDTA
Tocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Titanium Dioxide, Cyclopentasiloxane, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Propanediol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Glycerin, PEG-10 Dimethicone, CI 77492, Disteardimonium Hectorite, 1,2-Hexanediol, Acrylates/Ethylhexyl Acrylate/Dimethicone Methacrylate Copolymer, CI 77491, Sodium Chloride, Aluminum Hydroxide, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Parfum, Caprylyl Glycol, Iron Oxides, Glyceryl Caprylate, CI 77007, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin ConditioningTalc
AbrasivePvp
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
HumectantPEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCI 77120
Cosmetic ColorantDimethicone/Divinyldimethicone/Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
HumectantSodium Chloride
MaskingDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientTrimethoxycaprylylsilane
SmoothingPolysilicone-11
Palmitic Acid
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantDisodium EDTA
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables
EmollientSqualane
EmollientSolanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract
AntioxidantBrassica Oleracea Gemmifera Extract
AstringentLecithin
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Leaf Extract
HumectantLeontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract
AntioxidantAlcohol
AntimicrobialPhoenix Dactylifera Seed
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantTromethamine
BufferingDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantMadecassoside
AntioxidantSodium Metabisulfite
AntioxidantCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningSodium Sulfite
PreservativeDunaliella Salina Extract
Skin ConditioningBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cyclopentasiloxane, Phenyl Trimethicone, Talc, Pvp, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Dimethicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, CI 77120, Dimethicone/Divinyldimethicone/Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Sodium Chloride, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Aluminum Hydroxide, Trimethoxycaprylylsilane, Polysilicone-11, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Disodium EDTA, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Squalane, Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract, Brassica Oleracea Gemmifera Extract, Lecithin, Simmondsia Chinensis Leaf Extract, Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract, Alcohol, Phoenix Dactylifera Seed, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ascorbic Acid, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Tromethamine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Madecassoside, Sodium Metabisulfite, Ceramide NP, Sodium Sulfite, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Beta-Glucan, Titanium Dioxide, CI 77492, CI 77491, 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.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Aluminum Hydroxide is a form of aluminum. It can be naturally found in nature as the mineral gibbsite. In cosmetics, Aluminum Hydroxide is used as a colorant, pH adjuster, and absorbent.
As a colorant, Aluminum Hydroxide may add opacity, or reduce the transparency. Aluminum hydroxide is contains both basic and acidic properties.
According to manufacturers, this ingredient is an emollient and humectant. This means it helps hydrate the skin.
In medicine, this ingredient is used to help relieve heartburn and help heal ulcers.
There is currently no credible scientific evidence linking aluminum hydroxide in cosmetics to increased cancer risk.
Major health organizations allow the use of aluminum hydroxide in personal care products and have not flagged it as a carcinogenic risk at typical usage levels.
Learn more about Aluminum HydroxideCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCi 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 77491CI 77492 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It's sole purpose is to give a yellow hue to products.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
Synthetically created CI 77492 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 77492Cyclopentasiloxane, or D5, is a silicone used to improve texture of products and trap moisture.
D5 is considered lightweight and volatile. Volatile means it evaporates quickly after application. Once evaporated, D5 leaves a thin barrier that helps keep skin hydrated.
It is also an emollient. Emollients help soften the skin and prevent water loss. Silicones create a silky texture in products. D5 helps other ingredients become more spreadable.
Studies show D5 is safe to use in skincare products. We recommend speaking with a skincare professional if you have concerns.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTADisteardimonium Hectorite comes from the clay mineral named hectorite. It is used to add thickness to a product.
It can also help stabilize a product by helping to disperse other ingredients.
Hectorite is a rare, white clay mineral.
Learn more about Disteardimonium HectoriteGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinPeg-10 Dimethicone is silicone with conditioner and emulsifier properties. It mostly acts as an emollient in skincare and and humectant in haircare.
According to the manufacturer, acidic formulations decrease the stability of this ingredient. It works best in neutral or near neutral formulations.
Phenyl Trimethicone is a silicon-based polymer. It is derived from silica.
Phenyl Trimethicone is used as an emollient and prevents products from foaming.
As an emollient, it helps trap moisture in the skin. It is considered an occlusive.
Learn more about Phenyl TrimethiconeChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideTitanium dioxide is a mineral UV filter widely used in sunscreens and cosmetics.
It is one of only two UV filters officially classified as “mineral” by regulatory agencies, the other being zinc oxide.
Titanium dioxide provides broad-spectrum protection mostly in the UVB and UVAII range, with some protection in the UVAI range.
While its UVA protection isn’t as strong as zinc oxide’s, the difference is minor.
A common myth is that mineral UV filters reflect UV light. However, modern research shows titanium dioxide absorbs UV radiation like chemical filters (~95% absorption & 5% reflection).
Thanks to its non-irritating nature, titanium dioxide is suitable for sensitive, acne-prone, or redness-prone skin. It is unlikely to cause "eye sting" like other sunscreen ingredients.
A major drawback of this ingredient is its white cast and thick texture. This is why mineral sunscreens often leave a white cast and are less cosmetically elegant than chemical/hybrid sunscreens.
To improve white cast and spreadability, micronized or nano-sized titanium dioxide is often used.
There are ongoing concerns surrounding nano-titanium oxide's impact on marine ecosystems.
There is no conclusive evidence that any form of titanium oxide (or any other sunscreen ingredients) will cause harm to marine ecosystems or coral reefs. The science is still developing but many consumers are keeping a close eye on this issue.
Please note, many destinations have reef-safety sunscreen rules. For instance, the U.S. Virgin Islands advises all visitors to use non-nano mineral sunscreens.
Nano mineral sunscreens once raised safety concerns about absorption into skin.
Extensive research has shown that they do not penetrate healthy or damaged skin; they remain safely on the surface and the top layer of dead skin (stratum corneum).
You'll likely find titanium dioxide bundled with alumina, silica, or dimethicone. These ingredients help make titanium dioxide highly photostable; this prevents it from interacting with other formula components under UV light.
Learn more about Titanium DioxideWater. 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