What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Isoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Isododecane
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantEthylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Silica
Abrasive
PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
C10-18 Triglycerides
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
MaskingQuaternium-90 Bentonite
Aroma
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Propylene Carbonate
SolventSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingAcacia Decurrens Flower Wax
Emollient
Polyglycerin-3
Humectant
Quartz
Abrasive
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Iron Oxides
Water, Dimethicone, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Caprylyl Methicone, Isoamyl Laurate, Isododecane, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Mica, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Silica, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Lecithin, C10-18 Triglycerides, Sodium Chloride, Quaternium-90 Bentonite, Aroma, Jojoba Esters, Caprylyl Glycol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Propylene Carbonate, Sodium Gluconate, Hexylene Glycol, Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax, Polyglycerin-3, Quartz, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides
Water
Skin ConditioningIsododecane
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Trisiloxane
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Methicone
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Talc
Abrasive
Hydrogen Dimethicone
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 GlycerinIsododecane is a fragrance, emollient, and solvent.
As an emollient, it helps your skin stay soft and hydrated. Emollients help trap moisture into your skin.
Isododecane's role as a solvent makes it a great texture enhancer. It spreads smoothly on skin and does not leave a sticky feeling behind. Isododecane also helps prevent color transfer in makeup products.
Isododecane is not absorbed into skin.
The chemical name for this ingredient is 2,2,4,6,6-PENTAMETHYLHEPTANE.
Learn more about IsododecanePeg-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.
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.
Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateChances 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 ChlorideThis ingredient is a preservative with antimicrobial properties. It is the sodium salt of dehydroacetic acid.
It is especially effective at preventing bacterial and fungal growth in low concentrations.
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.
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 WaterThis ingredient is a combination of red, black, and yellow iron oxide pigments. This combination of colors is usually found in foundation, because it results in a "skin" color.
The EU typically uses CI numbers for colorants when applicable, such as CI 77489. In the US, iron oxides are regulated as color additives and "iron oxides" is the most commonly used name in US cosmetic practice.
A 2021 paper looked at skincare formulations containing iron oxides and found that they reduced transmission of blue light when measured optically. In simple terms, the pigment particles helped block or scatter part of the visible light spectrum in lab testing and the authors suggest this could translate into better protection against blue-light-related skin effects.
There is also clinical and experimental research showing that tinted products containing iron oxides can reduce visible light-induced pigmentation:
Please note, whether a product reduces visible or blue light depends on things like:
In the EU's CosIng database, iron oxides are only listed as a colorant. CosIng groups ingredients by their main cosmetic role, such as colorant, preservative, or UV filter.
Though studies say iron oxides can "attenuate blue light", they're describing an optical property and not an officially recognized cosmetic function.
So CosIng isn’t contradicting the research. It’s just classifying iron oxides by what they officially are: pigments that add color.
Learn more about Iron Oxides
