What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCalcium Aluminum Borosilicate
Dimethicone
Emollient
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Boron Nitride
Absorbent
PEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Potassium Chloride
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaesalpinia Sappan Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Water
Skin ConditioningChondrus Crispus
Masking
Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Silica
Abrasive
Gellan Gum
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantMica, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Dimethicone, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Boron Nitride, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Chloride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caesalpinia Sappan Bark Extract, Chlorphenesin, Tin Oxide, Water, Chondrus Crispus, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Silica, Gellan Gum, Tocopherol, CI 77891, CI 77491
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Squalane
Emollient
Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Alumina
Abrasive
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSilica
Abrasive
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingChondrus Crispus
Masking
Pentaerythrityl Tetraoleate
EmollientMethyl Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Dicalcium Phosphate
Abrasive
Benzimidazole Diamond Amidoethyl Urea Carbamoyl Propyl Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Cosmetic Colorant
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
CI 75470
Cosmetic ColorantTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Iron Oxides
CI 77510
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77742
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15850
Cosmetic ColorantCI 73360
Cosmetic ColorantMica, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Squalane, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Glycerin, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Alumina, Polysorbate 20, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Silica, 1,2-Hexanediol, Xanthan Gum, Chondrus Crispus, Pentaerythrityl Tetraoleate, Methyl Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Benzimidazole Diamond Amidoethyl Urea Carbamoyl Propyl Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Tin Oxide, CI 75470, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, CI 77510, CI 77288, CI 77007, CI 77742, CI 19140, CI 15985, CI 42090, CI 15850, CI 73360
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl 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, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolChondrus Crispus is the red seaweed that grows along the North Atlantic. It's the same alga that gives us carrageenan, the thickener in your oat milk.
In formulas, it's a skin conditioner and masking ingredient that helps cover the scent of other ingredients. It also behaves as a thickener, similar to the extract.
Industry data shows concentrations range from 0.00004-1.4%.
You'll see algae listed as a 5/5 on a lot of pore-clogging charts and that number doesn't come from anywhere; it's not in the original rabbit-ear studies that most comedogenic ratings trace back to.
The reasoning behind the reputation is that seaweed is high in iodine and iodine can trigger acne-like breakouts when eaten. This traces back to a 1976 letter in Archives of Dermatology describing two women whose breakouts cleared after they stopped taking high-dose kelp supplements orally.
And the reaction of these two women wasn't clogged pores at all: it was an iodine-triggered pustular rash. Later research found normal dietary iodine doesn't meaningfully affect acne either and nobody has shown topical algae delivers enough iodine to matter.
What we do have is dozens of brown and red algae ingredients found to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing, and a handful of studies that found algae compounds may actually help acne.
However, plenty of people do report breaking out from algae-containing products. Skin is individual and it's worth avoiding if yours has reacted to algae before.
Learn more about Chondrus CrispusEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinThis ingredient is a powder used to improve texture, slip, and give products a silky texture.
Mica is a naturally occurring mineral used to add shimmer and color in cosmetics. It can also help improve the texture of a product or give it an opaque, white/silver color.
Serecite is the name for very fine but ragged grains of mica.
This ingredient is often coated with metal oxides like titanium dioxide. Trace amounts of heavy metals may be found in mica, but these metals are not harmful in our personal products.
Mica has been used since prehistoric times throughout the world. Ancient Egyptian, Indian, Greek, Roman, Aztec, and Chinese civilizations have used mica.
Learn more about MicaOctyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate is an emollient ester that mostly shows up in color cosmetics.
Functionally, it works as a skin-conditioning agent and a viscosity-increasing agent. This just means it helps soften skin while also thickening water-free formulas (like powders).
Despite being a "stearate", it has a lightweight, cushiony, and non-greasy slip.
This ingredient has shown no adverse effects in testing and is deemed safe in cosmetics at current use levels.
Typical concentrations range from 0.7-23%.
Because it is made of C-18 fatty acids (like stearic acid), this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Octyldodecyl Stearoyl StearateSilica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.
Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.
The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.
It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.
In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.
Learn more about SilicaSynthetic Fluorphlogopite is the synthethic version of mica. It consists of fluorine, aluminum and silicate.
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite is used to add volume to products.
It is considered non-irritating on the skin.
Learn more about Synthetic FluorphlogopiteTin Oxide is an inorganic oxide used to add opacity and volume to a product. In nature, it is already found in mineral form. The main ore of tin is an opaque and shiny mineral called casseterite.
Tin Oxide helps remove translucency in a product, or make it more opaque. Besides adding opacity, tin oxide is used for bulking to add volume.
