This oil-based makeup remover is made to dissolve makeup, sunscreen, and daily buildup.
This oil-based makeup remover is made to dissolve makeup, sunscreen, and daily buildup.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cocamide DEA is a coconut-derived cleansing agent that creates rich foam and helps to thicken the consistency of cleansing products.
This ingredient effectively removes dirt and oil while helping to stabilize formulations, making it a common addition to shampoos, body washes, and facial cleansers.
It has become less popular in recent formulations due to potential irritation in sensitive skin types and concerns about trace amounts of diethanolamine (DEA), which can potentially form nitrosamines.
While still considered safe at regulated concentrations, many manufacturers now opt for gentler alternatives like cocamidopropyl betaine or other surfactants that offer similar benefits with fewer potential drawbacks.
Learn more about Cocamide DEALaureth-4 is a nonionic surfactant made by attaching an average of four ethylene oxide units to Lauryl Alcohol, a fatty alcohol from coconut or palm kernel oil.
In a formula, it does two jobs:
A 2012 assessment found this ingredient is used in leave-on products at up to 21%, which is at the very high end for the category; most cosmetic use is far lower and typically in the single digits.
A true allergy to Laureth-4 is rare; similar alcohol ethoxylates tested negative for skin sensitization in undiluted guinea pig studies, and related compounds were non-sensitizing in Magnusson-Kligman maximization tests.
There is one caveat for this whole ingredient family: ethoxylated surfactants slowly oxidize when exposed to air, and it's the oxidation products, not the fresh material, that act as sensitizers. This is mostly a formulation and shelf life issue.
Dr. James Fulton's rabbit ear test from the 1980's scored this ingredient as a 5 on the comedogenic scale. Fulton himself described the rabbit ear as not an ideal model and the tests used undiluted ingredients on rabbit ears, which are more reactive than human facial skin.
Dr. Draelos later used a human assay on finished cosmetic products and found that products built with so-called comedogenic ingredients are not necessarily comedogenic themselves.
This ingredient can be potentially pore clogging if it appears high in the ingredient list of a leave-on product.
The fungal acne picture is actually reassuring: Malassezia uses fatty acids from its surroundings (C11-24). This ingredient has nothing for the Malassezia yeast to use since it is an alcohol and not an acid.
Supporting this, closely related ethoxylated alcohol detergents like Ceteth-20 get used in Malassezia lab work as neutral carriers to disperse a separately added fatty acid (not as the food source itself).
Learn more about Laureth-4Mipa-Laureth Sulfate is a type of sulfate.
This ingredient is also known as castor oil. It is a skin conditioning ingredient.
The star component of castor oil is ricinoleic acid, an unusual fatty acid that makes up ~80-92% of its composition.
In skincare, it is an emollient that dries down to a solid film with water-binding properties. This helps keep skin hydrated and helps reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
A 2026 dermatology review pulls together its broader uses:
Human clinical testing found this ingredient to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Because castor oil contains fatty acids in the C11-24 range, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
At this time, the literature does not support castor oil in regrowing hair. A 2022 systematic review found no strong evidence that it supports hair growth and only weak evidence that it improves hair shine.
Castor oil itself carries "perfuming" and "masking" function tags according to the official CosIng database. This is because of its mild odor and odor-dampening properties.
Learn more about Ricinus Communis Seed OilTocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.
Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.
It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.
One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.
Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.
Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.
The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.
Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.
Learn more about Tocopheryl Acetate
