What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Cera Microcristallina
Emulsion StabilisingMica
Cosmetic ColorantHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientCetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Polyethylene
Abrasive
Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate
EmulsifyingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Parfum
Masking
Sesamum Indicum Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningAscorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Morus Alba Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
BHT
Antioxidant
Cyclopentasiloxane, Synthetic Wax, Octyldodecanol, Cera Microcristallina, Mica, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Polyethylene, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Alcohol, Parfum, Sesamum Indicum Seed Extract, Lecithin, Silica, Tocopherol, Water, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Morus Alba Bark Extract, Citric Acid, BHT
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPolyethylene
Abrasive
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantSucrose Acetate Isobutyrate
Silica
Abrasive
Euphorbia Cerifera Cera
Astringent
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientLecithin
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingPolymethylsilsesquioxane
Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Carbonate
SolventCalcium Sodium Borosilicate
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Polyethylene, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Octyldodecanol, Mica, Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate, Silica, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Lecithin, Squalane, Lauroyl Lysine, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Tocopherol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Water, Propylene Carbonate, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Tin Oxide, Caprylyl Glycol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disteardimonium 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 HectoriteThis ingredient is a powder used to improve texture, slip, and give products a silky texture.
Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinMica 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 MicaOctyldodecanol is a fatty alcohol sourced from plant oils like coconut or palm (or made synthetically).
It is:
You'll likely see this in many BHA products because this is the go-to solvent for salicylic acid.
This ingredient is typically used at levels between 2-20%.
Regarding fungal acne:
In 2019, this ingredient was tested against multiple Malassezia species (the yeast that causes fungal acne) and showed no growth.
Polyethylene is a synthetic ingredient that helps the skin retain moisture. It is a polymer.
It is also typically used within product formulations to help bind solid ingredients together and thicken oil-based ingredients. When added to balms and emulsions, it helps increase the melting point temperature.
Silica, 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 SilicaTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
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.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
