What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientErythritol
Humectant
CI 77163
Cosmetic Colorant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantLauryl Glucoside
CleansingPolyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Skin Conditioning
Undecane
EmollientSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Glycerin
Humectant
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Tridecane
Perfuming
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Sodium Stearate
CleansingCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCeteareth-20
CleansingPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Calcium Chloride
AstringentTocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Erythritol, CI 77163, Mica, Lauryl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Undecane, Sodium Polyacrylate, Glycerin, Benzyl Alcohol, Lauroyl Lysine, Tridecane, CI 77492, Sclerotium Gum, CI 77491, Sodium Gluconate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Stearate, CI 77499, Cetearyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Ceteareth-20, Phenethyl Alcohol, Saccharide Isomerate, Calcium Chloride, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Phenylpropyldimethylsiloxysilicate
EmollientDiisostearyl Malate
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77163
Cosmetic Colorant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Aluminum/Magnesium Hydroxide Stearate
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCellulose Acetate
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantParfum
Masking
Methylparaben
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientAcrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer
Propylene Glycol Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Urea
Buffering
Propylparaben
Preservative
CI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Magnesium Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantSaccharide Hydrolysate
HumectantAlanine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Magnesium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCreatine
Skin ConditioningPolysilicone-11
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Phenylpropyldimethylsiloxysilicate, Diisostearyl Malate, Butylene Glycol, CI 77891, CI 77163, Sodium Chloride, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Aluminum/Magnesium Hydroxide Stearate, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, CI 77492, Cellulose Acetate, Dimethiconol, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, CI 77491, Parfum, Methylparaben, Potassium Sorbate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Propylene Glycol Stearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Urea, Propylparaben, CI 77499, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Magnesium Stearate, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Alanine, Glycine, Magnesium Aspartate, Dipropylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Citrate, Creatine, Polysilicone-11, Dehydroacetic Acid, Tocopherol
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholThis synthetic powder is used to add a pearly/white color in cosmetics.
Ci 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 77492Ci 77499 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It is created from mixing red and black iron oxides. This helps give shades of darkness to a product.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
Dehydroacetic Acid is a synthetic preservative that keeps your products safe from microbes.
As an organic acid, it penetrates microbial cell walls and disrupts cellular metabolism. This makes it effective against bacteria, yeast, and mold.
It is effective at low concentrations (<0.6%). Clinical studies have found it to be non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and non-photosensitizing.
Learn more about Dehydroacetic AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinTocopherol 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
