What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
CI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantOryza Sativa Bran Wax
Skin Conditioning
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantRhus Succedanea Fruit Wax
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Euphorbia Cerifera Cera
Astringent
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCera Microcristallina
Emulsion StabilisingSynthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Talc
Abrasive
Hydrogenated Coconut Oil
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Volcanic Ash
Abrasive
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningKaolin
Abrasive
CI 77499, Oryza Sativa Bran Wax, CI 77492, CI 77491, Rhus Succedanea Fruit Wax, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera, Mica, Cera Microcristallina, Synthetic Beeswax, Synthetic Wax, Talc, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Dimethicone, Water, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Volcanic Ash, Ethylhexylglycerin, Kaolin
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Rhus Succedanea Fruit Wax
Talc
Abrasive
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Cera Alba
Emollient
Cera Microcristallina
Emulsion StabilisingParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Hydrogenated Coconut Oil
Emollient
Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil
Emollient
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientHydrogenated Palm Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Lecithin
Emollient
BHT
Antioxidant
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77163
Cosmetic Colorant
CI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77289
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77510
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77742
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantStearic Acid, Rhus Succedanea Fruit Wax, Talc, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Cera Alba, Cera Microcristallina, Paraffinum Liquidum, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Aluminum Hydroxide, Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Tocopherol, Lecithin, BHT, CI 19140, CI 42090, CI 77007, CI 77163, CI 77288, CI 77289, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77510, CI 77742, CI 77891
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cera Microcristallina, aka microcrystalline wax, is a petroleum-derived wax that helps thicken texture and stabilize the oils in formulas.
It also has mild occlusive properties that creates a film on skin to slow down water loss.
The CIR Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
This ingredient is refined to a cosmetic grade with high purity. It is chemically inert, stable, and doesn't clog pores (petroleum has a comedogenic rating of 0).
Malassezia feeds on fatty acids roughly in the C11-24 range and this ingredient contains none of those. Since there's no plausible food source for it here, this ingredient is fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cera MicrocristallinaCi 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.
Hydrogenated Coconut Oil is regular coconut oil that's been run through a process that "fills in" the last few reactive spots on its fat molecules with hydrogen.
This results in a firmer, waxier, and more shelf-stable fat that melts around body temperature. This is why formulators use it as an emollient and a structuring agent for balms, sticks, and thick creams.
It doesn't do anything active and just sits on skin to soften it and slow water loss.
The CIR reviews of this ingredient reported concentration usage across a wide range (0.0001% - 70%) depending on the product type. You'll most likely see double digits (~1-5%) in emulsions and double digits in sticks + balms.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe; the Malassezia yeast feeds on chains longer than 12 carbons which is exactly what this ingredient is built from (C12, C14, C16, and C18).
It's worth being honest that the lab picture isn't one-directional: medium-chain triglycerides and medium-chain free fatty acids were actually toxic to Malassezia in vitro, suppressing M. furfur and M. sympodialis. However, there's no human skin data showing that protective effect holds in a real formula.
The risk of allergies is low; Hydrogenated Coconut Oil caused no irritation after a single patch application and no sign of sensitization on retest 14 days late. This is also a refined triglyceride with no coconut protein left, so it's not likely to trigger coconut food allergies. But if you have reacted to coconut in cosmetics before, it's best to avoid this ingredient.
This ingredient shows up on a lot of ""pore-clogging"" lists but there's no real evidence behind that. It doesn't even have a comedogenic rating from an actual study; the numbers you'll find online come from blogs citing other blogs.
Ratings for other ingredients mostly come from a 1980s rabbit ear test. This test doesn't translate well to human skin or to real products because the ingredient sits at a much lower percentage. Some people still find it breaks them out. So if that's you, definitely trust your skin.
Learn more about Hydrogenated Coconut OilThis ingredient is also known as Japan wax. It is made from the fruit pulp of the Japanese wax tree.
In cosmetics, this ingredient acts like a classic wax; it thickens and stabilizes formulas, helps bind powders, and leaves an emollient film to help reduce moisture loss.
It is important to note this ingredient comes from a tree that is part of the Toxicodendron species that are well-known for having urushiol, an allergen also found in poison ivy.
Though this ingredient comes from the fruit instead of sap (the sap contains the substance that causes itchy rashes), there is a very small chance that sensitive people could react.
Learn more about Rhus Succedanea Fruit WaxStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidTalc is a clay mineral. It helps absorb moisture and improve the texture of products. Like other types of clay, Talc can have a slight exfoliating effect on skin. Talc can be added to increase the volume of products.
Some Baby powders are made by combining talc with corn starch. The word "talc" comes from Latin and originates from Arabic. Talc is a mineral commonly found throughout the world.
If you have any concerns about using talc, we recommend checking out the FDA's official page.
Learn more about Talc
