What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Dimethicone
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Polyethylene
Abrasive
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientPolysilicone-11
Hydrated Silica
Abrasive
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingSynthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Dicalcium Phosphate
Abrasive
Parfum
Masking
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Iron Oxides
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15850
Cosmetic ColorantBlue 1 Lake
Cosmetic ColorantCI 45410
Cosmetic ColorantDimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyethylene, Octyldodecanol, Aluminum Hydroxide, Polysilicone-11, Hydrated Silica, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Synthetic Wax, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Synthetic Beeswax, Dicalcium Phosphate, Parfum, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide, CI 19140, CI 15850, Blue 1 Lake, CI 45410
Isoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Isodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Dicalcium Phosphate
Abrasive
Silica
Abrasive
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
C10-18 Triglycerides
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Kaolin
Abrasive
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Synthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Silica Silylate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingEthyl Vanillin
MaskingTribehenin
Emollient
Isostearic Acid
Cleansing
Lecithin
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15850
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantIsoamyl Laurate, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Octyldodecanol, Dicalcium Phosphate, Silica, Synthetic Wax, C10-18 Triglycerides, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Kaolin, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Synthetic Beeswax, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Silica Silylate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Ethyl Vanillin, Tribehenin, Isostearic Acid, Lecithin, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Sorbitan Isostearate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lactic Acid, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, CI 77491, CI 15850, CI 42090
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCi 15850 is the pigment color red. It is an azo dye and created synthetically.
Azo dyes need to be thoroughly purified before use. This allows them to be more stable and longer-lasting.
This ingredient is common in foundations, lipsticks, and blushes. This color is described as brown/orangey red.
It has many secondary names such as Red 6 and Red 7. According to a manufacturer, Red 6 usually contains aluminum.
Learn more about CI 15850This ingredient is a mineral salt of calcium and phosphate. It is mainly used as a mild abrasive and sometimes used to add opacity to a formula.
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 HectoriteHydrogenated Castor Oil (aka "castor wax") is what you get when castor oil is turned into a wax.
Its dominant fatty acid is ricinoleic acid, giving it both emollient and mild humectant properties.
According to EU CosIng, this ingredient helps soften skin, keep oil and water stay mixed, and thickens products.
Hydrogenated castor oil at 30% did not trigger a positive patch-test reaction and is well-tolerated.
Since this ingredient is based on an 18-carbon fatty acid, it falls into the chain-length range that Malassezia can feed on and may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Hydrogenated Castor OilOctyldodecanol 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.
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate (long name, huh?) is a synthetic antioxidant.
It is used to help stabilize other antioxidants or prevent the color from changing in a product.
As an antioxidant, it helps fight free-radical molecules. Free-radical molecules are capable of damaging our cells and other genetic material. Thus, antioxidants may reduce the signs of aging.
This ingredient is oil-soluble.
Learn more about Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl HydroxyhydrocinnamatePolyhydroxystearic Acid is a vegetable-derived soft wax made from castor oil. It's an emulsion stabilizer, thickener, and film former.
You'll likely see it in sunscreens because it helps disperse pigments and UV-reflecting minerals like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide evenly.
Depending on the concentration, it can drastically change the texture of a product from pasty solid (like lipstick) to sprayable liquid.
The CIR Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics. The highest reported use concentration is 14.2% in lipsticks.
Learn more about Polyhydroxystearic AcidThis 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 OilSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSynthetic beeswax is created to be identical in structure to beeswax without involving bees, making it a go-to for vegan formulas.
It's mainly used an an emulsion stabilizer and thickener.
This ingredient (alongside other synthetic waxes) have been concluded to be safe in cosmetics under the present practices.
Reported usage goes up to 18% and it is non-sensitizing.
Just one caveat for fungal acne: This ingredient is made up of C16-32 fatty acids and fatty acid esters. Part of this overlaps with the C11-24 range that the Malassezia yeast can feed on, so it's not fungal-acne safe.
Learn more about Synthetic BeeswaxSynthetic Wax is a manufactured hydrocarbon wax. In formulas, it works as an occlusive emollient that helps reduce water loss and improves the spreadability of products.
Research comparing synthetic wax to traditional mineral-derived products found that formulas containing it perform as well for skin hydration.
It is considered non-comedogenic and vegan-friendly.
This ingredient has a well-established safety record by the CIR Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety.
Synthetic Waxes are straight/branched-chain hydrocarbons with no ester bond or fatty acids. That means there is nothing for the Malassezia yeast to feed on.
Learn more about Synthetic Wax
