What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Polyisobutene
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientPhytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Squalane
Emollient
Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide
Skin ConditioningDibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
Polyisobutene, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Octyldodecanol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Diisostearyl Malate, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Squalane, Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide, Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Water, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Hydroxycitronellal, Hexyl Cinnamal, CI 77891, Iron Oxides
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Kaolin
Abrasive
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Isopropyl Lanolate
Emollient
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Ozokerite
Emulsion StabilisingRicinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantBis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Microcrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingAluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
BHT
Antioxidant
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Iron Oxides
CI 15850
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 45410
Cosmetic ColorantBlue 1 Lake
Cosmetic ColorantHydrogenated Polyisobutene, Octyldodecanol, Kaolin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isopropyl Lanolate, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Ozokerite, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Mica, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Microcrystalline Wax, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Cetyl Alcohol, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Phenoxyethanol, BHT, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, CI 15850, CI 19140, CI 45410, Blue 1 Lake
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene is a synthetic polymer. Polymers are compounds with high molecular weight. Hydrogenated Polyisobutene is an emollient and texture enhancer.
In one study, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene showed better skin hydration levels than Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride. As an emollient, it helps keep your skin soft and hydrated by trapping moisture in.
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene is often used as a mineral oil replacement.
Learn more about Hydrogenated PolyisobuteneOctyldodecanol 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.
Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolThis 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 OilThis ingredient is a combination of red, black, and yellow iron oxide pigments. This combination of colors is usually found in foundation, because it results in a "skin" color.
The EU typically uses CI numbers for colorants when applicable, such as CI 77489. In the US, iron oxides are regulated as color additives and "iron oxides" is the most commonly used name in US cosmetic practice.
A 2021 paper looked at skincare formulations containing iron oxides and found that they reduced transmission of blue light when measured optically. In simple terms, the pigment particles helped block or scatter part of the visible light spectrum in lab testing and the authors suggest this could translate into better protection against blue-light-related skin effects.
There is also clinical and experimental research showing that tinted products containing iron oxides can reduce visible light-induced pigmentation:
Please note, whether a product reduces visible or blue light depends on things like:
In the EU's CosIng database, iron oxides are only listed as a colorant. CosIng groups ingredients by their main cosmetic role, such as colorant, preservative, or UV filter.
Though studies say iron oxides can "attenuate blue light", they're describing an optical property and not an officially recognized cosmetic function.
So CosIng isn’t contradicting the research. It’s just classifying iron oxides by what they officially are: pigments that add color.
Learn more about Iron Oxides
