What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Glycerin
Humectant
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Silica
Abrasive
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Alumina
Abrasive
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Trimethoxycaprylylsilane
SmoothingTriethoxycaprylylsilane
Talc
Abrasive
Parfum
Masking
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Iron Oxides
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Glycerin, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Silica, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Caprylyl Glycol, Alumina, Ethylhexylglycerin, Panthenol, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Trimethoxycaprylylsilane, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Talc, Parfum, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Tocopherol, Iron Oxides, CI 77891
Isododecane
EmollientCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingAdipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol Crosspolymer
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSorbitan Sesquioleate
Emulsifying
Lecithin
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Hexyl Laurate
Emollient
Polysilicone-11
Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate
Emollient
Laureth-12
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
Isododecane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Water, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Adipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Silica, Sodium Chloride, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Hexyl Laurate, Polysilicone-11, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Laureth-12, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Iron Oxides
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.
Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.
The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics
There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.
Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.
The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDisteardimonium 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 HectoriteEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPeg-10 Dimethicone is silicone with conditioner and emulsifier properties. It mostly acts as an emollient in skincare and and humectant in haircare.
According to the manufacturer, acidic formulations decrease the stability of this ingredient. It works best in neutral or near neutral formulations.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
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 SilicaWater. 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 WaterThis 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
