What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsododecane
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Isohexadecane
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer
Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Sodium Chloride
MaskingHexyl Laurate
Emollient
Boron Nitride
Absorbent
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Isododecane, Dimethicone, Isohexadecane, Glycerin, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Butylene Glycol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Pentylene Glycol, Panthenol, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Sodium Chloride, Hexyl Laurate, Boron Nitride, Caprylyl Glycol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Triethyl Citrate, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Tocopherol, Aluminum Hydroxide, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, CI 77891, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77288
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientButylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Methyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Chloride
MaskingDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Lauryl PEG-10 Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glyceryl Tribehenate/Isostearate/Eicosandioate
Emollient
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Iron Oxides
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Dimethicone, Methyl Trimethicone, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Silica, Sodium Chloride, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Lauryl PEG-10 Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan Isostearate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Tribehenate/Isostearate/Eicosandioate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Mica
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Aluminum Hydroxide is a form of aluminum. It can be naturally found in nature as the mineral gibbsite. In cosmetics, Aluminum Hydroxide is used as a colorant, pH adjuster, and absorbent.
As a colorant, Aluminum Hydroxide may add opacity, or reduce the transparency. Aluminum hydroxide is contains both basic and acidic properties.
According to manufacturers, this ingredient is an emollient and humectant. This means it helps hydrate the skin.
In medicine, this ingredient is used to help relieve heartburn and help heal ulcers.
There is currently no credible scientific evidence linking aluminum hydroxide in cosmetics to increased cancer risk.
Major health organizations allow the use of aluminum hydroxide in personal care products and have not flagged it as a carcinogenic risk at typical usage levels.
Learn more about Aluminum HydroxideButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCaprylyl 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 or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolThis ingredient is a silicone-based emulsifer that helps the water and oil phases play nicely together.
It's pretty effective because one end of the molecule loves oil and the other one loves water.
Besides holding formulas together, it also leaves a silky and lightweight feel on skin without the greasiness. A manufacturer also claims it can help with the controlled release of active ingredients.
The CIR Expert Panel found this ingredient to not be sensitizing in concentrations up to 15% in human maximazation testing and dimethicone-based compounds were not comedogenic.
It has a high molecular weight well above 1,000 g/mol which means it limits meaningful skin penetration.
A 2019 study specifically tested this ingredient and found no observable Malassezia growth in its presence.
Learn more about Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 DimethiconeDimethicone 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 HectoriteGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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.
Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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
