L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Waterproof Mascara Versus Maybelline Volum' Express Pumped Up! Colossal Mascara
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingAcrylates Copolymer
Cera Alba
Emollient
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Steareth-2
EmulsifyingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingEthylenediamine/Stearyl Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer
Skin Conditioning
Methylparaben
Preservative
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil
Abrasive
Hydrogenated Palm Oil
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Soluble Collagen
Humectant
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientSodium Chondroitin Sulfate
Skin Conditioning
Atelocollagen
Skin Conditioning
CI 77266
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Paraffin, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Acrylates Copolymer, Cera Alba, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Steareth-2, Cetyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Acacia Senegal Gum, Ethylenediamine/Stearyl Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer, Methylparaben, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil, Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Disodium EDTA, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Ethylparaben, Pvp, Sodium Hyaluronate, 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol, Panthenol, Soluble Collagen, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate, Atelocollagen, CI 77266
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingAcrylates Copolymer
Cera Alba
Emollient
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSteareth-2
EmulsifyingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingEthylenediamine/Stearyl Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer
Skin Conditioning
Water, Paraffin, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Acrylates Copolymer, Cera Alba, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Steareth-2, Cetyl Alcohol, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Acacia Senegal Gum, Ethylenediamine/Stearyl Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acacia Senegal Gum has skin soothing, thickening, and formulation stabilizing properties. It comes from the Acacia tree that is native to sub-Saharan Africa.
Acrylates Copolymer is used as a film-forming agent and texture enhancer.
After applied, Acrylates Copolymer forms a thin film cover that helps skin feel more soft. It can help sunscreens become more water-resistant.
It is also used to make a product more thick.
Learn more about Acrylates CopolymerCera alba is beeswax, or the wax used by bees to make honeycombs. It is a texture-enhancer and emollient. A study from 2003 found beeswax to be a stronger emollient than ingredients such as petroleum jelly.
As an emollient, beeswax helps hydrate the skin by creating a barrier on top. This barrier traps moisture in.
Emulsifiers help prevent ingredients from separating. This helps create consistent texture.
The structure of beeswax is mainly long-chain alcohols and the esters of fatty acids.
There are three types of beeswax: yellow, white, and absolute. Yellow is pure beeswax taken from the honeycomb. White beeswax is created by filtering or bleaching yellow beeswax. Absolute beeswax is created by treating beeswax with alcohol. Beeswax used in cosmetics are purified.
Beeswax has been used throughout history and even in prehistoric times. Some common uses for beeswax still used today are making candles, as a waterproofing agent, and polish for leather.
Beeswax's wax esters are derived primarily from palmitic and oleic acid (C16 and C18:1). Both of these fall within the C11-C24 feeding window.
The Malassezia yeast can potentially cleave these esters and release usable fatty acids, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. However, not everyone will react to this ingredient.
Learn more about Cera AlbaCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholThis ingredient comes from a palm tree native to Brazil. This ingredient is used to thicken texture and leaves behind a film when applied.
Ethylenediamine/Stearyl Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer isn't fungal acne safe.
Hydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseParaffin is a solid wax that pulls its weight as an emollient, occlusive, and consistency-booster.
It softens skin and lays down a protective film to slow water loss and gives products a stable body and structure.
The cosmetic grade stuff is highly refined with a solid safety record. The CIR Expert Panel has repeatedly reaffirmed this ingredient to be safe in current practices of use and concentration.
The worry about carcinogenic compounds only applies to industrial grades, not the purified version used in skincare.
Despite its reputation, the highly reformed form is non-comedogenic and doesn't penetrate deeply into skin.
The good news for fungal-acne prone folks: the Malassezia yeast feeds on fatty acids and lipids and paraffin doesn't contain any of these (so there's nothing for the yeast to metabolize). This ingredient is considered fungal acne safe.
Learn more about ParaffinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate is the potassium salt of a mixture. This mixture consists of the esters from phosphoricacid and cetyl alcohol.
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate is an emulsifier and cleansing agent. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.
As a cleansing agent, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate helps gather oils, dirts, and pollutants from your skin. This makes it easier to rinse them away with water.
Learn more about Potassium Cetyl PhosphateSteareth-2 is a waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients. It is created from polyethylene glycol and stearyl alcohol. The 2 stands for the number of ethylene oxide units used to create this ingredient.
Due to the low degree of ethoxylation, the molecule stays mostly oil-loving. That's why you'll often see it paired with water-loving steareth-20 or steareth-21 to create elegant emulsions.
In testing, this ingredient was nontoxic in acute oral studies and not a skin irritant or sensitizer.
You might hear concerns about 1,4-dioxane as a byproduct of ethoxylation; this is well-known in the industry and is controlled through purification steps before the ingredient is blended into finished products.
Learn more about Steareth-2Water. 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
