What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialIsohexadecane
EmollientTalc
Abrasive
Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer
Isododecane
EmollientCaprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientDimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientStearic Acid
Cleansing
PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Alumina
Abrasive
Aluminum Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingMagnesium Sulfate
PEG-8 Laurate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Propylene Carbonate
SolventSodium Citrate
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Dimethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Isohexadecane, Talc, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Isododecane, Caprylyl Methicone, Dicaprylyl Ether, Triethylhexanoin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Alumina, Aluminum Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Magnesium Sulfate, PEG-8 Laurate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Propylene Carbonate, Sodium Citrate, Tocopherol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alumina (aka aluminum oxide) is an inorganic mineral powder refined from bauxite that works as a quiet workhorse in a formula.
It shows up often as an abrasive, absorbent, anticaking, bulking, and viscosity-controlling agent.
One of its most common jobs is acting as a pigment carrier and dispersant.
Alumina platelets are often blended with inorganic sunscreens like Titanium Dioxide (or with colorants) and then coated with a silicone such as Triethoxycaprylylsilane so the pigment spreads evenly and smoothly.
In makeup, it can also double as a light-diffusing powder or oil absorber to keep formulas from looking greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded alumina to be safe in present practices of use and concentration.
They note it's a stable, oxidized compound and scientific research has failed to establish links to health issues.
Concentrations vary depending on the product:
Learn more about AluminaDicaprylyl Carbonate comes from carbonic acid and caprylyl alcohol, a fatty alcohol. It is an emollient and gives skin a velvet feel. The sources of Dicaprylyl Carbonate may be synthetic or from animals.
As an emollient, Dicaprylyl Carbonate creates a film on the skin. This film traps moisture in, keeping your skin soft and hydrated.
Polyhydroxystearic 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 AcidStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about Tocopherol
