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
Titanium Dioxide 8%
Cosmetic Colorant
Zinc Oxide 10%
Cosmetic Colorant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Alumina
Abrasive
Aluminum Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantButyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cetyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Hexyl Laurate
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emollient
Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientPEG-7 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Propanediol
Solvent
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer
Water
Skin ConditioningTitanium Dioxide 8%, Zinc Oxide 10%, 1,2-Hexanediol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Alumina, Aluminum Stearate, Butyloctyl Salicylate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetyl Dimethicone, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Dimethicone, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Hexyl Laurate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, PEG-7 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Propanediol, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Water
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alumina is another name for the compound aluminum oxide. It is a white powder used as a thickener, absorbent, and abrasive.
As an absorbent, alumina can give a mattifying effect. It is used in mineral sunscreens to help coat nano-sized filters, such as titanium dioxide. By increasing the size of the UV filters, these ingredients stay on the skin for a longer time. By coating small sized ingredients, alumina helps thicken a product.
Alumina may be used as an abrasive, or exfoliant.
Alumina is naturally occurring in the mineral corundum. Certain varieties of corundum create rubies and sapphires. Corundum is also the crystalline form of alumina.
Learn more about AluminaAluminum Stearate is the aluminum salt of the fatty acid, stearic acid. It is used to stabilize formulas, add thickness, and as a colorant.
Like other large lipophilic molecules, this ingredient has low dermal absorption.
Although “aluminum” in an ingredient name can raise red flags for some consumers, the form and usage context matter significantly.
For typical topical applications, there is no substantial evidence of health risks - such as cancer, neurotoxicity, or systemic “aluminum overload.”
Learn more about Aluminum StearateC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is a lightweight emollient made by combinig benzoic acid with fatty alcohols that are 12-15 carbons long.
In cosmetics, it plays several roles:
The Cosmetic Review Expert Panel has concluded the alkyl benzoate group to be safe as used in cosmetics; it wasn't found to be a skin irritant and unlikely to be absorbed due to its low water solubility.
This report recorded almost 1000 reported uses with concentrations up to 59% in leave-on products but your cosmetics will typically use 0.5-15% depending on the product.
It's often called a "SPF booster": this is because it keeps UV filters properly dissolved and evenly distributed to support a sunscreen's performance. It doesn't actually raise SPF on its own.
Overall, this ingredient is well tolerated.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because it is an ester of benzoic acid.
Think of this ingredient as two parts stuck together: an oily part and an acid part. Malassezia only gets a meal when it can snip off a fatty acid to eat. With C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, the acid part is benzoic acid, which isn't a fatty acid and which the yeast can't use as food.
Benzoic acid is actually used as a preservative to stop yeast from growing.
The oily part is a blend of C12-15 fatty alcohols but fatty alcohols in this size range can support only a little Malassezia growth (mostly for one species of Malassezia as well).
In the ingredient, those alcohols stay locked inside the molecule. The yeast can only reach them by snipping the benzoate bond, and that type of bond is harder for it to cut than a normal fatty bond.
So not much gets released. And whatever does get snipped comes packaged with benzoic acid, which discourages yeast growth.
Learn more about C12-15 Alkyl BenzoateCaprylyl 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 GlycolDimethicone 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 DimethiconePolyhydroxystearic 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 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 TocopherolWater. 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
