What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Isododecane
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingMagnesium Sulfate
Propylene Carbonate
SolventPEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isododecane, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Phenoxyethanol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Magnesium Sulfate, Propylene Carbonate, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, CI 77891, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Isododecane
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Propylene Carbonate
SolventDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
Cyclopentasiloxane, Water, Glycerin, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Propylene Glycol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Isododecane, Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Propylene Carbonate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Mica, CI 77891, Iron Oxides
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ci 77891 is a white pigment from Titanium dioxide. It is naturally found in minerals such as rutile and ilmenite.
It's main function is to add a white color to cosmetics. It can also be mixed with other colors to create different shades.
Ci 77891 is commonly found in sunscreens due to its ability to block UV rays.
Learn more about CI 77891Cyclopentasiloxane (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 CyclopentasiloxaneDisteardimonium 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 GlycerinIsododecane is a fragrance, emollient, and solvent.
As an emollient, it helps your skin stay soft and hydrated. Emollients help trap moisture into your skin.
Isododecane's role as a solvent makes it a great texture enhancer. It spreads smoothly on skin and does not leave a sticky feeling behind. Isododecane also helps prevent color transfer in makeup products.
Isododecane is not absorbed into skin.
The chemical name for this ingredient is 2,2,4,6,6-PENTAMETHYLHEPTANE.
Learn more about IsododecanePhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolThis ingredient is a solvent. It helps dissolve active ingredients and alter the texture of products.
Propylene Carbonate is commonly used in makeup and with clay, such as montmorillonite or bentonite.
Studies show this ingredient to be safe for cosmetics. When it is undiluted, it can cause skin irritation. (It is always diluted in skincare and makeup). This ingredient is water-soluble.
Propylene Carbonate is created from propylene glycol and carbonic acid.
Learn more about Propylene CarbonateTriethoxycaprylylsilane is a silicon-based surface modifier that makes sunscreens feel silky and makeup stay put.
Its main job is to coat mineral particles like titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and color pigments in a thin, oily layer so they spread smoothly, don't clump, and stick to skin better.
This ingredient is typically used at low levels (up to 2.5% in eyeshadow and 1% in lipstick).
Learn more about TriethoxycaprylylsilaneWater. 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
