What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Rhus Succedanea Fruit Wax
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Dicalcium Phosphate
Abrasive
Synthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Hydrogenated Coconut Oil
Emollient
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantMicrocrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Stearic Acid, Rhus Succedanea Fruit Wax, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Dicalcium Phosphate, Synthetic Beeswax, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Mica, Microcrystalline Wax, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Tocopherol, CI 77891, Iron Oxides
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Rhus Succedanea Fruit Wax
Talc
Abrasive
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Cera Alba
Emollient
Cera Microcristallina
Emulsion StabilisingParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Hydrogenated Coconut Oil
Emollient
Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil
Emollient
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientHydrogenated Palm Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Lecithin
Emollient
BHT
Antioxidant
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77163
Cosmetic Colorant
CI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77289
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77510
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77742
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantStearic Acid, Rhus Succedanea Fruit Wax, Talc, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Cera Alba, Cera Microcristallina, Paraffinum Liquidum, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Aluminum Hydroxide, Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Tocopherol, Lecithin, BHT, CI 19140, CI 42090, CI 77007, CI 77163, CI 77288, CI 77289, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77510, CI 77742, CI 77891
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 77891Hydrogenated Castor Oil (aka "castor wax") is what you get when castor oil is turned into a wax.
Its dominant fatty acid is ricinoleic acid, giving it both emollient and mild humectant properties.
According to EU CosIng, this ingredient helps soften skin, keep oil and water stay mixed, and thickens products.
Hydrogenated castor oil at 30% did not trigger a positive patch-test reaction and is well-tolerated.
Since this ingredient is based on an 18-carbon fatty acid, it falls into the chain-length range that Malassezia can feed on and may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Hydrogenated Castor OilHydrogenated Coconut Oil is regular coconut oil that's been run through a process that "fills in" the last few reactive spots on its fat molecules with hydrogen.
This results in a firmer, waxier, and more shelf-stable fat that melts around body temperature. This is why formulators use it as an emollient and a structuring agent for balms, sticks, and thick creams.
It doesn't do anything active and just sits on skin to soften it and slow water loss.
The CIR reviews of this ingredient reported concentration usage across a wide range (0.0001% - 70%) depending on the product type. You'll most likely see double digits (~1-5%) in emulsions and double digits in sticks + balms.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe; the Malassezia yeast feeds on chains longer than 12 carbons which is exactly what this ingredient is built from (C12, C14, C16, and C18).
It's worth being honest that the lab picture isn't one-directional: medium-chain triglycerides and medium-chain free fatty acids were actually toxic to Malassezia in vitro, suppressing M. furfur and M. sympodialis. However, there's no human skin data showing that protective effect holds in a real formula.
The risk of allergies is low; Hydrogenated Coconut Oil caused no irritation after a single patch application and no sign of sensitization on retest 14 days late. This is also a refined triglyceride with no coconut protein left, so it's not likely to trigger coconut food allergies. But if you have reacted to coconut in cosmetics before, it's best to avoid this ingredient.
This ingredient shows up on a lot of ""pore-clogging"" lists but there's no real evidence behind that. It doesn't even have a comedogenic rating from an actual study; the numbers you'll find online come from blogs citing other blogs.
Ratings for other ingredients mostly come from a 1980s rabbit ear test. This test doesn't translate well to human skin or to real products because the ingredient sits at a much lower percentage. Some people still find it breaks them out. So if that's you, definitely trust your skin.
Learn more about Hydrogenated Coconut OilThis ingredient is also known as Japan wax. It is made from the fruit pulp of the Japanese wax tree.
In cosmetics, this ingredient acts like a classic wax; it thickens and stabilizes formulas, helps bind powders, and leaves an emollient film to help reduce moisture loss.
It is important to note this ingredient comes from a tree that is part of the Toxicodendron species that are well-known for having urushiol, an allergen also found in poison ivy.
Though this ingredient comes from the fruit instead of sap (the sap contains the substance that causes itchy rashes), there is a very small chance that sensitive people could react.
Learn more about Rhus Succedanea Fruit WaxStearic 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
