Lys Beauty Higher Standards Cream Glow Blush Stick Versus Merit Beauty Bronze Balm Sheer Sculpting Bronzer
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Polyisobutene
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Ceresin
Emulsion StabilisingOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Rosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlucomannan
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Trihydroxystearin
Skin Conditioning
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
CI 15850
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Diisostearyl Malate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Polyisobutene, Synthetic Wax, Ceresin, Octyldodecanol, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Rosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glucomannan, Phenoxyethanol, Trihydroxystearin, Tin Oxide, CI 15850, CI 77891, Iron Oxides
Octyldodecyl Myristate
EmollientIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientPentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Silica
Abrasive
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Diisostearoyl Polyglyceryl-3 Dimer Dilinoleate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Microcrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingEthylene/Propylene Copolymer
Abrasive
Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate
Emulsifying
Lecithin
Emollient
Methicone
Emollient
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientWater
Skin ConditioningBHT
Antioxidant
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantOctyldodecyl Myristate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Synthetic Wax, Diisostearyl Malate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Silica, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Diisostearoyl Polyglyceryl-3 Dimer Dilinoleate, Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sorbitan Isostearate, Microcrystalline Wax, Ethylene/Propylene Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Lecithin, Methicone, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Aluminum Hydroxide, Water, BHT, Titanium Dioxide, CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideDiisostearyl Malate is an emollient and most often used in lip products. It comes from isostearyl alcohol, a fatty acid, and malic acid, an AHA.
As an emollient, Diisostearyl Malate helps create a thin film on your skin to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin soft and smooth.
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite is the synthethic version of mica. It consists of fluorine, aluminum and silicate.
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite is used to add volume to products.
It is considered non-irritating on the skin.
Learn more about Synthetic FluorphlogopiteSynthetic Wax is a manufactured hydrocarbon wax. In formulas, it works as an occlusive emollient that helps reduce water loss and improves the spreadability of products.
Research comparing synthetic wax to traditional mineral-derived products found that formulas containing it perform as well for skin hydration.
It is considered non-comedogenic and vegan-friendly.
This ingredient has a well-established safety record by the CIR Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety.
Synthetic Waxes are straight/branched-chain hydrocarbons with no ester bond or fatty acids. That means there is nothing for the Malassezia yeast to feed on.
Learn more about Synthetic Wax
