What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantOryza Sativa Starch
AbsorbentBoron Nitride
Absorbent
Magnesium Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantTriethylhexanoin
MaskingOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientBis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Iron Oxides
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15850
Cosmetic ColorantMica, Oryza Sativa Starch, Boron Nitride, Magnesium Stearate, Triethylhexanoin, Octyldodecanol, Isononyl Isononanoate, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Water, Propylene Glycol, Iron Oxides, CI 77891, CI 77007, CI 15850
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientDiisostearyl Malate
EmollientSynthetic Wax
Abrasive
Ceresin
Emulsion StabilisingPolyisobutene
Silica
Abrasive
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Citrus Medica Vulgaris Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Trihydroxystearin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glucomannan
Skin ConditioningRosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil
Emollient
Iron Oxides
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantEthylhexyl Palmitate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Diisostearyl Malate, Synthetic Wax, Ceresin, Polyisobutene, Silica, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Citrus Medica Vulgaris Fruit Extract, Trihydroxystearin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glucomannan, Rosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil, Iron Oxides, CI 77492, CI 77891, CI 77499
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (tea extract) is one of the most well-researched plant extracts in skincare with an impressive resume.
Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant.
Studies show green tea extract and its catechins (like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) help your skin cells product energy more efficiently and reducing the number of free-radicals that can damage your skin from the inside.
In lab-grown skin models, this translated to younger, healthier, and stronger skin.
There's also good sun protection data; researchers saw less DNA damage and redness on human skin when green tea was applied before UVB exposure. And the more they applied, the better the protection.
Needless to say, this ingredient shouldn't replace your sunscreen. But it is a great supportive ingredient that you can already find in many sunscreens and antioxidant serums.
A 2009 study found a 2% green tea lotion was effective for mild-to-moderate acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity.
The quality of the extract matters a lot here:
Good extracts contain 50-90% catechins while lower quality ones are mostly there for marketing. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the quality or source of their ingredients.
Human Repeated Insult Patch Testing showed no irritation or sensitization at use concentrations (0.86% in leave-on products and up to 30% as leaf water).
Learn more about Camellia Sinensis Leaf ExtractCi 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 77891Isononyl Isononanoate is a synthetic skin-conditioner and texture enhancer. It is created from nonanoic acid, a fatty acid found in cocoa and lavender oil.
As an emollient, Isononyl Isononanoate helps keep your skin soft and smooth. This is because emollients create a barrier on the skin to trap moisture in.
Isononyl Isononanoate helps give products a velvet feel and improves spreadability.
Learn more about Isononyl IsononanoatePhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateThis ingredient is a combination of red, black, and yellow iron oxide pigments. This combination of colors is usually found in foundation, because it results in a "skin" color.
The EU typically uses CI numbers for colorants when applicable, such as CI 77489. In the US, iron oxides are regulated as color additives and "iron oxides" is the most commonly used name in US cosmetic practice.
A 2021 paper looked at skincare formulations containing iron oxides and found that they reduced transmission of blue light when measured optically. In simple terms, the pigment particles helped block or scatter part of the visible light spectrum in lab testing and the authors suggest this could translate into better protection against blue-light-related skin effects.
There is also clinical and experimental research showing that tinted products containing iron oxides can reduce visible light-induced pigmentation:
Please note, whether a product reduces visible or blue light depends on things like:
In the EU's CosIng database, iron oxides are only listed as a colorant. CosIng groups ingredients by their main cosmetic role, such as colorant, preservative, or UV filter.
Though studies say iron oxides can "attenuate blue light", they're describing an optical property and not an officially recognized cosmetic function.
So CosIng isn’t contradicting the research. It’s just classifying iron oxides by what they officially are: pigments that add color.
Learn more about Iron Oxides
