What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingRicinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate
Skin ConditioningCopernicia Cerifera Wax
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Ozokerite
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Lecithin
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
CI 77000
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77163
Cosmetic Colorant
CI 75470
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77289
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77510
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77742
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantHydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Triethylhexanoin, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Ozokerite, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Lecithin, Citric Acid, Mica, CI 77891, Iron Oxides, CI 77000, CI 42090, CI 77163, CI 75470, CI 77289, CI 77288, CI 77510, CI 77742, CI 77007, CI 19140
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Paraffin
Skin ConditioningDiisostearyl Dimer Dilinoleate
EmollientPEG-6 Beeswax
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Ozokerite
Emulsion StabilisingCeresin
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 75470
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77510
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
CI 77000
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77742
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77266
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77163
Cosmetic Colorant
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantIngredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ascorbyl Palmitate is a fat-soluble form of vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) made by combining it with palmitic acid.
It is able to blend easily into creams and oil-based formulas because it dissolves in oils rather than water.
As you may know, regular vitamin C is notorious for breaking down when exposed to sunlight and air. Ascorbyl Palmitate is more stable and degrades at a slower rate.
Research on whether it converts efficiently into active vitamin C once it's applied on your skin is still limited.
Some in-vitro studies suggest it may support collagen production, but it is not considered one of the stronger vitamin C derivatives, like:
Due to the palmitic acid base, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. Comedogenic studies have also shown this ingredient to have a rating of 2.
It's also worth keeping in mind that comedogenic and irritancy ratings are tested on individual ingredients, not finished formulas. The final product's formulation, concentration, and other ingredients all play a role in how something actually behaves on your skin.
Learn more about Ascorbyl PalmitateCI 19140 is also known as Tartrazine. Tartrazine is a synthetic dye used in cosmetics, foods, and medicine to add a yellow color.
Tartrazine is created from petroleum and is water-soluble.
Some people may experience allergies from this dye, especially asthmatics and those with an aspirin intolerance.
Learn more about CI 19140Ci 42090 is a synthetic dye created from petroleum. It is used to give a bright blue color to cosmetics, medicine, and food.
Ci 75470 is a bright-red pigment. It is AKA carmine.
Carmine is derived from insects such as the cochineal beetle. This ingredient has been used as a natural dye for over 2000 years.
We don't have a description for CI 77000 yet.
This pigment is called Ultramarine blue lazurite. It gives a saturated blue color, but can be used to create other colors as well.
According to the manufacturer, it is usually made from kaolin, sodium sulfate, sodium carbonate, sulfur, and charcoal.
This synthetic powder is used to add a pearly/white color in cosmetics.
This ingredient is used to impart a blue color. It is not water-soluble.
It goes by two different names:
1. Ferric Ferrocyanide: a synthetic dark blue pigment
2. Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide: a synthetic blue pigment, also called Prussian blue
In the EU, both of these colors must be labeled as 'CI 77510'.
Learn more about CI 77510This ingredient is used to add a violet color to cosmetics.
It is created by reacting phosphoric acid, ammonium dihydrogen orthophosphate, and manganese dioxide.
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 77891Mica is a naturally occurring mineral used to add shimmer and color in cosmetics. It can also help improve the texture of a product or give it an opaque, white/silver color.
Serecite is the name for very fine but ragged grains of mica.
This ingredient is often coated with metal oxides like titanium dioxide. Trace amounts of heavy metals may be found in mica, but these metals are not harmful in our personal products.
Mica has been used since prehistoric times throughout the world. Ancient Egyptian, Indian, Greek, Roman, Aztec, and Chinese civilizations have used mica.
Learn more about MicaOzokerite is a naturally occuring mineral wax. In cosmetics, ozokerite is used as a texture enhancer.
Ceresin wax is derived from this ingredient.
The melting point of ozokerite is 58-100 C.
Ozokerite is found all over the world including Scotland, the US, and India.
Learn more about OzokeriteTocopherol 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 TocopherolThis 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
