Mac Cosmetics Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Face Powder Versus L.A. Girl Pro.Face Matte Pressed Powder
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Talc
Abrasive
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantDimethicone
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Yeast Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
CI 77163
Cosmetic Colorant
CI 75470
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77289
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77510
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77742
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15850
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantTalc, Mica, Dimethicone, Isopropyl Palmitate, Polysorbate 20, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Yeast Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lauroyl Lysine, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77891, Iron Oxides, CI 77163, CI 75470, CI 77288, CI 77289, CI 77510, CI 77742, CI 77007, CI 42090, CI 15850, CI 19140, CI 15985
Talc
Abrasive
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantSilica
Abrasive
Magnesium Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantSynthetic Wax
Abrasive
Dimethicone
Emollient
Isopropyl Isostearate
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientPetrolatum
Emollient
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Iron Oxides
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantTalc, Mica, Silica, Magnesium Stearate, Synthetic Wax, Dimethicone, Isopropyl Isostearate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Petrolatum, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Iron Oxides, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, 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 77891Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeThis ingredient is also known as Octinoxate and is one of the oldest and most widely used chemical UV filters in skincare.
It has a simple job: soap up UVB radiation (290-320 nm), the wavelengths responsible for sunburn and a big chunk of long-term sun damage.
In formulas, it's always paired with a separate UVA filter because octinoxate solely protects skin from UVB.
Because it's an oil-soluble liquid, it's easy to blend into the oil phase of lotions/creams and gives a cosmetically elegant feel.
The one quirk about formulating this ingredient is photostability; the molecule slowly changes shape into a less effective version when sunlight hits it. So the longer you're in the sun, the weaker its protection gets. The drop can be more than 30% in some formulas.
It also doesn't play nice with Avobenzone (the common UVA filter) since avobenzone destabilizes octinoxate and the two degrade each other. But don't worry: brands have solved this issue by adding photostabilizers like Tinosorb S to prevent degradation and keep SPF stable under heavy UV exposure.
The maximum allowed level is 10% in the EU and Australia, 7.5% in the US and Canada, and 20% in Japan.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics up to 10%.
One last thing worth knowing for context:
Octinoxate has been the subject of ongoing review in Europe where the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety's (SCCS) 2025 final opinion is that this ingredient is an endocrine-active substance.
Lab and animal studies suggest it can act a bit like a hormone in the body (mildly mimicking estrogen and slightly blocking male hormones). It's important to know this hasn't really been shown to happen in everyday human use.
This ingredient is also banned in Hawaii over coral reef concerns.
Learn more about Ethylhexyl MethoxycinnamateMica 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 MicaPhenoxyethanol 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.
Talc is a clay mineral. It helps absorb moisture and improve the texture of products. Like other types of clay, Talc can have a slight exfoliating effect on skin. Talc can be added to increase the volume of products.
Some Baby powders are made by combining talc with corn starch. The word "talc" comes from Latin and originates from Arabic. Talc is a mineral commonly found throughout the world.
If you have any concerns about using talc, we recommend checking out the FDA's official page.
Learn more about TalcTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateThis 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
