Lip Gloss
Lip Plumper
American United States
American United States

What's inside

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Show highlights for:

Diisostearyl Malate

Emollient

Polybutene

Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate

Emulsifying
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Masking
Coconut Derived IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Emollient, Skin Conditioning

Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2 is a synthetic emollient that works as a lanolin substitute.

This ingredient is a great vegan option for those avoiding animal-derived ingredients.

It mostly stays on the surface of skin where it helps hydrate due to its large molecular size and low water solubility.

Due to it being derived from fatty acids, this ingredient may not be Malassezia or fungal acne safe.

Learn more about Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Skin Conditioning

This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.

Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).

In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).

Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.

Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.

While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.

Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Masking, Skin Conditioning

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 Triglyceride
Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.

Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

Learn more about Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Surfactant

Diisostearyl 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.

Ethylene/Propylene Copolymer is an exfoliant.

Masking, Refreshing

Menthoxypropanediol can cause irritation and worsen rosacea.

Emulsion Stabilising

Microcrystalline Wax is derived from petroleum through a de-oiling process, then highly refined and purified before use in cosmetics.

In skincare formulations, it is used to improve texture and create a smooth, even consistency. It also helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating.

Skin Conditioning

Paraffin is a solid wax that pulls its weight as an emollient, occlusive, and consistency-booster.

It softens skin and lays down a protective film to slow water loss and gives products a stable body and structure.

The cosmetic grade stuff is highly refined with a solid safety record. The CIR Expert Panel has repeatedly reaffirmed this ingredient to be safe in current practices of use and concentration.

The worry about carcinogenic compounds only applies to industrial grades, not the purified version used in skincare.

Despite its reputation, the highly reformed form is non-comedogenic and doesn't penetrate deeply into skin.

The good news for fungal-acne prone folks: the Malassezia yeast feeds on fatty acids and lipids and paraffin doesn't contain any of these (so there's nothing for the yeast to metabolize). This ingredient is considered fungal acne safe.

Learn more about Paraffin

Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate (long name, huh?) is a synthetic antioxidant.

It is used to help stabilize other antioxidants or prevent the color from changing in a product.

As an antioxidant, it helps fight free-radical molecules. Free-radical molecules are capable of damaging our cells and other genetic material. Thus, antioxidants may reduce the signs of aging.

This ingredient is oil-soluble.

Learn more about Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Preservative

Phenoxyethanol 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.

Polybutene is used to help control the viscosity of a product. This just means it helps adjusts the texture.

It is a polymer and does not get absorbed into the skin due to its large size.

Studies found this ingredient did not irritate skin in concentrations below 15%.

Learn more about Polybutene

Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate is a plant-derived emulsifier and pigment-dispersing agent with a non-sticky skin feel.

It helps products glide on smoothly and prevents oil and water from separating in a formula, making it suitable for sunscreen and makeup formulations.

The EU inventory of cosmetics has no use restrictions on this ingredient and it is considered well-tolerated.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because it is derived from isostearic acid.

Learn more about Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate

This ingredient is a solvent. It helps dissolve active ingredients and alter the texture of products.

Propylene Carbonate is commonly used in makeup and with clay, such as montmorillonite or bentonite.

Studies show this ingredient to be safe for cosmetics. When it is undiluted, it can cause skin irritation. (It is always diluted in skincare and makeup). This ingredient is water-soluble.

Propylene Carbonate is created from propylene glycol and carbonic acid.

Learn more about Propylene Carbonate

Stearalkonium Hectorite is a clay-derived ingredient used to thicken a product and help create a gel-like texture.

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 Fluorphlogopite
Abrasive

Tin Oxide is an inorganic oxide used to add opacity and volume to a product. In nature, it is already found in mineral form. The main ore of tin is an opaque and shiny mineral called casseterite.

Tin Oxide helps remove translucency in a product, or make it more opaque. Besides adding opacity, tin oxide is used for bulking to add volume.

Masking, Skin Conditioning

We don't have a description for Vanillyl Butyl Ether yet.

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