Mac Cosmetics Studio Fix 24-Hour Smooth Wear Concealer Versus Tarte Sea Power Flex Concealer

Dimethicone Crosspolymer is a silicone created by modifying dimethicone with hydrocarbon side chains. Due to its large size, it does not penetrate skin. It is considered non-occlusive.

Dimethicone Crosspolymer is used to stabilize and thicken products. It also helps give products a silky feel.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.

Topically, glycerin does several things at once:

Magnesium Sulfate is a salt. More specifically, it is an epsom salt, or the bath salt used to help relieve muscle aches.

Despite having ‘sulfate’ in the name, it isn’t a surfactant or cleansing agent like sodium lauryl sulfate. Unlike those sulfates, magnesium sulfate doesn’t have the same cleansing or foaming properties (it's simply a type of salt).

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.

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.

Sorbitan Sesquioleate is derived from sorbitol and oleic acid. It is an emulsifier and prevents ingredients from separating.

Specifically, this ingredient is a water-in-oil emulsifier, meaning it helps water dissolve into oil.

Tocopherol 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.

This silicone is an emollient. Emollients create a thin film on the skin to prevent moisture from escaping.

It is not soluble in water and helps increase water-resistance in products.

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.