What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin Conditioning1,2-Butanediol
HumectantParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Diethylhexyl Carbonate
EmollientCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialTrimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Magnesium Sulfate
Lauryl PEG-8 Dimethicone
Surfactant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantDimethicone
Emollient
Magnesium Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingSorbitan Sesquioleate
Emulsifying
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Gentiana Scabra Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Extract
Abrasive
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Camellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Methylparaben
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Propylparaben
Preservative
Sodium Glutamate
MaskingDisodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingTriethoxycaprylylsilane
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Water, 1,2-Butanediol, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cyclopentasiloxane, Diethylhexyl Carbonate, CI 77891, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Sodium PCA, Caprylyl Methicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Magnesium Sulfate, Lauryl PEG-8 Dimethicone, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, CI 77492, Dimethicone, Magnesium Stearate, CI 77491, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Bisabolol, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Gentiana Scabra Root Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Stearic Acid, Methylparaben, Chlorphenesin, Polysorbate 20, Propylparaben, Sodium Glutamate, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, DMDM Hydantoin, Niacinamide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Propylene Glycol
Dimethicone
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningZinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Diisopropyl Sebacate
EmollientIsododecane
Emollient
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPEG/PPG-9/2 Dimethyl Ether
Skin ConditioningZea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Talc
Abrasive
Silica
Abrasive
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Dextrin Palmitate
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Homosalate
Skin Conditioning
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether
Skin ConditioningTrimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Extract
Antioxidant
Potentilla Erecta Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Unshiu Peel Extract
MaskingSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Lauryl Betaine
CleansingSoluble Collagen
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingPEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Isostearic Acid
Cleansing
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientStearic Acid
Cleansing
Trisodium EDTA
PEG-6
HumectantTocopherol
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Bis-Butyldimethicone Polyglyceryl-3
Cleansing
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Dimethicone, Water, Zinc Oxide, Alcohol, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Isododecane, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, PEG/PPG-9/2 Dimethyl Ether, Zea Mays Starch, Talc, Silica, Isopropyl Myristate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Titanium Dioxide, PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Dextrin Palmitate, Glycerin, Homosalate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Sodium Chloride, PEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Potentilla Erecta Root Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Lauryl Betaine, Soluble Collagen, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Isostearic Acid, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Trisodium EDTA, PEG-6, Tocopherol, BHT, Butylene Glycol, Bis-Butyldimethicone Polyglyceryl-3, Sodium Metabisulfite, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Aluminum Hydroxide is a form of aluminum. It can be naturally found in nature as the mineral gibbsite. In cosmetics, Aluminum Hydroxide is used as a colorant, pH adjuster, and absorbent.
As a colorant, Aluminum Hydroxide may add opacity, or reduce the transparency. Aluminum hydroxide is contains both basic and acidic properties.
According to manufacturers, this ingredient is an emollient and humectant. This means it helps hydrate the skin.
In medicine, this ingredient is used to help relieve heartburn and help heal ulcers.
There is currently no credible scientific evidence linking aluminum hydroxide in cosmetics to increased cancer risk.
Major health organizations allow the use of aluminum hydroxide in personal care products and have not flagged it as a carcinogenic risk at typical usage levels.
Learn more about Aluminum HydroxideC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is a lightweight emollient made by combinig benzoic acid with fatty alcohols that are 12-15 carbons long.
In cosmetics, it plays several roles:
The Cosmetic Review Expert Panel has concluded the alkyl benzoate group to be safe as used in cosmetics; it wasn't found to be a skin irritant and unlikely to be absorbed due to its low water solubility.
This report recorded almost 1000 reported uses with concentrations up to 59% in leave-on products but your cosmetics will typically use 0.5-15% depending on the product.
It's often called a "SPF booster": this is because it keeps UV filters properly dissolved and evenly distributed to support a sunscreen's performance. It doesn't actually raise SPF on its own.
Overall, this ingredient is well tolerated.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because it is an ester of benzoic acid.
Think of this ingredient as two parts stuck together: an oily part and an acid part. Malassezia only gets a meal when it can snip off a fatty acid to eat. With C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, the acid part is benzoic acid, which isn't a fatty acid and which the yeast can't use as food.
Benzoic acid is actually used as a preservative to stop yeast from growing.
The oily part is a blend of C12-15 fatty alcohols but fatty alcohols in this size range can support only a little Malassezia growth (mostly for one species of Malassezia as well).
In the ingredient, those alcohols stay locked inside the molecule. The yeast can only reach them by snipping the benzoate bond, and that type of bond is harder for it to cut than a normal fatty bond.
So not much gets released. And whatever does get snipped comes packaged with benzoic acid, which discourages yeast growth.
Learn more about C12-15 Alkyl BenzoateDimethicone 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 DimethiconeDisteardimonium Hectorite comes from the clay mineral named hectorite. It is used to add thickness to a product.
It can also help stabilize a product by helping to disperse other ingredients.
Hectorite is a rare, white clay mineral.
Learn more about Disteardimonium HectoritePhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidTriethoxycaprylylsilane is a silicon-based surface modifier that makes sunscreens feel silky and makeup stay put.
Its main job is to coat mineral particles like titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and color pigments in a thin, oily layer so they spread smoothly, don't clump, and stick to skin better.
This ingredient is typically used at low levels (up to 2.5% in eyeshadow and 1% in lipstick).
Learn more about TriethoxycaprylylsilaneThis 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.
According to a manufacturer, it can blend seamlessly with silicone oils, such as Cyclopentasiloxane.
Learn more about TrimethylsiloxysilicateWater. 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.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
