What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Ozokerite
Emulsion StabilisingPolyethylene
Abrasive
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Dicalcium Phosphate
Abrasive
Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate
EmulsifyingOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Laureth-4
Emulsifying
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ozokerite, Polyethylene, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate, Octyldodecanol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Laureth-4, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Alcohol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Water
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Dicalcium Phosphate
Abrasive
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantSynthetic Wax
Abrasive
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Polyethylene
Abrasive
Silica Silylate
Emollient
Nylon-12
Euphorbia Cerifera Cera
Astringent
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Talc
Abrasive
BHT
Antioxidant
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
CI 15850
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantOctyldodecanol, Dicalcium Phosphate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Mica, Synthetic Wax, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Polyethylene, Silica Silylate, Nylon-12, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Tocopheryl Acetate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Tin Oxide, Talc, BHT, CI 77891, Iron Oxides, CI 15850, CI 42090
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 TriglycerideThis ingredient is a mineral salt of calcium and phosphate. It is mainly used as a mild abrasive and sometimes used to add opacity to a formula.
Disteardimonium 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 HectoriteOctyldodecanol is a fatty alcohol sourced from plant oils like coconut or palm (or made synthetically).
It is:
You'll likely see this in many BHA products because this is the go-to solvent for salicylic acid.
This ingredient is typically used at levels between 2-20%.
Regarding fungal acne:
In 2019, this ingredient was tested against multiple Malassezia species (the yeast that causes fungal acne) and showed no growth.
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 HydroxyhydrocinnamatePolyethylene is a synthetic ingredient that helps the skin retain moisture. It is a polymer.
It is also typically used within product formulations to help bind solid ingredients together and thicken oil-based ingredients. When added to balms and emulsions, it helps increase the melting point temperature.
