What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCera Alba
Emollient
Ozokerite
Emulsion StabilisingShellac
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Sorbitan Sesquioleate
Emulsifying
Methylparaben
Preservative
Quaternium-15
Preservative
Simethicone
Emollient
Butylparaben
Masking
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantMica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77510
Cosmetic ColorantCI 75470
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77289
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77742
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cera Alba, Ozokerite, Shellac, Glyceryl Stearate, Triethanolamine, Propylene Glycol, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Methylparaben, Quaternium-15, Simethicone, Butylparaben, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77491, CI 77007, Mica, CI 77891, CI 77510, CI 75470, CI 77288, CI 77289, CI 77742
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffin
Perfuming
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Triethanolamine
BufferingCera Alba
Emollient
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
CI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCopernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
CI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantSimethicone
Emollient
Sodium Polymethacrylate
Emulsion StabilisingSilica
Abrasive
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Polyquaternium-10
BHT
Antioxidant
Imidazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Water, Paraffin, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Cera Alba, Acacia Senegal Gum, Palmitic Acid, CI 77499, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, CI 77007, Simethicone, Sodium Polymethacrylate, Silica, Myristic Acid, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Panthenol, Polyquaternium-10, BHT, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cera alba is beeswax, or the wax used by bees to make honeycombs. It is a texture-enhancer and emollient. A study from 2003 found beeswax to be a stronger emollient than ingredients such as petroleum jelly.
As an emollient, beeswax helps hydrate the skin by creating a barrier on top. This barrier traps moisture in.
Emulsifiers help prevent ingredients from separating. This helps create consistent texture.
The structure of beeswax is mainly long-chain alcohols and the esters of fatty acids.
There are three types of beeswax: yellow, white, and absolute. Yellow is pure beeswax taken from the honeycomb. White beeswax is created by filtering or bleaching yellow beeswax. Absolute beeswax is created by treating beeswax with alcohol. Beeswax used in cosmetics are purified.
Beeswax has been used throughout history and even in prehistoric times. Some common uses for beeswax still used today are making candles, as a waterproofing agent, and polish for leather.
Learn more about Cera AlbaThis pigment is called Ultramarine blue lazurite. It gives a saturated blue color, but can be used to create other colors as well.
According to the manufacturer, it is usually made from kaolin, sodium sulfate, sodium carbonate, sulfur, and charcoal.
Ci 77499 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It is created from mixing red and black iron oxides. This helps give shades of darkness to a product.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
Methylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben. It is used to prevent the growth of fungus, mold, and other harmful bacteria. Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in both cosmetics and food.
Methylparaben can be synthetically created. It can also be found naturally in some fruits, such as blueberries.
Oftentimes, Methylparaben is combined with other parabens to help increase the shelf life.
The safety of Methylparaben is currently being studied. While ongoing studies are looking into the safety of parabens, the results have been very mixed. Some studies have not found Methylparaben to be harmful.
Learn more about MethylparabenPalmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources.
In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.
Learn more about Palmitic AcidSimethicone is a silicone. It is an emollient and used to reduce foaming in a product. It is also often used to coat sunscreen ingredients for better spreadability.
This ingredient is created by mixing dimethylpolysiloxane and hydrated silica.
Stearic 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 AcidTriethanolamine (TEA) is an emulsifier and pH adjuster. It is created using ethylene oxide and ammonia. This gives Triethanolamine a nitrogen core and a similar scent to ammonia.
As an emulsifier, it prevents ingredients from separating and enhances texture by adding volume to a product.
PH adjusters are common in cosmetic products. The pH of a product can affect the effectiveness of other ingredients. A product with a high pH may also irritate the skin.
If you are looking for the tea leaf ingredient, click here.
Learn more about TriethanolamineWater. 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
