What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Styrene/Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer
Polyurethane-35
Cera Alba
Emollient
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-200 Glyceryl Stearate
Ethylenediamine/Stearyl Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer
Skin Conditioning
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Ethylene/Va Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Paraffin
Perfuming
Aminomethyl Propanediol
BufferingGlycerin
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Disodium EDTA
Tetrasodium EDTA
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Silica
Abrasive
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantMica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 75470
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77742
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77510
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Propylene Glycol, Styrene/Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Polyurethane-35, Cera Alba, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, PEG-200 Glyceryl Stearate, Ethylenediamine/Stearyl Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Ethylene/Va Copolymer, Alcohol Denat., Paraffin, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Glycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Disodium EDTA, Tetrasodium EDTA, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Silica, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77007, CI 77891, Mica, CI 75470, CI 77288, CI 77742, CI 77510
Water
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Acrylates Copolymer
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Candelilla Cera
Emollient
Euphorbia Cerifera Cera
Astringent
Sucrose Stearate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer
Propanediol
Solvent
C10-18 Triglycerides
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Polybutene
Cera Microcristallina
Emulsion StabilisingMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Arginine
Masking
Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningStearyl Stearate
Emollient
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Deceth-6
EmulsifyingDisodium Deceth-6 Sulfosuccinate
CleansingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Laureth-30
CleansingSimethicone
Emollient
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Cicer Seed Extract
Skin ProtectingLens Esculenta Seed Extract
Skin ProtectingIron Oxides
CI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Ammonium Acrylates Copolymer, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Candelilla Cera, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera, Sucrose Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Propanediol, C10-18 Triglycerides, Lecithin, Polybutene, Cera Microcristallina, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Oleic Acid, Alcohol Denat., Stearic Acid, Arginine, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Stearyl Stearate, Benzyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Deceth-6, Disodium Deceth-6 Sulfosuccinate, Panthenol, Laureth-30, Simethicone, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Cicer Seed Extract, Lens Esculenta Seed Extract, Iron Oxides, CI 77007, CI 77891
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
One thing to note:
People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.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 or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolThis 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 77891 is a white pigment from Titanium dioxide. It is naturally found in minerals such as rutile and ilmenite.
It's main function is to add a white color to cosmetics. It can also be mixed with other colors to create different shades.
Ci 77891 is commonly found in sunscreens due to its ability to block UV rays.
Learn more about CI 77891This ingredient comes from a palm tree native to Brazil. This ingredient is used to thicken texture and leaves behind a film when applied.
Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateStearic 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 AcidWater. 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
