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
Surfactant
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
Skin Conditioning
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 ConditioningCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantStearic Acid
Cleansing
Helianthus Annuus Seed Cera
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Rosinate
Perfuming
Cellulose
Absorbent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Pullulan
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Pisum Sativum Peptide
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitol
Humectant
Rhus Verniciflua Peel Cera
EmollientShorea Robusta Resin
TonicGlyceryl Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingMagnesium Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTrehalose
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Water, CI 77499, Stearic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Cera, Glycerin, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables, Glyceryl Rosinate, Cellulose, Pentylene Glycol, Pullulan, Octyldodecanol, Glyceryl Stearate, Pisum Sativum Peptide, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Sorbitol, Rhus Verniciflua Peel Cera, Shorea Robusta Resin, Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate, Palmitic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Acacia Senegal Gum, Magnesium Stearate, Xanthan Gum, Trehalose, Citric Acid, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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.
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:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinGlyceryl 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 StearatePalmitic 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 AcidStearic 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
