What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientAcrylates Copolymer
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialButyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide
Skin ConditioningDiisostearyl Malate
EmollientCeresin
Emulsion StabilisingDextrin Palmitate
Emulsifying
Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide
Skin ConditioningPolymethylsilsesquioxane
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Camellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water
Masking
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
Polyglyceryl-3 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientWater
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningZinc Oxide, Octyldodecanol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Acrylates Copolymer, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Synthetic Wax, Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide, Diisostearyl Malate, Ceresin, Dextrin Palmitate, Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Hyaluronic Acid, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Polyglyceryl-3 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Water, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate
EmollientHdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Vinyldimethicone
Microcrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingAluminum Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantPolyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate
Emulsifying
Silica
Abrasive
Alumina
Abrasive
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientTriethoxycaprylylsilane
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate/Caprate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Titanium Dioxide, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Vinyldimethicone, Microcrystalline Wax, Aluminum Stearate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate, Silica, Alumina, Pentylene Glycol, Allantoin, Panthenol, Glycerin, Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Glucose, Glyceryl Caprylate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Stearic Acid, Tocopherol, Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
C12-15 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 BenzoateCoco-Caprylate/Caprate is a lightweight ester created from coconut oil fatty acids, caprylic acid, and capric acid.
It is an emollient that helps soften skin and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL). What sets it apart from heavier emollients is its ultralight, non-greasy feel.
Once applied, this ingredient dries down quickly and leaves a dry, silky finish behind. This also helps improve spreadability and texture.
This ingredient has an excellent safety-record and is non-irritating.
Typical concentrations for cosmetics range from 0.5-62%.
Research on Malassezia growth found no growth on fatty acid esters with chain lengths shorter than 12 carbons (it prefers C11-24).
Since Coco-Caprylate/Caprate is built on C8 and C10 fatty acids, it is out of the range that Malassezia metabolizes, and therefore safe for fungal acne.
Learn more about Coco-Caprylate/CaprateEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlyceryl Caprylate comes from glycerin and caprylic acid. It is an emollient, co-emulsifier, and preservative booster.
Its short C8 fatty acid chain makes it behave differently from its longer-chain emollient cousins like Glyceryl Stearate. It feels more lightweight, fast-absorbing, and silky instead of rich and waxy.
As a co-emulsifier, its "head" and "tail" sit at the oil-water interface. But overall, the short C8 tail and not being water soluble means it doesn't really have the muscle to emulsify a formula on its own. That's why you'll often see it paired with a primary emulsifier like Cetearyl Glucoside.
Interestingly, Glyceryl Caprylate acts as a preservative booster. This is because its fatty-acid backbone disrupts microbial lipid membranes. It shows excellent activity against bacteria and yeast but is weaker against mold.
Typical concentrations range from 0.5-1% and this ingredient is generally non-irritating.
Because this ingredient has a C8 fatty acid chain, it is outside the range that the Malassezia yeast metabolizes (making it fungal acne safe).
Learn more about Glyceryl CaprylatePolyhydroxystearic Acid is a vegetable-derived soft wax made from castor oil. It's an emulsion stabilizer, thickener, and film former.
You'll likely see it in sunscreens because it helps disperse pigments and UV-reflecting minerals like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide evenly.
Depending on the concentration, it can drastically change the texture of a product from pasty solid (like lipstick) to sprayable liquid.
The CIR Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics. The highest reported use concentration is 14.2% in lipsticks.
Learn more about Polyhydroxystearic 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 TriethoxycaprylylsilaneWater. 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
