What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsododecane
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingAlumina
Abrasive
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientAcrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Propylene Carbonate
SolventDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Trehalose
Humectant
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPolyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Triacetin
AntimicrobialUndaria Pinnatifida Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Iron Oxides
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 12085
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15850
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 45410
Cosmetic ColorantCI 73360
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Isododecane, Dimethicone, Isononyl Isononanoate, Butylene Glycol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Glycerin, PEG-10 Dimethicone, PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Alumina, Aluminum Hydroxide, Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Propylene Carbonate, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium PCA, Urea, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Trehalose, Hexylene Glycol, Polyquaternium-51, Triacetin, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Iron Oxides, CI 77891, CI 12085, CI 15850, CI 19140, CI 42090, CI 45410, CI 73360
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Oleate Citrate
Emulsifying
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Galactoarabinan
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLimonene
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Iron Oxides
Water, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glycerin, Glyceryl Oleate Citrate, Mica, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Silica, Sodium Benzoate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Galactoarabinan, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Glycolic Acid, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Limonene, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum, Iron Oxides
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 TriglycerideEthylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Water. 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 WaterThis ingredient is a combination of red, black, and yellow iron oxide pigments. This combination of colors is usually found in foundation, because it results in a "skin" color.
The EU typically uses CI numbers for colorants when applicable, such as CI 77489. In the US, iron oxides are regulated as color additives and "iron oxides" is the most commonly used name in US cosmetic practice.
A 2021 paper looked at skincare formulations containing iron oxides and found that they reduced transmission of blue light when measured optically. In simple terms, the pigment particles helped block or scatter part of the visible light spectrum in lab testing and the authors suggest this could translate into better protection against blue-light-related skin effects.
There is also clinical and experimental research showing that tinted products containing iron oxides can reduce visible light-induced pigmentation:
Please note, whether a product reduces visible or blue light depends on things like:
In the EU's CosIng database, iron oxides are only listed as a colorant. CosIng groups ingredients by their main cosmetic role, such as colorant, preservative, or UV filter.
Though studies say iron oxides can "attenuate blue light", they're describing an optical property and not an officially recognized cosmetic function.
So CosIng isn’t contradicting the research. It’s just classifying iron oxides by what they officially are: pigments that add color.
Learn more about Iron Oxides
