What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Dimethicone
Emollient
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingPEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Dimethicone
Cleansing
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingSodium Glutamate
MaskingSorbitan Sesquiisostearate
Emulsifying
1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Polysilicone-2
Serralysin
EmollientCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Glucosyl Hesperidin
HumectantAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Dimethicone, Triethylhexanoin, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-3 Dimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Sodium Glutamate, Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate, 1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Polysilicone-2, Serralysin, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Glucosyl Hesperidin, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Tocopherol, CI 77891, Iron Oxides
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7.5%
UV Absorber
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Glycerin
Humectant
Isotridecyl Isononanoate
EmollientPEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/Pvp Crosspolymer
Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Methylparaben
Preservative
Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
Astringent
Acrylates Copolymer
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-9
HumectantAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Trehalose
Humectant
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Soluble Collagen
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Iron Oxides
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7.5%, Cyclopentasiloxane, Water, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Isotridecyl Isononanoate, PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/Pvp Crosspolymer, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Chlorphenesin, Methylparaben, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Acrylates Copolymer, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylparaben, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Panthenol, PEG-9, Aluminum Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Sodium PCA, Urea, Trehalose, Polyquaternium-51, Soluble Collagen, Sodium Hyaluronate, Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide, Mica
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.
Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.
The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics
There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.
Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.
The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneDisteardimonium Hectorite comes from the clay mineral named hectorite. It is used to add thickness to a product.
It can also help stabilize a product by helping to disperse other ingredients.
Hectorite is a rare, white clay mineral.
Learn more about Disteardimonium HectoriteGlycerin (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 GlycerinPeg-10 Dimethicone is silicone with conditioner and emulsifier properties. It mostly acts as an emollient in skincare and and humectant in haircare.
According to the manufacturer, acidic formulations decrease the stability of this ingredient. It works best in neutral or near neutral formulations.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
