No7 Restore & Renew Multi Action Serum Foundation Versus L'Oreal True Match Nude Hyaluronic Tinted Serum
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7%
UV AbsorberTitanium Dioxide 1.7%
Cosmetic ColorantWater
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Methicone
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
EmollientPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantMica
Cosmetic ColorantTrimethylsiloxysilicate
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantSilica
AbrasivePEG-9 Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningBis-Isobutyl PEG/PPG-10/7/Dimethicone Copolymer
EmulsifyingDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingMagnesium Sulfate
Phenoxyethanol
PreservativeAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialTriethyl Citrate
MaskingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningTriethoxycaprylylsilane
Pentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPropylene Glycol
HumectantTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantAscorbyl Glucoside
AntioxidantHibiscus Abelmoschus Extract
MaskingRetinyl Palmitate
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium EDTA
Sorbitan Laurate
EmulsifyingPanax Ginseng Root Extract
EmollientSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingDimethylmethoxy Chromanol
AntioxidantHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
Emulsifying3-Aminopropane Sulfonic Acid
Calcium Hydroxymethionine
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Skin ConditioningBHT
AntioxidantMorus Alba Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7%, Titanium Dioxide 1.7%, Water, Caprylyl Methicone, Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Glycerin, Mica, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Butylene Glycol, Silica, PEG-9 Dimethicone, Bis-Isobutyl PEG/PPG-10/7/Dimethicone Copolymer, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Magnesium Sulfate, Phenoxyethanol, Alcohol Denat., Triethyl Citrate, Panthenol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Hibiscus Abelmoschus Extract, Retinyl Palmitate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sorbitan Laurate, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Hydroxide, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, 3-Aminopropane Sulfonic Acid, Calcium Hydroxymethionine, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, BHT, Morus Alba Leaf Extract, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Tocopherol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Ceramide EOP, CI 77891, CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499
Water
Skin ConditioningIsododecane
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialTrimethylsiloxysilicate
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantPEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningPerlite
AbsorbentSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantNylon-12
Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate
Skin ConditioningDiisopropyl Sebacate
EmollientDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingHdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Bis-PEG/PPG-14/14 Dimethicone
EmollientMagnesium Sulfate
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCellulose
AbsorbentDipentaerythrityl Tetrahydroxystearate/Tetraisostearate
Skin ConditioningSilica
AbrasiveSilica Silylate
EmollientDisodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingCalcium Carbonate
AbrasiveCalcium Aluminum Borosilicate
Tocopherol
AntioxidantMoroccan Lava Clay
AbrasiveGlycerin
HumectantEmpetrum Nigrum Fruit Juice
Skin ConditioningAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningWater, Isododecane, Dimethicone, Alcohol Denat., Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Butylene Glycol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Perlite, Sodium Hyaluronate, Nylon-12, Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Bis-PEG/PPG-14/14 Dimethicone, Magnesium Sulfate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate, Phenoxyethanol, Cellulose, Dipentaerythrityl Tetrahydroxystearate/Tetraisostearate, Silica, Silica Silylate, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Tocopherol, Moroccan Lava Clay, Glycerin, Empetrum Nigrum Fruit Juice, Aluminum Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, Ceramide AP
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.Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCeramide AP is is a skin-identical lipid that mimics what your skin already makes naturally. Ceramides help maintain epidermal integrity and barrier function.
You'll often see this ingredient paired with other ceramides (like ceramide NP), cholesterol, or fatty acids because this combination best mimics the natural lipid mix your skin already has.
The skin's ability to produce ceramides gets disrupted in skin conditions like eczema. This in turn weakens the skin barrier and applying ceramides topically has been shown to replenish what's been lost to restore barrier function.
Most of the studies with Ceramide AP test it as part of a multi-ceramide complex; studies reinforce ceramide AP's role in rebalancing ceramides in skin and improving skin hydration.
Learn more about Ceramide APCi 77491 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It's sole purpose is to give a red/pink hue to products.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
Synthetically created Ci 77491 is considered safer than those naturally found. This is because the synthetically created version may contain less impurities. Iron oxides are generally non-toxic and non-allergenic.
Learn more about CI 77491CI 77492 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It's sole purpose is to give a yellow hue to products.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
Synthetically created CI 77492 is considered safer than those naturally found. This is because the synthetically created version may contain less impurities. Iron oxides are generally non-toxic and non-allergenic.
Learn more about CI 77492Ci 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.
Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDisteardimonium 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 GlycerinMagnesium Sulfate is a salt. More specifically, it is an epsom salt, or the bath salt used to help relieve muscle aches.
Despite having ‘sulfate’ in the name, it isn’t a surfactant or cleansing agent like sodium lauryl sulfate. Unlike those sulfates, magnesium sulfate doesn’t have the same cleansing or foaming properties (it's simply a type of salt).
In cosmetics, Magnesium Sulfate is used to thicken a product or help dilute other solids. It is a non-reactive and non-irritating ingredient.
One study shows magnesium deficiency may lead to inflammation of the skin. Applying magnesium topically may help reduce inflammation.
You can find this ingredient in sea water or mineral deposits.
Learn more about Magnesium SulfatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Silica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.
Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.
The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.
It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.
In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.
Learn more about SilicaTocopherol 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 TocopherolThis silicone is an emollient. Emollients create a thin film on the skin to prevent moisture from escaping.
It is not soluble in water and helps increase water-resistance in products.
According to a manufacturer, it can blend seamlessly with silicone oils, such as Cyclopentasiloxane.
Learn more about TrimethylsiloxysilicateWater. 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