Pat McGrath Labs Sublime Perfection Foundation Versus Shiseido Synchro Skin Radiant Lifting Foundation SPF 30
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Isododecane
EmollientAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Ipdi/Di-C12-13 Alkyl Tartrate/Bis-Hydroxyethoxypropyl Dimethicone Copolymer
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingSodium Chloride
MaskingAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientBenzimidazole Diamond Amidoethyl Urea Carbamoyl Propyl Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Cosmetic Colorant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Di-C12-13 Alkyl Tartrate
EmollientDisodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingHexyl Laurate
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Rubus Idaeus Leaf Cell Culture
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isododecane, Alcohol, Glycerin, Phenyl Trimethicone, Ipdi/Di-C12-13 Alkyl Tartrate/Bis-Hydroxyethoxypropyl Dimethicone Copolymer, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Sodium Chloride, Aluminum Hydroxide, Benzimidazole Diamond Amidoethyl Urea Carbamoyl Propyl Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Di-C12-13 Alkyl Tartrate, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Hexyl Laurate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Rubus Idaeus Leaf Cell Culture, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, CI 77891, Iron Oxides
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 6.9%
UV Absorber
Titanium Dioxide 1%
Cosmetic Colorant
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Trifluoropropyldimethyl/Trimethylsiloxysilicate
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientPEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Bis-Butyldimethicone Polyglyceryl-3
Cleansing
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingErythritol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate
Emulsifying
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract
Masking
Thymus Serpyllum Extract
Skin ConditioningFagus Sylvatica Bud Extract
TonicHydrolyzed Conchiolin Protein
Skin ConditioningDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
CI 77120
Cosmetic ColorantSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientPolysilicone-2
Disodium EDTA
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantTriethoxycaprylylsilane
Triethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
BHT
Antioxidant
Alumina
Abrasive
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Iron Oxides
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 6.9%, Titanium Dioxide 1%, Water, Dimethicone, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Glycerin, Trifluoropropyldimethyl/Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Bis-Butyldimethicone Polyglyceryl-3, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Erythritol, Xylitol, Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate, Polyquaternium-51, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Thymus Serpyllum Extract, Fagus Sylvatica Bud Extract, Hydrolyzed Conchiolin Protein, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, CI 77120, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Aluminum Hydroxide, Polysilicone-2, Disodium EDTA, Stearic Acid, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Tocopherol, Dipropylene Glycol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Triethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, BHT, Alumina, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Phenoxyethanol, Iron Oxides, Mica
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Aluminum Hydroxide is a form of aluminum. It can be naturally found in nature as the mineral gibbsite. In cosmetics, Aluminum Hydroxide is used as a colorant, pH adjuster, and absorbent.
As a colorant, Aluminum Hydroxide may add opacity, or reduce the transparency. Aluminum hydroxide is contains both basic and acidic properties.
According to manufacturers, this ingredient is an emollient and humectant. This means it helps hydrate the skin.
In medicine, this ingredient is used to help relieve heartburn and help heal ulcers.
There is currently no credible scientific evidence linking aluminum hydroxide in cosmetics to increased cancer risk.
Major health organizations allow the use of aluminum hydroxide in personal care products and have not flagged it as a carcinogenic risk at typical usage levels.
Learn more about Aluminum HydroxideDisteardimonium 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 GlycerinWater. 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
