What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Polyethylene
Abrasive
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientKaolin
Abrasive
Nylon-12
Paraffin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
AstringentCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
Diisopropyl Dimer Dilinoleate
Emollient
Lauryl Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Polyethylene
Abrasive
Hydrated Silica
Abrasive
Paraffin
Skin ConditioningSynthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Zeolite
AbsorbentDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Boron Nitride
Absorbent
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingMicrocrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone
Emollient
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Alumina
Abrasive
Iron Oxides
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantDiisopropyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Lauryl Laurate, Caprylyl Methicone, Polyethylene, Hydrated Silica, Paraffin, Synthetic Beeswax, Zeolite, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Boron Nitride, Caprylyl Glycol, Silica, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Stearic Acid, Hexylene Glycol, Microcrystalline Wax, Dimethicone, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Alumina, Iron Oxides, CI 77891
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ci 77891 is a white pigment from Titanium dioxide. It is naturally found in minerals such as rutile and ilmenite.
It's main function is to add a white color to cosmetics. It can also be mixed with other colors to create different shades.
Ci 77891 is commonly found in sunscreens due to its ability to block UV rays.
Learn more about CI 77891Paraffin is a solid wax that pulls its weight as an emollient, occlusive, and consistency-booster.
It softens skin and lays down a protective film to slow water loss and gives products a stable body and structure.
The cosmetic grade stuff is highly refined with a solid safety record. The CIR Expert Panel has repeatedly reaffirmed this ingredient to be safe in current practices of use and concentration.
The worry about carcinogenic compounds only applies to industrial grades, not the purified version used in skincare.
Despite its reputation, the highly reformed form is non-comedogenic and doesn't penetrate deeply into skin.
The good news for fungal-acne prone folks: the Malassezia yeast feeds on fatty acids and lipids and paraffin doesn't contain any of these (so there's nothing for the yeast to metabolize). This ingredient is considered fungal acne safe.
Learn more about ParaffinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Polyethylene is a synthetic ingredient that helps the skin retain moisture. It is a polymer.
It is also typically used within product formulations to help bind solid ingredients together and thicken oil-based ingredients. When added to balms and emulsions, it helps increase the melting point temperature.
This 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
