What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
Emollient
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Zinc Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantMyristyl Myristate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate
Emulsifying
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientWater
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
CI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantHydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Zinc Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantCopernicia Cerifera Wax
Synthetic Japan Wax
Emollient
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Lecithin
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Isostearic Acid
Cleansing
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Water
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Iron Oxides
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantHydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Zinc Stearate, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Synthetic Japan Wax, Mica, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Tocopherol, Lecithin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Isostearic Acid, Isopropyl Myristate, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Water, Glyceryl Caprylate, Caprylyl Glycol, Iron Oxides, CI 77891
Reviews
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 77891Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides isn't fungal acne safe.
Polyhydroxystearic Acid is a vegetable-derived soft wax made from castor oil. It's an emulsion stabilizer, thickener, and film former.
You'll likely see it in sunscreens because it helps disperse pigments and UV-reflecting minerals like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide evenly.
Depending on the concentration, it can drastically change the texture of a product from pasty solid (like lipstick) to sprayable liquid.
The CIR Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics. The highest reported use concentration is 14.2% in lipsticks.
Learn more about Polyhydroxystearic AcidStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidTocopherol 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 WaterZinc Stearate is the metal salt of stearic acid. It is a white solid used to bind, thicken, and lubricate products.
This ingredient is common in powder makeup, where it helps keep the powder together.
Zinc Stearate is hydrophobic and repels water.
This ingredient can be sourced from non-animal or animal sources. It is best to reach out to the brand to see where they source this ingredient from.
Learn more about Zinc StearateThis 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
