What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cera Alba
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Vp/Eicosene Copolymer
Adipic Acid
BufferingCollagen
Moisturising
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Pentadecane
Perfuming
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Xylityl Sesquicaprylate
Antimicrobial
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cera Alba, Stearic Acid, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Adipic Acid, Collagen, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Pentadecane, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Aminomethyl Propanol, Allantoin, Xylityl Sesquicaprylate, Panthenol, Tocopherol, Mica, CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499
Water
Skin ConditioningCera Alba
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Galactoarabinan
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingPullulan
Hectorite
AbsorbentSorbitol
Humectant
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantTrehalose
Humectant
P-Anisic Acid
Masking
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Levulinic Acid
Perfuming
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningPotassium Stearate
CleansingStearoyl Glutamic Acid
CleansingCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cera Alba, Glycerin, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Stearic Acid, Galactoarabinan, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Pullulan, Hectorite, Sorbitol, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Coco-Glucoside, Mica, Trehalose, P-Anisic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Stearate, Levulinic Acid, Sodium Levulinate, Potassium Stearate, Stearoyl Glutamic Acid, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cera alba is beeswax, or the wax used by bees to make honeycombs. It is a texture-enhancer and emollient. A study from 2003 found beeswax to be a stronger emollient than ingredients such as petroleum jelly.
As an emollient, beeswax helps hydrate the skin by creating a barrier on top. This barrier traps moisture in.
Emulsifiers help prevent ingredients from separating. This helps create consistent texture.
The structure of beeswax is mainly long-chain alcohols and the esters of fatty acids.
There are three types of beeswax: yellow, white, and absolute. Yellow is pure beeswax taken from the honeycomb. White beeswax is created by filtering or bleaching yellow beeswax. Absolute beeswax is created by treating beeswax with alcohol. Beeswax used in cosmetics are purified.
Beeswax has been used throughout history and even in prehistoric times. Some common uses for beeswax still used today are making candles, as a waterproofing agent, and polish for leather.
Beeswax's wax esters are derived primarily from palmitic and oleic acid (C16 and C18:1). Both of these fall within the C11-C24 feeding window.
The Malassezia yeast can potentially cleave these esters and release usable fatty acids, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. However, not everyone will react to this ingredient.
Learn more about Cera AlbaCi 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.
Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateMica is a naturally occurring mineral used to add shimmer and color in cosmetics. It can also help improve the texture of a product or give it an opaque, white/silver color.
Serecite is the name for very fine but ragged grains of mica.
This ingredient is often coated with metal oxides like titanium dioxide. Trace amounts of heavy metals may be found in mica, but these metals are not harmful in our personal products.
Mica has been used since prehistoric times throughout the world. Ancient Egyptian, Indian, Greek, Roman, Aztec, and Chinese civilizations have used mica.
Learn more about MicaJojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Fungal acne: The Malassezia yeast is known to metabolize fatty acids in the C11-24 range and jojoba's dominant fatty acid components fall into this range. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilStearic 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 AcidWater. 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 WaterEuphorbia Cerifera Wax (aka candelilla wax) is a vegan stand-in for beeswax. It is a plant-derived wax that functions as an astringent, emulsion stabilizer, film-former, and skin conditioner.
On skin, it forms a protective barrier that helps lock in moisture while it enhances product stability, prevents separation, and helps color last longer in makeup.
This ingredient is generally safe for use in cosmetics with one nuance: some grades of candelilla wax can naturally contain benzyl alcohol at concentrations high enough to require declaration under EU labeling rules. This isn't a concern for most people but relevant for those with fragrance sensitivities.
Candelilla wax contains fatty acids (mainly C31) and wax esters that can be used by the Malassezia yeast, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
You might see Euphorbia Cerifera "Cera" instead of "wax". This is because some brands, databases, or labels use it interchangeably; they're the same ingredient.
Learn more about Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
