What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Dimethicone
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientAdipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol Crosspolymer
Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
Boron Nitride
Absorbent
Propanediol
Solvent
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Isostearic Acid
Cleansing
Vanilla Tahitensis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil
Antimicrobial
Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate
Emollient
Bis-Hydroxyethoxypropyl Dimethicone/PEG-2 Soyamine/Ipdi Copolymer
Emollient
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 75470
Cosmetic ColorantDimethicone, Water, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Adipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol Crosspolymer, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Boron Nitride, Propanediol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Isostearic Acid, Vanilla Tahitensis Fruit Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract, Tocopherol, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Bis-Hydroxyethoxypropyl Dimethicone/PEG-2 Soyamine/Ipdi Copolymer, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Mica, CI 77891, Iron Oxides, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 75470
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 77891Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolThis 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
