What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Polyacrylamide
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
C9-11 Pareth-6
EmulsifyingSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Sulfite
Preservative
Cinnamyl Alcohol
Perfuming
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Butylene Glycol, Mica, Polysorbate 60, Polyacrylamide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Phenoxyethanol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Panthenol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Parfum, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, C9-11 Pareth-6, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Sulfite, Cinnamyl Alcohol, CI 77891, CI 77491, CI 77499, CI 77492
Water
Skin ConditioningIsohexadecane
EmollientMica
Cosmetic ColorantMyristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingAscorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Water, Isohexadecane, Mica, Myristyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Oleate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Polysorbate 80, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, CI 77891, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Tin Oxide
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCi 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 77891Ethylhexyl Palmitate, also known as octyl palmitate, is created from 2-ethylhexyl alcohol and palmitic acid.
In cosmetics, it plays many roles:
One thing worth noting: a controlled study found this ingredient applied under occlusion to acne-prone subjects increased microcomedones. Just keep in mind this was under occlusive conditions and don't reflect how most products are used day-to-day.
For most people, this is a well-tolerated and lightweight ingredient.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because it is an ester of palmitic acid, a C16 fatty acid that falls within the C11-24 range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Ethylhexyl PalmitateGlycerin (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 GlycerinMica 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 MicaPhenoxyethanol 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.
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite is the synthethic version of mica. It consists of fluorine, aluminum and silicate.
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite is used to add volume to products.
It is considered non-irritating on the skin.
Learn more about Synthetic FluorphlogopiteTin Oxide is an inorganic oxide used to add opacity and volume to a product. In nature, it is already found in mineral form. The main ore of tin is an opaque and shiny mineral called casseterite.
Tin Oxide helps remove translucency in a product, or make it more opaque. Besides adding opacity, tin oxide is used for bulking to add volume.
Tocopherol 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 Water
