What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialTridecyl Trimellitate
EmollientSorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientEthylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Bentonite
Absorbent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sucrose Cocoate
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carica Papaya Seed Oil
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Sorbitan Stearate, Stearic Acid, Mica, Butylene Glycol, Diisostearyl Malate, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Glycerin, Niacinamide, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Bentonite, Phenoxyethanol, Sucrose Cocoate, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Carica Papaya Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Parfum, Tin Oxide, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, CI 77891, CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Isododecane
EmollientPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialTridecyl Trimellitate
EmollientSorbitan Sesquioleate
Emulsifying
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Boron Nitride
Absorbent
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Magnesium Sulfate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingPEG/PPG-15/15 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Magnesium Palmitate
Magnesium Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantSilica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Silica
Abrasive
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
Water, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Isododecane, Propylene Glycol, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Boron Nitride, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Magnesium Sulfate, Phenoxyethanol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, PEG/PPG-15/15 Dimethicone, Magnesium Palmitate, Magnesium Stearate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum, Silica, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, CI 77891, Iron Oxides
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is a lightweight emollient made by combinig benzoic acid with fatty alcohols that are 12-15 carbons long.
In cosmetics, it plays several roles:
The Cosmetic Review Expert Panel has concluded the alkyl benzoate group to be safe as used in cosmetics; it wasn't found to be a skin irritant and unlikely to be absorbed due to its low water solubility.
This report recorded almost 1000 reported uses with concentrations up to 59% in leave-on products but your cosmetics will typically use 0.5-15% depending on the product.
It's often called a "SPF booster": this is because it keeps UV filters properly dissolved and evenly distributed to support a sunscreen's performance. It doesn't actually raise SPF on its own.
Overall, this ingredient is well tolerated.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because it is an ester of benzoic acid.
Think of this ingredient as two parts stuck together: an oily part and an acid part. Malassezia only gets a meal when it can snip off a fatty acid to eat. With C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, the acid part is benzoic acid, which isn't a fatty acid and which the yeast can't use as food.
Benzoic acid is actually used as a preservative to stop yeast from growing.
The oily part is a blend of C12-15 fatty alcohols but fatty alcohols in this size range can support only a little Malassezia growth (mostly for one species of Malassezia as well).
In the ingredient, those alcohols stay locked inside the molecule. The yeast can only reach them by snipping the benzoate bond, and that type of bond is harder for it to cut than a normal fatty bond.
So not much gets released. And whatever does get snipped comes packaged with benzoic acid, which discourages yeast growth.
Learn more about C12-15 Alkyl BenzoateCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCi 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 77891Glycerin (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 GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPhenoxyethanol 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.
Tridecyl Trimellitate is a synthetic ingredient with emollient and skin conditioning properties. It also acts as a texture enhancer and helps products spread easily without feeling greasy.
As an emollient, it forms a light layer on the skin that keeps moisture in and improves water resistance. This is why you'll often find this ingredient in eye creams and other rich treatments.
This ingredient is seen as the elegant alternative to mineral oil.
Learn more about Tridecyl TrimellitateWater. 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
