What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Acrylates Copolymer
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Ethylcellulose
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract
EmollientCarica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Paradisi Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
Emollient
Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPsidium Guajava Fruit Extract
AstringentPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Silica
Abrasive
Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate
Emulsifying
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingIsohexadecane
EmollientPolysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientSorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
CI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantPolyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 16255
Cosmetic ColorantCI 45410
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15850
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Octyldodecanol, Dimethicone, Alcohol Denat., Acrylates Copolymer, Sorbitan Stearate, Ethylcellulose, Behenyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract, Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract, Polysorbate 60, Silica, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 80, Diisostearyl Malate, Sorbitan Oleate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, CI 17200, CI 77491, Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate, CI 77891, CI 19140, CI 16255, CI 45410, CI 15985, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 42090, CI 15850
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientDiisopropyl Dimer Dilinoleate
Emollient
Polybutene
Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate
Emulsifying
Bis-Behenyl/Isostearyl/Phytosteryl Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate
EmollientPentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Jojoba Wax PEG-120 Esters
Surfactant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
PEG-30 Glyceryl Stearate
Emulsifying
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Aroma
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Vanillin
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
CI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantCI 16035
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCI 61570
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 45410
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Diisopropyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Polybutene, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Bis-Behenyl/Isostearyl/Phytosteryl Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Jojoba Wax PEG-120 Esters, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Citric Acid, PEG-30 Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Potassium Sorbate, Aroma, Sodium Hyaluronate, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polysorbate 60, Vanillin, Tocopherol, CI 17200, CI 16035, CI 15985, CI 61570, CI 19140, CI 42090, CI 45410
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 15985 is a dye made from petroleum. It is synthetically created and approved by the FDA for use in foods and cosmetics.
The color of this dye is orange/yellow.
This ingredient can be found in makeup, sun care, and skincare.
Learn more about CI 15985CI 17200 is a synthetic, water-soluble, reddish-pink dye. It is used purely as a cosmetic colorant.
In the US, the FDA permits this ingredient in cosmetics but it is not approved for use around the eyes while the EU allows this to be used in all cosmetic products.
The FDA requires batch-to-batch certification for this ingredient that is held to a pretty rigorous standard. That means the CI 17200 in your cosmetics has been tested and approved before it ever reaches you.
Contact allergy to cosmetic-grade dyes used at low concentrations are uncommon but has been documented before.
This ingredient also goes by the name D&C RED NO. 33.
CI 17200 has a comedogenic rating of 1 and an irritancy rating of 2 on a scale of 0-5. This is based on peer-reviewed research from the man who invented the comedogenic scale.
A 1 on the comedogenic scale is about as low as it gets without being a flat zero, and makes sense for CI 17200.
It's a water-soluble dye used at very small concentrations (typically 0.001-0.1%), so it dissolves into the water phase of a formula rather than sitting on your skin the way an oil or wax would.
The irritancy rating of 2 reflects that, like most synthetic dyes, there's a small possibility of mild irritation ( particularly for people with existing dye sensitivities).
For the vast majority of people, it's a non-issue at typical use levels.
It's also worth keeping in mind that comedogenic and irritancy ratings are tested on individual ingredients, not finished formulas. The final product's formulation, concentration, and other ingredients all play a role in how something actually behaves on your skin.
Just so you know, the FDA ban on Red Dye No. 3 refers to CI 45430, not this ingredient. CI 45430 and CI 17200 are different chemical compounds with distinct safety and regulatory histories.
It's also worth noting that Red No. 3 (CI 45430) was already banned from cosmetics back in 1990, so the 2025 action just extended the ban to food and oral drugs. CI 17200 was never part of any of this.
Learn more about CI 17200CI 19140 is also known as Tartrazine. Tartrazine is a synthetic dye used in cosmetics, foods, and medicine to add a yellow color.
Tartrazine is created from petroleum and is water-soluble.
Some people may experience allergies from this dye, especially asthmatics and those with an aspirin intolerance.
Learn more about CI 19140Ci 42090 is a synthetic dye created from petroleum. It is used to give a bright blue color to cosmetics, medicine, and food.
CI 45410 is a synthetic red-pigment and dye.
It often goes by both Red 28 or Red 27; manufacturers label both ingredients as CI 45410.
This dye is commonly found in makeup because it imparts a vivid color. Some types of this dye change color based on pH level and interaction with moisture:
Your skin has a natural pH of around 4.5 - 5.5.
According to the FDA, CI 45410 is not permitted for use in eye products.
Red 27 is a flourescein dye and commonly used as a fluorescent tracer in medicine.
Learn more about CI 45410Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolPolyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate is a plant-derived emulsifier and pigment-dispersing agent with a non-sticky skin feel.
It helps products glide on smoothly and prevents oil and water from separating in a formula, making it suitable for sunscreen and makeup formulations.
The EU inventory of cosmetics has no use restrictions on this ingredient and it is considered well-tolerated.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because it is derived from isostearic acid.
Learn more about Polyglyceryl-2 TriisostearatePolysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Learn more about Polysorbate 60Water. 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
