What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantAluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Silica
Abrasive
Magnesium Myristate
Magnesium Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantKaolin
Abrasive
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Dimethicone
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Alumina
Abrasive
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Methicone
Emollient
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Iron Oxides
Mica, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Silica, Magnesium Myristate, Magnesium Stearate, Kaolin, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Synthetic Wax, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Phenoxyethanol, Alumina, Caprylyl Glycol, Methicone, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantKaolin
Abrasive
Magnesium Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Isocetyl Stearoyl Stearate
Emollient
Saccharomyces Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingMagnolia Officinalis Bark Extract
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantMica, Kaolin, Magnesium Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Isocetyl Stearoyl Stearate, Saccharomyces Ferment, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Pentylene Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77891
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 TriglycerideCaprylyl 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 GlycolKaolin is a clay. It is used for oil control and to help minimize pores. Like other clays, kaolin has the ability to absorb excess sebum or oil. This can help clean out pores and mattify the skin.
Some types of kaolin may have exfoliating properties. When water is added to kaolin, it becomes a paste with small abrasive particles.
Most kaolin is a white color, but may be pink/orange/red depending on where it comes from.
The name 'kaolin' comes from a Chinese village named 'Gaoling'. Kaolin clay comes from rocks rich in kaolinite. Kaolinite, the mineral, has a silicate layered structure. Kaolinite is formed from chemical weathering of aluminum siilicate minerals.
Besides skincare, kaolin is commonly used to make glossy paper, in ceramics, toothpaste, and as medicine to soothe stomach issues.
Learn more about KaolinMagnesium Stearate is a salt that is 2 parts stearic acid and 1 part magnesium.
It is a white powder that can be used to add bulk and color to products by binding to oil ingredients.
Mica 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 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 Phenoxyethanol
