What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Bran Wax
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters
Emulsion Stabilising
Isododecane
EmollientAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingAminomethyl Propanediol
BufferingEuphorbia Cerifera Cera
Astringent
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyvinyl Alcohol
Vp/Va Copolymer
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Oryza Sativa Bran Wax, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters, Isododecane, Alcohol Denat., Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Acacia Senegal Gum, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Vp/Va Copolymer, Chlorphenesin, Ascorbyl Palmitate, CI 77891, CI 77499, CI 77491, CI 77492
Isododecane
EmollientCera Alba
Emollient
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingWater
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Allyl Stearate/Va Copolymer
Oryza Sativa Cera
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Bran Wax
Skin Conditioning
Paraffin
Skin ConditioningPolyvinyl Laurate
Vp/Eicosene Copolymer
Propylene Carbonate
SolventTalc
Abrasive
Synthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Ethylenediamine/Stearyl Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer
Skin Conditioning
PEG-30 Glyceryl Stearate
Emulsifying
Euphorbia Cerifera Cera
Astringent
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
CI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantIsododecane, Cera Alba, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Water, Alcohol Denat., Allyl Stearate/Va Copolymer, Oryza Sativa Cera, Oryza Sativa Bran Wax, Paraffin, Polyvinyl Laurate, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Propylene Carbonate, Talc, Synthetic Beeswax, Ethylenediamine/Stearyl Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer, PEG-30 Glyceryl Stearate, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, BHT, CI 77499
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
One thing to note:
People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Ci 77499 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It is created from mixing red and black iron oxides. This helps give shades of darkness to a product.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
This ingredient comes from a palm tree native to Brazil. This ingredient is used to thicken texture and leaves behind a film when applied.
Euphorbia Cerifera Cera (aka candelilla wax) is a vegan stand-in for beeswax. It is a plant-derived wax that functions as an astringent, emulsion stabilizer, film-former, and skin conditioner.
On skin, it forms a protective barrier that helps lock in moisture while it enhances product stability, prevents separation, and helps color last longer in makeup.
This ingredient is generally safe for use in cosmetics with one nuance: some grades of candelilla wax can naturally contain benzyl alcohol at concentrations high enough to require declaration under EU labeling rules. This isn't a concern for most people but relevant for those with fragrance sensitivities.
Candelilla wax contains fatty acids (mainly C31) and wax esters that can be used by the Malassezia yeast, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
You might see Euphorbia Cerifera "Wax" instead of "cera". This is because some brands, databases, or labels use it interchangeably; they're the same ingredient.
Learn more about Euphorbia Cerifera CeraIsododecane is a fragrance, emollient, and solvent.
As an emollient, it helps your skin stay soft and hydrated. Emollients help trap moisture into your skin.
Isododecane's role as a solvent makes it a great texture enhancer. It spreads smoothly on skin and does not leave a sticky feeling behind. Isododecane also helps prevent color transfer in makeup products.
Isododecane is not absorbed into skin.
The chemical name for this ingredient is 2,2,4,6,6-PENTAMETHYLHEPTANE.
Learn more about IsododecaneOryza Sativa Bran Wax is wax from the outer layer of a rice kernel. It has moisturizing properties due to its polysaccharides and omega-3 fatty acids content.
This ingredient is a byproduct of milling rice, or the operation to produce a whole grain rice product.
Water. 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
