What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantSilica
Abrasive
Tapioca Starch
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Alumina
Abrasive
Boron Nitride
Absorbent
Kaolin
Abrasive
Water
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Propanediol
Solvent
Decylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningOcimum Basilicum Extract
Antioxidant
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Linalool
Perfuming
Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningVegetable Oil
Skin Conditioning
Usnea Barbata Extract
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
CI 77163
Cosmetic Colorant
CI 77742
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantMica, Silica, Tapioca Starch, Zea Mays Starch, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Lauroyl Lysine, Alumina, Boron Nitride, Kaolin, Water, Benzyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Propanediol, Decylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Extract, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Linalool, Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract, Vegetable Oil, Usnea Barbata Extract, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Tocopherol, CI 77163, CI 77742, CI 77007, Iron Oxides, CI 19140
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alumina (aka aluminum oxide) is an inorganic mineral powder refined from bauxite that works as a quiet workhorse in a formula.
It shows up often as an abrasive, absorbent, anticaking, bulking, and viscosity-controlling agent.
One of its most common jobs is acting as a pigment carrier and dispersant.
Alumina platelets are often blended with inorganic sunscreens like Titanium Dioxide (or with colorants) and then coated with a silicone such as Triethoxycaprylylsilane so the pigment spreads evenly and smoothly.
In makeup, it can also double as a light-diffusing powder or oil absorber to keep formulas from looking greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded alumina to be safe in present practices of use and concentration.
They note it's a stable, oxidized compound and scientific research has failed to establish links to health issues.
Concentrations vary depending on the product:
Learn more about AluminaThis ingredient is used to add a violet color to cosmetics.
It is created by reacting phosphoric acid, ammonium dihydrogen orthophosphate, and manganese dioxide.
Phenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolSilica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.
Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.
The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.
It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.
In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.
Learn more about SilicaTocopherol 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 Tocopherol
