Updated on October 17, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both foundations. They have a total of 14 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain exfoliants and Vitamin E
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin and scar healing
Free From
They both do not contain any common allergens, fragrances or parabens
What's Inside
They both contain harsh alcohols and silicones
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.
Ingredient Info
Tarte SEA Hydroflex Serum Foundation 50 ingredients
Clinique Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup Foundation 33 ingredients
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Tarte SEA Hydroflex Serum Foundation 50 ingredients
Clinique Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup Foundation 33 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Ingredients Side-by-side
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.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
Hydrogenated Polydecene is an emollient. It creates a non-occlusive film on the skin that offers extra protection for your skin barrier.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is an emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
We don't have a description for Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate.
Talc is a clay mineral. It helps absorb moisture and improve the texture of products. Like other types of clay, Talc can have a slight exfoliating effect on skin. Talc can be added to increase the volume of products.
5 Concerns
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene is a synthetic polymer. Polymers are compounds with high molecular weight. Hydrogenated Polyisobutene is an emollient and texture enhancer.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Dipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created stabilizer and solvent. It is a part of the glycol class in the alcohol family.
Nylon-12 is a polymer. It is derived from 12-aminododecanoic acid, an omega-amino fatty acid
Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate isn't fungal acne safe.
We don't have a description for Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer.
Magnesium Sulfate is a salt. It can be naturally found in sea water or mineral deposits.
Alumina is another name for the compound aluminum oxide. It is used as a thickener, absorbent, and abrasive.
2 Concerns
Silica is a mineral naturally found in our skin. It helps to thicken and smooth the texture of a product. It also acts as an agent for other ingredients by increasing the absorption of other ingredients into the skin.
Dimethicone is a silicone used for making products smooth and silky. It also has the added benefit of sealing in hydration. The amount of dimethicone found in beauty products is considered safe and non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores.
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer is a silicone used to improve the texture of products and absorb oil. It does not get absorbed into the skin.
Sorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifer and cleaning agent. It is created from isostearic acid and sorbitol.
Diisostearoyl Polyglyceryl-3 Dimer Dilinoleate isn't fungal acne safe.
Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Dimethicone Crosspolymer is a silicone created by modifying dimethicone with hydrocarbon side chains. Due to its large size, it does not penetrate skin. It is considered non-occlusive.
This ingredient is a solvent. It helps dissolve active ingredients and alter the texture of products.
Polymethylsilsesquioxane is a silicone used as a film forming agent.
Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
Antioxidant Helps brighten skin
Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
Triethoxycaprylylsilane is a silicone used to bind and stabilize ingredients.
6 Benefits
Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.
Antioxidant 4 Benefits May cause irritation
Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
1,2-Hexanediol is a multi-tasker ingredient. It acts as a preservative to increase shelf-life and can aid other preservatives in preventing microbe growth. 1,2-Hexanediol also helps the skin retain moisture as a humectant.
Not safe for Fungal Acne
Glycine Soja Oil comes from the soybean. Glycine Soja is native to eastern Asia.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
This ingredient comes from a brown kelp called Macrocystis pyrifera. It is rich in antioxidants and can help hydrate skin.
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is a form of hyaluronic acid. It is created by the hydrolysis of hyaluronic acid with a high molecular weight. Once created, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid has a low molecular weight.
4 Benefits May cause irritation
Hyaluronic acid is naturally found in healthy skin. It is a humectant, meaning it draws moisture to your skin.
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is a type of hyaluronic acid. In fact, it is modified version of hyaluronic acid.
Ci 77891 is a white pigment from Titanium dioxide. It is naturally found in minerals such as rutile and ilmenite.
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.
Water, Glycerin, Isododecane, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Talc, Alcohol Denat., Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Nylon-12, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Magnesium Sulfate, Alumina, Silica, Dimethicone, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polyglyceryl-3 Oleate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Diisostearoyl Polyglyceryl-3 Dimer Dilinoleate, Sodium Benzoate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Propylene Carbonate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Potassium Sorbate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Niacinamide, Sargassum Pacificum Thallus Extract, Tocopherol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrolyzed Extensin, Glycine Soja Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pancratium Maritimum Extract, Hydrolyzed Ginseng Saponins, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hyaluronate, CI 77891, CI 77499
Methyl Trimethicone is a type of silicone. It is a solvent and emulsifier.
Rosa Damascena Flower Water comes from the Damask rose. It is a dilluted version of the Rose Essential oil.
Dipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created stabilizer and solvent. It is a part of the glycol class in the alcohol family.
5 Concerns
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
Nylon-12 is a polymer. It is derived from 12-aminododecanoic acid, an omega-amino fatty acid
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Talc is a clay mineral. It helps absorb moisture and improve the texture of products. Like other types of clay, Talc can have a slight exfoliating effect on skin. Talc can be added to increase the volume of products.
Peg-10 Dimethicone is silicone with conditioner and emulsifier properties. It mostly acts as an emollient in skincare and and humectant in haircare.
Dimethicone is a silicone used for making products smooth and silky. It also has the added benefit of sealing in hydration. The amount of dimethicone found in beauty products is considered safe and non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores.
This silicone is an emollient. Emollients create a thin film on the skin to prevent moisture from escaping.
2 Concerns
Silica is a mineral naturally found in our skin. It helps to thicken and smooth the texture of a product. It also acts as an agent for other ingredients by increasing the absorption of other ingredients into the skin.
Isononyl Isononanoate is a synthetic skin-conditioner and texture enhancer. It is created from nonanoic acid, a fatty acid found in cocoa and lavender oil.
Caffeine is most associated with coffee, tea, and cacao. In skincare, it helps with calming inflammation and anti-aging.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
Sorbitan Sesquioleate is derived from sorbitol and oleic acid. It is an emulsifier and prevents ingredients from separating.
Triethoxycaprylylsilane is a silicone used to bind and stabilize ingredients.
Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of mixture of fatty acids. These fatty acids usually are a mixture of phosphoric acid's choline ester connected to stearic, oleic, and palmitic acids. Most lecithins are created from plant ingredients scuh as sunflower.
Antioxidant 4 Benefits May cause irritation
Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt.
Tromethamine is an aliphatic compound. An aliphatic compound is an organic compound with open-chained carbon atoms. It is synthetically created. Tromethamine is used to balance pH and improve texture.
This ingredient is a solvent. It helps dissolve active ingredients and alter the texture of products.
Alumina is another name for the compound aluminum oxide. It is used as a thickener, absorbent, and abrasive.
Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.
Sodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Ci 77891 is a white pigment from Titanium dioxide. It is naturally found in minerals such as rutile and ilmenite.
Ci 77491 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It's sole purpose is to give a red/pink hue to products.
Mica refers to a group of silicate minerals. Mica crystals are easily split to give products a shimmer. These crystals are able to reflect light to temporarily give your skin a glowy look.
Methyl Trimethicone, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Nylon-12, Butylene Glycol, Talc, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Dimethicone, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Silica, Laminaria Saccharina Extract, Calcium Stearate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Caffeine, Glycerin, Hydroxyapatite, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Quaternium-90 Bentonite, 10-Hydroxydecanoic Acid, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Sodium Chloride, Tromethamine, Propylene Carbonate, Alumina, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77891, CI 77491, Mica
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinTalc is a clay mineral. It helps absorb moisture and improve the texture of products. Like other types of clay, Talc can have a slight exfoliating effect on skin. Talc can be added to increase the volume of products.
Some Baby powders are made by combining talc with corn starch. The word "talc" comes from Latin and originates from Arabic. Talc is a mineral commonly found throughout the world.
If you have any concerns about using talc, we recommend checking out the FDA's official page.
Learn more about TalcAlcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying - mostly due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue, constricting pores and leaving your skin dried out.
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 if this alcohol is near the end of an ingredients list, it will probably not affect your skin much.
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.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
- It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
- It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
- It helps improve product application.
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.
Dipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created stabilizer and solvent. It is a part of the glycol class in the alcohol family.
Dipropylene Glycol helps dissolve and evenly distribute ingredients. It also helps decrease viscosity and thin out texture.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Learn more about Dipropylene GlycolNylon-12 is a polymer. It is derived from 12-aminododecanoic acid, an omega-amino fatty acid
According to a manufacturer, it is a talc substitute. Like talc, nylon-12 gives products a satin feel. The manufacturer also claims this ingredients does not block pores and has moderate oil absorption.
This ingredient may not be reef-safe.
Learn more about Nylon-12Alumina is another name for the compound aluminum oxide. It is used as a thickener, absorbent, and abrasive.
As an absorbent, alumina can give a mattifying effect. It is used in mineral sunscreens to help coat nano-sized filters, such as titanium dioxide. By increasing the size of the UV filters, these ingredients stay on the skin for a longer time. By coating small sized ingredients, alumina helps thicken a product.
Alumina may be used as an abrasive, or exfoliant.
Alumina is naturally occurring in the mineral corundum. Certain varieties of corundum create rubies and sapphires. Corundum is also the crystalline form of alumina.
Learn more about AluminaSilica is a mineral naturally found in our skin. It helps to thicken and smooth the texture of a product. It also acts as an agent for other ingredients by increasing the absorption of other ingredients into the skin.
Silica is often used for absorption and can help reduce shine when products are applied. Silica occurs in naturally in materials like clay and sandstone, and it can also be produced synthetically.
Silica is present naturally within the skin during collagen production and when reducing inflammation.
Learn more about SilicaDimethicone is a silicone used for making products smooth and silky. It also has the added benefit of sealing in hydration. The amount of dimethicone found in beauty products is considered safe and non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores.
Dimethicone has been found increase absorption in skin, boosting the benefits of other ingredients. While there is concern for the safety of dimethicone, the levels used in skincare are safe for use.
This ingredient is a solvent. It helps dissolve active ingredients and alter the texture of products.
Propylene Carbonate is commonly used in makeup and with clay, such as montmorillonite or bentonite.
Studies show this ingredient to be safe for cosmetics. When it is undiluted, it can cause skin irritation. (It is always diluted in skincare and makeup). This ingredient is water-soluble.
Propylene Carbonate is created from propylene glycol and carbonic acid.
Learn more about Propylene CarbonateTriethoxycaprylylsilane is a silicone used to bind and stabilize ingredients.
As an emulsifier, it helps prevent ingredients from separating. This can help elongate the shelf life of products.
Triethoxycaprylylsilane is often used to coat mineral sunscreens ingredients to help give a better feel. It also helps reduce oxidative stress in sunscreens.
Learn more about TriethoxycaprylylsilaneTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolPhenoxyethanol 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.
Ci 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 77891Ingredient Ratings
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