Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder Versus Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Talc
Abrasive
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantMagnesium Myristate
Nylon-12
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Methicone
Emollient
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantTalc, Mica, Magnesium Myristate, Nylon-12, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Zea Mays Starch, Glycine Soja Oil, Tocopherol, Lauroyl Lysine, Methicone, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Titanium Dioxide, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77007
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl 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 or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolSodium Dehydroacetate is a synthetic preservative and sodium salt form of dehydroacetic acid. It stops bacteria, mold, and yeast from growing in your products at low concentrations.
Clinical testing found it to be non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and non-photosensitizing. It's also not significantly absorbed through skin.
There are a very small number of reported cases of contact dermatitis in cases linked to wound-care creams used over compromised skin (rather than skincare).
Overall, this is a well-studied and low-risk preservative just doing its job.
Typical concentrations run up to 0.6%, which is also the maximum amount permitted under both EU CosIng regulations and US FDA guidelines.
Learn more about Sodium DehydroacetateTocopherol 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
