What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Talc
Abrasive
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantIsostearyl Neopentanoate
Emollient
Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate
Emollient
Sorbitol
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningBoron Nitride
Absorbent
Nylon-12
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Silica
Abrasive
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77163
Cosmetic Colorant
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantMica
Cosmetic ColorantOctyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Boron Nitride
Absorbent
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Myristate
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Bis-Stearyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningErythrulose
TanningPalmitoyl Isoleucine
Skin ProtectingIsochrysis Galbana Extract
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate
Emulsifying
Ptfe
Polyethylene
Abrasive
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Iron Oxides
CI 77163
Cosmetic Colorant
Mica, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Silica, Boron Nitride, Lauroyl Lysine, Magnesium Myristate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Bis-Stearyl Dimethicone, Water, Erythrulose, Palmitoyl Isoleucine, Isochrysis Galbana Extract, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Ptfe, Polyethylene, Phenoxyethanol, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, CI 77163
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Boron Nitride is compound consisting of boron and nitrogen. It is used to absorb oil and modify adherence/ slip in products.
This means it is often used in makeup products to help them last longer.
CI 77163 is the color-index name for Bismuth Oxychloride, a lab-made white powder that acts as a pearl pigment.
It's what gives a lot of pressed powders, eyeshadows, highlighteres, and mineral foundations that soft pearly glow.
Due to its structure as flat, plate-like crystals that stack like tiles, it feels silky and sticks to skin well. This also makes it very chemically stable and insoluble under normal skin conditions (this just means it sits on top of skin rather than going into it).
It has an interesting quirk: it slowly goes gray in sunlight and the graying is partly reversible in the dark.
At this time, there's no legal cap on how much a brand can use. Both the FDA and the EU permit it without restriction so real-world concentration levels come down to formulation:
Allergy risk is low as well since it's insoluble and doesn't release free metal ions into skin. True allergic contact dermatitis to it is rare enough that there's very little published cases.
However, mineral makeup users do report itching or stinging. The leading explanation for this is irritation from those stiff platelet crystals rubbing on skin (also more likely with heavy, high-percentage loose mineral powders) rather than an immune reaction.
This ingredient shows up on a lot of "pore-clogging" lists but there's no real evidence behind that. It doesn't even have a comedogenic rating from an actual study; the numbers you'll find online come from blogs citing other blogs.
Some people still find it breaks them out. So if that's you, definitely trust your skin.
Learn more about CI 77163Mica 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 MicaOctyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate is an emollient ester that mostly shows up in color cosmetics.
Functionally, it works as a skin-conditioning agent and a viscosity-increasing agent. This just means it helps soften skin while also thickening water-free formulas (like powders).
Despite being a "stearate", it has a lightweight, cushiony, and non-greasy slip.
This ingredient has shown no adverse effects in testing and is deemed safe in cosmetics at current use levels.
Typical concentrations range from 0.7-23%.
Because it is made of C-18 fatty acids (like stearic acid), this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Octyldodecyl Stearoyl StearatePhenoxyethanol 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 SilicaWater. 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
