What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Glycerin
Humectant
Methyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Isododecane
EmollientNiacinamide
Smoothing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate
BufferingStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Iron Oxides
Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
PEG-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientTriethoxycaprylylsilane
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
PEG-240
HumectantNeopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate
Emollient
Isohexadecane
EmollientAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Octyldodecyl Oleate
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate
Emollient
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Potassium Laurate
EmulsifyingBHT
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientWater, Cyclopentasiloxane, Titanium Dioxide, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Glycerin, Methyl Trimethicone, Alcohol Denat., Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Isododecane, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Mica, Polysorbate 60, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Butylene Glycol, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Stearyl Alcohol, Iron Oxides, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-2 Stearate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Parfum, PEG-240, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, Isohexadecane, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Polysorbate 80, Sorbitan Oleate, Octyldodecyl Oleate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Linolenic Acid, Octyldodecanol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Potassium Laurate, BHT, Glyceryl Caprylate
Water
Skin ConditioningPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantButylene Glycol
Humectant
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantDiisostearyl Malate
EmollientPentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Methyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Lauryl PEG-10 Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingPEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Dimethicone
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Chloride
MaskingBis-Behenyl/Isostearyl/Phytosteryl Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate
EmollientDimethicone/Polyglycerin-3 Crosspolymer
Cleansing
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSodium Metaphosphate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTin Oxide
Abrasive
Propanediol
Solvent
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Camellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Camellia Japonica Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantDipropylene Glycol
HumectantCamellia Japonica Flower Extract
EmollientSodium Citrate
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Diamond Powder
Abrasive
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Phenyl Trimethicone, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Mica, Butylene Glycol, CI 77891, Diisostearyl Malate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Glycerin, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Methyl Trimethicone, Alcohol Denat., Lauryl PEG-10 Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Synthetic Wax, Dimethicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Silica, Sodium Chloride, Bis-Behenyl/Isostearyl/Phytosteryl Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Dimethicone/Polyglycerin-3 Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Metaphosphate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tin Oxide, Propanediol, Ascorbic Acid, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Extract, CI 77491, Dipropylene Glycol, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Sodium Citrate, Tocopherol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Sodium Benzoate, Lactic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Diamond Powder, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
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.Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinGlyceryl Caprylate comes from glycerin and caprylic acid. It is an emollient, co-emulsifier, and preservative booster.
Its short C8 fatty acid chain makes it behave differently from its longer-chain emollient cousins like Glyceryl Stearate. It feels more lightweight, fast-absorbing, and silky instead of rich and waxy.
As a co-emulsifier, its "head" and "tail" sit at the oil-water interface. But overall, the short C8 tail and not being water soluble means it doesn't really have the muscle to emulsify a formula on its own. That's why you'll often see it paired with a primary emulsifier like Cetearyl Glucoside.
Interestingly, Glyceryl Caprylate acts as a preservative booster. This is because its fatty-acid backbone disrupts microbial lipid membranes. It shows excellent activity against bacteria and yeast but is weaker against mold.
Typical concentrations range from 0.5-1% and this ingredient is generally non-irritating.
Because this ingredient has a C8 fatty acid chain, it is outside the range that the Malassezia yeast metabolizes (making it fungal acne safe).
Learn more about Glyceryl CaprylateMethyl Trimethicone is a type of silicone. It is a solvent and emulsifier.
Solvents are used to keep ingredients together in a product. They can help dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product.
Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.
Methyl Trimethicone does not get absorbed into the skin.
Learn more about Methyl TrimethiconeMica 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 MicaPeg-10 Dimethicone is silicone with conditioner and emulsifier properties. It mostly acts as an emollient in skincare and and humectant in haircare.
According to the manufacturer, acidic formulations decrease the stability of this ingredient. It works best in neutral or near neutral formulations.
Triethoxycaprylylsilane is a silicon-based surface modifier that makes sunscreens feel silky and makeup stay put.
Its main job is to coat mineral particles like titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and color pigments in a thin, oily layer so they spread smoothly, don't clump, and stick to skin better.
This ingredient is typically used at low levels (up to 2.5% in eyeshadow and 1% in lipstick).
Learn more about TriethoxycaprylylsilaneThis silicone is an emollient. Emollients create a thin film on the skin to prevent moisture from escaping.
It is not soluble in water and helps increase water-resistance in products.
According to a manufacturer, it can blend seamlessly with silicone oils, such as Cyclopentasiloxane.
Learn more about TrimethylsiloxysilicateWater. 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
