Tower 28 Beauty MakeWaves Lengthening + Volumizing Mascara Versus bareMinerals Lashtopia Mega Volume Mineral Based Mascara
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCopernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters
Emulsion Stabilising
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Vp/Va Copolymer
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables
Skin Conditioning
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingRicinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyimide-1
Galactoarabinan
Rhus Succedanea Fruit Wax
Shorea Robusta Resin
TonicSodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Lecithin
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
CI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters, Synthetic Wax, Vp/Va Copolymer, Stearic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Palmitic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables, Aminomethyl Propanol, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyimide-1, Galactoarabinan, Rhus Succedanea Fruit Wax, Shorea Robusta Resin, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Citric Acid, CI 77499, CI 77007
Water
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Acrylates Copolymer
Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyvinyl Alcohol
Microcrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLecithin
Emollient
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ceteth-10 Phosphate
CleansingDicetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
BHT
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Iron Oxides
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glyceryl Stearate, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Acrylates Copolymer, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Microcrystalline Wax, Ethylhexylglycerin, Lecithin, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Ceteth-10 Phosphate, Dicetyl Phosphate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Citrate, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Dehydroacetic Acid, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, Iron Oxides, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ascorbyl Palmitate is a fat-soluble form of vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) made by combining it with palmitic acid.
It is able to blend easily into creams and oil-based formulas because it dissolves in oils rather than water.
As you may know, regular vitamin C is notorious for breaking down when exposed to sunlight and air. Ascorbyl Palmitate is more stable and degrades at a slower rate.
Research on whether it converts efficiently into active vitamin C once it's applied on your skin is still limited. Some in-vitro studies suggest it may support collagen production, but it is not considered one of the stronger vitamin C derivatives, like:
Due to the palmitic acid base, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. Comedogenic studies have also shown this ingredient to have a rating of 2.
It's also worth keeping in mind that comedogenic and irritancy ratings are tested on individual ingredients, not finished formulas. The final product's formulation, concentration, and other ingredients all play a role in how something actually behaves on your skin.
Learn more about Ascorbyl PalmitateCi 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.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinRicinus Communis Seed Oil is the INCI name for castor oil.
Castor Oil helps moisturize the skin. It is rich in a fatty acid called ricinoleic acid. This fatty acid helps prevent moisture loss on the skin. This helps keep your skin soft and hydrated. Ricinoleic acid also has anti-inflammatory and pain reducing properties.
Besides hydrating the skin, castor oil is also used to hydrate hair. By keeping the hair shaft moisturized, breakage is decreased. More studies are needed to show castor oil's effective on stimulating hair growth.
Castor oil is created by cold-pressing castor seeds and then purifying the oil with heat. It was used in Ancient Egypt as fuel in lamps and to help treat eye irritation.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.
Learn more about Ricinus Communis Seed OilThis ingredient is a preservative with antimicrobial properties. It is the sodium salt of dehydroacetic acid.
It is especially effective at preventing bacterial and fungal growth in low concentrations.
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.
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鈥檚 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 TocopherolWater. 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
