What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Magnesium Sulfate
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
SurfactantLysine
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Chloride
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Punica Granatum Bark/Fruit Extract
AntimicrobialLactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
CI 77002
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
Water, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Isononyl Isononanoate, Propanediol, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Sorbitan Isostearate, Magnesium Sulfate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Magnesium Stearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Lysine, Magnesium Chloride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide, Centella Asiatica Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Punica Granatum Bark/Fruit Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Caffeine, CI 77002, CI 77891, Iron Oxides
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Hydrogenated Didecene
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Polymethyl Methacrylate
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Sesquistearate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientTriethoxycaprylylsilane
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Evodia Rutaecarpa Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Fructose
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingUrea
Buffering
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Maltose
MaskingSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Lactate
Buffering
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
Water, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Didecene, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Glycerin, Polymethyl Methacrylate, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sorbitan Sesquistearate, Phenoxyethanol, Aluminum Hydroxide, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Pentylene Glycol, Evodia Rutaecarpa Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, Fructose, Sodium Hydroxide, Urea, Allantoin, Maltose, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Lactate, Sodium PCA, Trehalose, Glucose, Sodium Hyaluronate, CI 77891, Iron Oxides
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 77891Disteardimonium Hectorite comes from the clay mineral named hectorite. It is used to add thickness to a product.
It can also help stabilize a product by helping to disperse other ingredients.
Hectorite is a rare, white clay mineral.
Learn more about Disteardimonium HectoriteGlycerin (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 GlycerinPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolSodium 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 DehydroacetateSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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 WaterThis ingredient is a combination of red, black, and yellow iron oxide pigments. This combination of colors is usually found in foundation, because it results in a "skin" color.
The EU typically uses CI numbers for colorants when applicable, such as CI 77489. In the US, iron oxides are regulated as color additives and "iron oxides" is the most commonly used name in US cosmetic practice.
A 2021 paper looked at skincare formulations containing iron oxides and found that they reduced transmission of blue light when measured optically. In simple terms, the pigment particles helped block or scatter part of the visible light spectrum in lab testing and the authors suggest this could translate into better protection against blue-light-related skin effects.
There is also clinical and experimental research showing that tinted products containing iron oxides can reduce visible light-induced pigmentation:
Please note, whether a product reduces visible or blue light depends on things like:
In the EU's CosIng database, iron oxides are only listed as a colorant. CosIng groups ingredients by their main cosmetic role, such as colorant, preservative, or UV filter.
Though studies say iron oxides can "attenuate blue light", they're describing an optical property and not an officially recognized cosmetic function.
So CosIng isn’t contradicting the research. It’s just classifying iron oxides by what they officially are: pigments that add color.
Learn more about Iron Oxides
