Valentino 24 Hour Long Wear Liquid Foundation Versus Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Perfect Glow Flawless Foundation
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
EmollientIsododecane
EmollientAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV AbsorberTrimethylsiloxysilicate
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantPEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin ConditioningTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic ColorantGlycerin
HumectantPerlite
AbsorbentIsopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate
Skin ConditioningDiisopropyl Sebacate
EmollientDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingHdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Bis-PEG/PPG-14/14 Dimethicone
EmollientMagnesium Sulfate
Phenoxyethanol
PreservativeDisodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientDipentaerythrityl Tetrahydroxystearate/Tetraisostearate
Skin ConditioningHydrogen Dimethicone
Parfum
MaskingSilica Silylate
EmollientMagnesium Silicate
AbsorbentSilica
AbrasiveLinalool
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingBHT
AntioxidantCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
MaskingTin Oxide
AbrasiveCitronellol
PerfumingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingWater, Dimethicone, Isododecane, Alcohol Denat., Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Butylene Glycol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Phenyl Trimethicone, Titanium Dioxide, Glycerin, Perlite, Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Bis-PEG/PPG-14/14 Dimethicone, Magnesium Sulfate, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Dipentaerythrityl Tetrahydroxystearate/Tetraisostearate, Hydrogen Dimethicone, Parfum, Silica Silylate, Magnesium Silicate, Silica, Linalool, Limonene, BHT, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Tin Oxide, Citronellol, Benzyl Alcohol
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantIsododecane
EmollientAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialPolyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
EmulsifyingCetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
EmulsifyingHexyl Laurate
EmollientAluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
AbsorbentDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeAcetylated Glycol Stearate
EmollientMagnesium Sulfate
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningTrihydroxystearin
Skin ConditioningCellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingNylon-12
Limonene
PerfumingBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantIsobutane
Diphenyl Dimethicone
EmollientAcrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate/Vinylidene Chloride Copolymer
Parfum
MaskingDisodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingMethylparaben
PreservativeButylphenyl Methylpropional
PerfumingAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingWater, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Isododecane, Alcohol Denat., Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Hexyl Laurate, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Phenoxyethanol, Acetylated Glycol Stearate, Magnesium Sulfate, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Trihydroxystearin, Cellulose Gum, Nylon-12, Limonene, Benzyl Salicylate, Benzyl Alcohol, Linalool, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Isobutane, Diphenyl Dimethicone, Acrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate/Vinylidene Chloride Copolymer, Parfum, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Methylparaben, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Aluminum Hydroxide, Hexyl Cinnamal
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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.Aluminum Hydroxide is a form of aluminum. It can be naturally found in nature as the mineral gibbsite. In cosmetics, Aluminum Hydroxide is used as a colorant, pH adjuster, and absorbent.
As a colorant, Aluminum Hydroxide may add opacity, or reduce the transparency. Aluminum hydroxide is contains both basic and acidic properties.
According to manufacturers, this ingredient is an emollient and humectant. This means it helps hydrate the skin.
In medicine, this ingredient is used to help relieve heartburn and help heal ulcers.
There is currently no credible scientific evidence linking aluminum hydroxide in cosmetics to increased cancer risk.
Major health organizations allow the use of aluminum hydroxide in personal care products and have not flagged it as a carcinogenic risk at typical usage levels.
Learn more about Aluminum HydroxideBenzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholDSG is used as a surfactant.
Surfactants are cleansing ingredients that help remove oil, dirt, and other impurities from the skin. They work by reducing surface tension between water and oils/dirt to allow them to be easily rinsed away.
Disteardimonium 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 GlycerinIsododecane is a fragrance, emollient, and solvent.
As an emollient, it helps your skin stay soft and hydrated. Emollients help trap moisture into your skin.
Isododecane's role as a solvent makes it a great texture enhancer. It spreads smoothly on skin and does not leave a sticky feeling behind. Isododecane also helps prevent color transfer in makeup products.
Isododecane is not absorbed into skin.
The chemical name for this ingredient is 2,2,4,6,6-PENTAMETHYLHEPTANE.
Learn more about IsododecaneLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
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 LimoneneLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolMagnesium Sulfate is a salt. More specifically, it is an epsom salt, or the bath salt used to help relieve muscle aches.
Despite having āsulfateā in the name, it isnāt a surfactant or cleansing agent like sodium lauryl sulfate. Unlike those sulfates, magnesium sulfate doesnāt have the same cleansing or foaming properties (it's simply a type of salt).
In cosmetics, Magnesium Sulfate is used to thicken a product or help dilute other solids. It is a non-reactive and non-irritating ingredient.
One study shows magnesium deficiency may lead to inflammation of the skin. Applying magnesium topically may help reduce inflammation.
You can find this ingredient in sea water or mineral deposits.
Learn more about Magnesium SulfateParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of āFRAGRANCEā or āPARFUMā according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or '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 by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPeg-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.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Water. 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