The Ordinary Serum Foundation

Caprylyl Methicone is a synthetic and lightweight silicone fluid. It gives products a silky, dry-touch finish without the heaviness of pure oils.

Though the EU CosIng Database lists this ingredient as a skin conditioner, it is also used for sensory reasons. It spreads easily, cuts greasiness, and reduces tackiness.

Coconut Alkanes is a lightweight, plant-derived emollient and solvent made from the fatty acids of coconut oil.

It spreads easily and adds a soft, silky, non-greasy slip, then evaporates rather than sinking into skin. Due to this behavior, it's prized as a natural and renewable replacement for silicones.

This 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.

PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone is a type of silicone.

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate is a lightweight ester created from coconut oil fatty acids, caprylic acid, and capric acid.

It is an emollient that helps soften skin and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL). What sets it apart from heavier emollients is its ultralight, non-greasy feel.

This is a silicone-based ingredient that helps create a smooth, silky, "bouncy" texture. It also acts as an emulsifier that prevents ingredients from separating in a formula.

Due to its large molecule size and water-insolubility, this ingredient is unlikely to be absorbed into skin. Irritation and sensitization tests have found reactions to silicones are considered very rare.

Cetyl Diglyceryl Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone is a type of silicone.

Dipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.

This ingredient helps:

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate is a plant-derived, oil-soluble emulsifier. It keeps water-in-oil emulsions stable to prevent the ingredients from separating.

On the safety front, it's considered non-irritating and well-tolerated (it can even be found in formulations for baby skin).

Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate is a plant-derived emulsifier made by combining glycerin and ricinoleic acid.

It works well for giving buttery lip balms and low-viscosity water-in-oil emulsions a non-greasy and pleasant skin feel.

Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate is a plant-derived, PEG-free emulsifier.

It's made by hooking isostearic acid onto a chain of glycerin units to give it a water-loving "head" and oil-loving "tail". This allows it to keep the oil and water mixed in a formula.

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.

We don't have a description for Hectorite yet.

Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.

You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.

Hexyl Laurate isn't fungal acne safe.

This ingredient is a silicone elastomer that works as a texture enhancer, adds a silky slip, and also helps absorb excess oil.

Because it's a large macromolecule that's insoluble in water and chemically inert, it's not expected to penetrate or be absorbed into skin.

Peg-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.

Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.

In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:

This ingredient comes as a powder made up of small, porous, microbeads. It is used to add a silky feel to products and also helps absorb oil.

Alumina is another name for the compound aluminum oxide. It is a white powder used as a thickener, absorbent, and abrasive.

As an absorbent, alumina can give a mattifying effect. It is used in mineral sunscreens to help coat nano-sized filters, such as titanium dioxide. By increasing the size of the UV filters, these ingredients stay on the skin for a longer time. By coating small sized ingredients, alumina helps thicken a product.

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate is used to help stabilize a product.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it helps prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This prevents unwanted reactions in products. Metal ions can come into a product via the water ingredient. They are found in trace amounts and are not known to be harmful.

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.

Chlorphenesin is a synthetic preservative. It helps protect a product against bacteria in order to extend shelf life. In most cases, Chlorphenesin is paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol and caprylyl glycol.

Chlorphenesin is a biocide. This means it is able to help fight the microorganisms on our skin. It is also able to fight odor-releasing bacteria.

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.

This 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.

Tin Oxide is an inorganic oxide used to add opacity and volume to a product. In nature, it is already found in mineral form. The main ore of tin is an opaque and shiny mineral called casseterite.

Tin Oxide helps remove translucency in a product, or make it more opaque. Besides adding opacity, tin oxide is used for bulking to add volume.

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.

This synthetic powder is used to add a pearly/white color in cosmetics.

Mica 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.

Magnesium Stearate is a salt that is 2 parts stearic acid and 1 part magnesium.

It is a white powder that can be used to add bulk and color to products by binding to oil ingredients.

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.