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Eminence Daily Defense Tinted SPF

Daily Defense Tinted SPF

Achieve a natural finish with this lightweight, tinted spf 50+ sunscreen. This all-mineral formula is non-comedogenic and enriched with antioxidants for hydration while offering broad-spectrum and blue light protection.
Uploaded by: karincilla on

Ingredients overview

Active Ingredients: Zinc Oxide (11.5%)
Inactive Ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Juice*, Caprylic/​Capric Triglyceride*, Tridecyl Salicylate, Vegetable Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/​Polyhydroxystearate/​Sebacate, Methylpropanediol, Silica, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Opuntia Ficus-Indica (Prickly Pear) Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Oil, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated, Plant-Derived Lecithin, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Flower/​Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower/​Leaf/​Stem Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) Extract, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia (Vanilla) Fruit Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Sodium Chloride, Iron Oxides, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Plant-Derived Lecithin, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenylpropanol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Extract, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Vegetable Heptyl Glucoside, Corn-Derived Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Tropolone, Biocomplex2™ (Euterpe Oleracea (Acai), Citrus Limon (Lemon), Malpighia Glabra (Barbados Cherry), Emblica Officinalis (Indian Gooseberry), Adansonia Digitata (Baobab), Myrciaria Dubia (Camu Camu), Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Water, Lycium Barbarum (Goji) Berry, Tapioca Starch (From Cassava Root), Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid), Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10)), [Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Fruit Extract*, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Juice*, Malpighia Glabra (Barbados Cherry) Fruit Extract*, Emblica Officinalis (Indian Gooseberry) Fruit Extract*, Adansonia Digitata (Baobab) Fruit Extract*, Myrciaria Dubia (Camu Camu) Fruit Extract*, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Water*, Lycium Barbarum (Goji) Fruit Extract*, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Plant-Derived Maltodextrin*, Vegetable Glycerin*, Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid), Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10)]

Highlights

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Skim through

Ingredient name what-it-does irr., com. ID-Rating
Zinc Oxide (11.5%) sunscreen 0, 1 goodie
Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Juice* soothing, moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride* emollient
Tridecyl Salicylate
Vegetable Glycerin skin-identical ingredient, moisturizer/​humectant 0, 0 superstar
Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil* emollient 0, 0-2 goodie
Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate emulsifying, surfactant/​cleansing
Methylpropanediol solvent
Silica viscosity controlling
Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate emulsifying
Opuntia Ficus-Indica (Prickly Pear) Seed Oil emollient goodie
Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract antioxidant, soothing, antimicrobial/​antibacterial goodie
Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract
Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract
Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract antioxidant, soothing goodie
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Extract perfuming, viscosity controlling
Sodium Hydroxide buffering
Tocopherol (Vitamin E) antioxidant 0-3, 0-3 goodie
Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Oil perfuming
Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract surfactant/​cleansing
Hydrogenated
Plant-Derived Lecithin emollient, emulsifying goodie
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil perfuming icky
Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Flower/Leaf Extract moisturizer/​humectant, perfuming, soothing
Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract perfuming
Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) Extract
Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract
Vanilla Planifolia (Vanilla) Fruit Extract
Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil antioxidant, emollient 0, 0-2 goodie
Sodium Chloride viscosity controlling
Iron Oxides colorant 0, 0
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate emulsifying 0, 4
Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate emulsifying, viscosity controlling
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate emollient, antimicrobial/​antibacterial
Plant-Derived Lecithin emollient, emulsifying goodie
Stearalkonium Hectorite viscosity controlling
Caprylyl Glycol moisturizer/​humectant, emollient
Phenylpropanol perfuming, solvent
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Extract soothing, emollient goodie
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate chelating
Vegetable Heptyl Glucoside surfactant/​cleansing
Corn-Derived Propanediol solvent, moisturizer/​humectant
1,2-Hexanediol solvent
Caprylyl Glycol moisturizer/​humectant, emollient
Tropolone preservative
Euterpe Oleracea (Acai)
Citrus Limon (Lemon)
Malpighia Glabra (Barbados Cherry)
Emblica Officinalis (Indian Gooseberry)
Adansonia Digitata (Baobab)
Myrciaria Dubia (Camu Camu)
Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) perfuming
Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Water moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Lycium Barbarum (Goji) Berry
Tapioca Starch (From Cassava Root) viscosity controlling
Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) antioxidant goodie
Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10) antioxidant goodie
[Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Fruit Extract*
Citrus Limon (Lemon) Juice*
Malpighia Glabra (Barbados Cherry) Fruit Extract*
Emblica Officinalis (Indian Gooseberry) Fruit Extract*
Adansonia Digitata (Baobab) Fruit Extract* emollient
Myrciaria Dubia (Camu Camu) Fruit Extract*
Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract* antioxidant, emollient goodie
Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Water* moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Lycium Barbarum (Goji) Fruit Extract*
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil* emollient 0, 0 goodie
Plant-Derived Maltodextrin*
Vegetable Glycerin* skin-identical ingredient, moisturizer/​humectant 0, 0 superstar
Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) antioxidant goodie
Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10)] antioxidant goodie

Eminence Daily Defense Tinted SPF
Ingredients explained

What-it-does: sunscreen | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 1

When it comes to sunscreen agents, Zinc Oxide is pretty much in a league of its own. It's a physical (or inorganic) sunscreen that has a lot in common with fellow inorganic sunscreen Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) but a couple of things make it superior even to TiO2.

If physical sunscreens don't tell you anything, go ahead and read about the basics here. Most of what we wrote about Titanium Dioxide is also true for Zinc Oxide so we will focus here on the differences. 

Also-called: Aloe Vera;Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice | What-it-does: soothing, moisturizer/humectant

Aloe Vera is one of today’s magic plants. It does have some very nice properties indeed, though famous dermatologist Leslie Baumann warns us in her book that most of the evidence is anecdotal and the plant might be a bit overhyped.

What research does confirm about Aloe is that it’s a great moisturizer and has several anti-inflammatory (among others contains salicylates, polysaccharides, magnesium lactate and C-glucosyl chromone) as well as some antibacterial components. It also helps wound healing and skin regeneration in general. All in all definitely a goodie. 

What-it-does: emollient

A super common emollient that makes your skin feel nice and smooth. It comes from coconut oil and glycerin, it’s light-textured, clear, odorless and non-greasy. It’s a nice ingredient that just feels good on the skin, is super well tolerated by every skin type and easy to formulate with. No wonder it’s popular. 

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Vegetable Glycerin - superstar
Also-called: Glycerol;Glycerin | What-it-does: skin-identical ingredient, moisturizer/humectant | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0
  • A natural moisturizer that’s also in our skin
  • A super common, safe, effective and cheap molecule used for more than 50 years
  • Not only a simple moisturizer but knows much more: keeps the skin lipids between our skin cells in a healthy (liquid crystal) state, protects against irritation, helps to restore barrier
  • Effective from as low as 3% with even more benefits for dry skin at higher concentrations up to 20-40%
  • High-glycerin moisturizers are awesome for treating severely dry skin
Read all the geeky details about Glycerin here >>

Also-called: Jojoba Oil;Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil | What-it-does: emollient | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0-2

Jojoba is a drought resistant evergreen shrub native to South-western North America. It's known and grown for jojoba oil, the golden yellow liquid coming from the seeds (about 50% of the weight of the seeds will be oil).  

At first glance, it seems like your average emollient plant oil: it looks like an oil and it's nourishing and moisturizing to the skin but if we dig a bit deeper, it turns out that jojoba oil is really special and unique: technically - or rather chemically - it's not an oil but a wax ester (and calling it an oil is kind of sloppy). 

What-it-does: solvent

It's a type of glycol that - according to the manufacturer - is an extremely good replacement for other glycols like propylene or butylene glycol. Its main job is to be a solvent, but it has also very good antimicrobial properties and acts as a true preservative booster. Also helps with skin hydration without stickiness or tacky feel.

A white powdery thing that's the major component of glass and sand. In cosmetics, it’s often in products that are supposed to keep your skin matte as it has great oil-absorbing abilities. It’s also used as a helper ingredient to thicken up products or suspend insoluble particles. 

What-it-does: emulsifying

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Prickly Pear Oil | What-it-does: emollient

The emollient plant oil coming from the seeds of the cactus commonly called Prickly Pear or Nopal Fig. It is a native to Mexico cactus with large, sweet fruits that are used to create jam and jellies. About  18–20% of the peeled fruits are seeds, and the seeds contain only about 3-5% oil. This means that the oil is rare and expensive as a ton of fruit (and it is literally a ton) is needed to yield 1 liter of it. 

As for its composition, its three main fatty acids are barrier-repairing linoleic (60-70%), nourishing oleic (9-26%), and saturated fatty acid, palmitic (8-18%). It is also rich in antioxidant vitamin E (110mg/100g) and in anti-inflammatory sterols (beta-sitosterol, campesterol).  As a high-linoleic oil, it has a light skin feeling, absorbs easily into the top layer of the skin and gives a velvety skin feel

Also-called: Rosemary Leaf Extract | What-it-does: antioxidant, soothing, antimicrobial/antibacterial

The extract coming from the lovely herb, rosemary. It contains lots of chemicals, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, and diterpenes. Its main active is rosmarinic acid, a potent antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. It has also anti-bacterial, astringent and toning properties. 

The leaves contain a small amount of essential oil (1-2%) with fragrant components, so if you are allergic to fragrance, it might be better to avoid it. 

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Lemon Fruit Extract

If life gives the cosmetic industry lemon, it makes lemon fruit extract.  As to why, we can write here extremely similar things to our shiny description of orange fruit extract.  Being both of them citruses, they contain very similar active compounds with very similar (potential) effects on the skin. 

Just like orange fruit, lemon fruit also contains citric acid so it is commonly used as a natural, mild exfoliating agent. If this is the case, it is usually combined with other AHA containing fruit extracts such as bilberrysugar cane, orange, and sugar maple in a super popular ingredient mix trade named ACB Fruit Mix.

Also-called: Ginger Root Extract | What-it-does: antioxidant, soothing

The extract coming from ginger, the lovely spice that we all know from the kitchen. It is also a medicinal plant used both in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for pretty much everything you can imagine (muscular pain, sore throat, nausea, fever or cramps,  just to give a few examples).

As for ginger and skincare, the root extract contains the biologically active component called gingerol that has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Combined with Bisabololthe duo works synergistically to sooth the skin and take down redness. 

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: lye | What-it-does: buffering

The unfancy name for it is lye. It’s a solid white stuff that’s very alkaline and used in small amounts to adjust the pH of the product and make it just right. 

For example, in case of AHA or BHA exfoliants, the right pH is super-duper important, and pH adjusters like sodium hydroxide are needed.  

Also-called: Vitamin E | What-it-does: antioxidant | Irritancy: 0-3 | Comedogenicity: 0-3
  • Primary fat-soluble antioxidant in our skin
  • Significant photoprotection against UVB rays
  • Vit C + Vit E work in synergy and provide great photoprotection
  • Has emollient properties
  • Easy to formulate, stable and relatively inexpensive
Read all the geeky details about Tocopherol here >>

What-it-does: perfuming

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Sage Leaf Extract | What-it-does: surfactant/cleansing

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

This ingredient name is not according to the INCI-standard. :( What, why?!

What-it-does: emollient, emulsifying

A very common ingredient that can be found in all cell membranes. In cosmetics it's quite the multi-tasker: it's an emollient and water-binding ingredient but it's also an emulsifier and can be used for stabilization purposes. It's also often used to create liposomes

Also-called: Bergamot Fruit Oil | What-it-does: perfuming

The essential oil coming from the fruit (probably the rind) of the bergamot orange.  It's a common top note in perfumes and contains (among others) fragrant compounds limonene (37%), linalyl acetate (30%) and linalool (8.8%). 

A well-known issue with bergamot oil (apart from the fragrance allergens) is that it contains phototoxic compounds called furanocoumarins, but more and more commonly furanocoumarin-free versions are used in cosmetic products. Still, if you have sensitive skin and prefer fragrance-free products, bergamot oil is not for you.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: perfuming

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Safflower Seed Oil | What-it-does: antioxidant, emollient | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0-2

The oil coming from the seeds of the yellow flowered safflower plant. Similar to other plant oils, it's loaded with nourishing and moisturizing fatty acids: it's a high linoleic acid oil (70%) and has only smaller amounts of oleic acid (11%) (this might be great for acne-prone skin). It also contains antioxidant vitamin E (44mg/100g alpha-tocopherol).

Also-called: Salt | What-it-does: viscosity controlling

Sodium chloride is the fancy name of salt. Normal, everyday table salt

If (similar to us) you are in the weird habit of reading the label on your shower gel while taking a shower, you might have noticed that sodium chloride is almost always on the ingredient list. The reason for this is that salt acts as a fantastic thickener in cleansing formulas created with ionic cleansing agents (aka surfactants) such as Sodium Laureth Sulfate. A couple of percents (typically 1-3%) turns a runny surfactant solution into a nice gel texture.

Also-called: Ci 77491/77492/77499 | What-it-does: colorant | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0

A bit of a sloppy ingredient name as it covers not one but three pigments: red, yellow and black iron oxide.

The trio is invaluable for "skin-colored" makeup products  (think your foundation and pressed powder) as blending these three shades carefully can produce almost any shade of natural-looking flesh tones. 

What-it-does: emulsifying | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 4

A natural emulsifier that brings a soft and powdery feel to the formula. It's also very gentle and is recommended for sensitive or baby skin products.

A plant based ingredient that helps water to mix with oil (aka W/O emulsifier).  It's especially good for soft to low-viscosity water-in-oil emulsions with non-greasy, pleasant skin feel like lip balms or thick body butters.

An often used emollient with a light and silky feel. It's very mild to both skin and eyes and spreads nicely and easily. It's often used in sunscreens as it's also an excellent solvent for sunscreen agents. 

What-it-does: emollient, emulsifying

A very common ingredient that can be found in all cell membranes. In cosmetics it's quite the multi-tasker: it's an emollient and water-binding ingredient but it's also an emulsifier and can be used for stabilization purposes. It's also often used to create liposomes

What-it-does: viscosity controlling

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

It’s a handy multi-tasking ingredient that gives the skin a nice, soft feel. At the same time, it also boosts the effectiveness of other preservatives, such as the nowadays super commonly used phenoxyethanol

The blend of these two (caprylyl glycol + phenoxyethanol) is called Optiphen, which not only helps to keep your cosmetics free from nasty things for a long time but also gives a good feel to the finished product. It's a popular duo.

What-it-does: perfuming, solvent

A naturally occurring floral component with a delicate scent that can mask the odor of other raw materials but is not noticeable in the final product. It also has remarkable antimicrobial and preservative boosting abilities and can help to create "preservative-free" formulas.

What-it-does: soothing, emollient

When it comes to sunflower and skincare, the seed oil is the common and well-known one. But according to manufacturer info, the seed extract also contains a bunch of skin goodies, including anti-inflammatory minerals, moisturizing and soothing amino acids, sugars and proteins as well as antioxidant polyphenol derivatives. 

What-it-does: chelating

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: surfactant/cleansing

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Zemea;Propanediol | What-it-does: solvent, moisturizer/humectant

Propanediol is a natural alternative for the often used and often bad-mouthed propylene glycol. It's produced sustainably from corn sugar and it's Ecocert approved. 

It's quite a multi-tasker: can be used to improve skin moisturization, as a solvent, to boost preservative efficacy or to influence the sensory properties of the end formula. 

What-it-does: solvent

A really multi-functional helper ingredient that can do several things in a skincare product: it can bring a soft and pleasant feel to the formula, it can act as a humectant and emollient, it can be a solvent for some other ingredients (for example it can help to stabilize perfumes in watery products) and it can also help to disperse pigments more evenly in makeup products. And that is still not all: it can also boost the antimicrobial activity of preservatives

It’s a handy multi-tasking ingredient that gives the skin a nice, soft feel. At the same time, it also boosts the effectiveness of other preservatives, such as the nowadays super commonly used phenoxyethanol

The blend of these two (caprylyl glycol + phenoxyethanol) is called Optiphen, which not only helps to keep your cosmetics free from nasty things for a long time but also gives a good feel to the finished product. It's a popular duo.

What-it-does: preservative

A pale yellow solid material that helps cosmetic products not to go wrong too soon aka preservative.

It has antioxidant and antibacterial activity and can be used synergistically with IT-preservative phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol and Caprylyl Glycol to form a broad spectrum preservative system for cosmetic formulas. 

Also-called: Acai Extract;Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

This ingredient name is not according to the INCI-standard. :( What, why?!

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Baobab Tree Extract;Adansonia Digitata Extract

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Camu Camu Fruit Extract;Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: perfuming

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Coconut Water, Coconut Liquid Endosperm | What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

Coconut Water is the liquid inside the coconut and/or the juice pressed from the coconut fruit. It is a really nice and refreshing beverage loaded with good for the body and the skin things. It is about 95% of water and the other 5% are things such as skin-moisturizing sugars, skin nourishing amino acids, minerals, vitamins and phytohormones (kinetin)

This adds up to coconut water being a nice moisturizing and nourishing ingredient on the skin and it is also claimed to have some antioxidant and anti-glycation properties

Also-called: Goji Berry Extract;Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract | What-it-does: astringent

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: viscosity controlling

A soft, white powder that can be used as a talc replacement in body powders or in pressed powders. It also has some oil absorbing properties and gives increased cushion and richness to emulsion-type formulas.  

Also-called: Alpha-Lipoic Acid | What-it-does: antioxidant

Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a great antioxidant that's also part of the body's natural antioxidant system. It's soluble both in water-rich and lipid-rich environments so it's versatile and can interact with many types of evil oxidants as well as other nice antioxidants. 

ALA seems to be a great choice for topical use as studies show it can penetrate the skin rapidly where it's converted to DHLA (dihydrolipoic acid), an even more potent antioxidant molecule.  A nicely designed (we mean double-blind, placebo-controlled) 12-week study from 2003 confirmed that 5% ALA cream can decrease skin roughness and improve general signs of photoaging statistically significantly.  A slight catch, though, is that burning and warmth in the skin was quite a common side effect, especially in the first 4 weeks. 

Also-called: Coenzyme Q10 | What-it-does: antioxidant

Thanks to Nivea, Q10 is a pretty well-known ingredient and the fame and Beiersdorf's (the parent company of Nivea) obsession with it are not for no reason. It's an antioxidant found naturally in human cells where it plays a big role in energy production.

In fact, it's so important for energy production that if taken as an oral supplement it has a caffeine-like effect and if taken at night you will probably not sleep very well (so you should take it in the morning). Q10 supplementation is not a bad idea: it not only gives you energy but research also shows that oral Q10 increases the Q10 level of the skin (of course, it decreases with age like pretty much every good thing in the skin) and may help to reduce wrinkles. If you are not for supplements, dietary sources include fish, spinach, and nuts.

Also-called: Acai Extract;Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Baobab Fruit Extract;Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract | What-it-does: emollient

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Camu Camu Fruit Extract;Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Carrot Root Oil;Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract | What-it-does: antioxidant, emollient

The oil-soluble extract coming from the edible, orange part of the carrot. It is created by macerating the carrot root in a carrier oil such as sunflower or olive oil, and the resulting thing (base oil + carrot root extract) is often called carrot oil or carrot root oil. (Not to be confused with carrot seed oil, that can be fixed or essential and comes from the seeds.)

The root extract is known for containing the orange pigment beta-carotene, aka provitamin A. It is a famous molecule for being a potent antioxidant, suntan accelerator and having skin-regenerative abilities. Carrot oil also contains vitamin E and some fatty acids that give the oil further antioxidant and barrier repairing properties. 

Also-called: Coconut Water, Coconut Liquid Endosperm;Cocos Nucifera Water | What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

Coconut Water is the liquid inside the coconut and/or the juice pressed from the coconut fruit. It is a really nice and refreshing beverage loaded with good for the body and the skin things. It is about 95% of water and the other 5% are things such as skin-moisturizing sugars, skin nourishing amino acids, minerals, vitamins and phytohormones (kinetin)

This adds up to coconut water being a nice moisturizing and nourishing ingredient on the skin and it is also claimed to have some antioxidant and anti-glycation properties

Also-called: Goji Berry Extract;Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract | What-it-does: astringent

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Sunflower Oil;Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil | What-it-does: emollient | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0

Sunflower does not need a big intro as you probably use it in the kitchen as cooking oil, or you munch on the seeds as a healthy snack or you adore its big, beautiful yellow flower during the summer - or you do all of these and probably even more. And by even more  we mean putting it all over your face as sunflower oil is one of the most commonly used plant oils in skincare.

It’s a real oldie: expressed directly from the seeds, the oil is used not for hundreds but thousands of years. According to The National Sunflower Association, there is evidence that both the plant and its oil were used by American Indians in the area of Arizona and New Mexico about 3000 BC. Do the math: it's more than 5000 years – definitely an oldie.

It's a little helper ingredient coming from corn, rice or potato starch that can help to keep skin mat (absorbent), to stabilise emulsions, and to keep the product together (binding). 

Also-called: Glycerol;Glycerin | What-it-does: skin-identical ingredient, moisturizer/humectant | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0
  • A natural moisturizer that’s also in our skin
  • A super common, safe, effective and cheap molecule used for more than 50 years
  • Not only a simple moisturizer but knows much more: keeps the skin lipids between our skin cells in a healthy (liquid crystal) state, protects against irritation, helps to restore barrier
  • Effective from as low as 3% with even more benefits for dry skin at higher concentrations up to 20-40%
  • High-glycerin moisturizers are awesome for treating severely dry skin
Read all the geeky details about Glycerin here >>

Also-called: Alpha-Lipoic Acid | What-it-does: antioxidant

Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a great antioxidant that's also part of the body's natural antioxidant system. It's soluble both in water-rich and lipid-rich environments so it's versatile and can interact with many types of evil oxidants as well as other nice antioxidants. 

ALA seems to be a great choice for topical use as studies show it can penetrate the skin rapidly where it's converted to DHLA (dihydrolipoic acid), an even more potent antioxidant molecule.  A nicely designed (we mean double-blind, placebo-controlled) 12-week study from 2003 confirmed that 5% ALA cream can decrease skin roughness and improve general signs of photoaging statistically significantly.  A slight catch, though, is that burning and warmth in the skin was quite a common side effect, especially in the first 4 weeks. 

Also-called: Coenzyme Q10;Ubiquinone | What-it-does: antioxidant

Thanks to Nivea, Q10 is a pretty well-known ingredient and the fame and Beiersdorf's (the parent company of Nivea) obsession with it are not for no reason. It's an antioxidant found naturally in human cells where it plays a big role in energy production.

In fact, it's so important for energy production that if taken as an oral supplement it has a caffeine-like effect and if taken at night you will probably not sleep very well (so you should take it in the morning). Q10 supplementation is not a bad idea: it not only gives you energy but research also shows that oral Q10 increases the Q10 level of the skin (of course, it decreases with age like pretty much every good thing in the skin) and may help to reduce wrinkles. If you are not for supplements, dietary sources include fish, spinach, and nuts.

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what‑it‑does sunscreen
irritancy, com. 0, 1
A physical/inorganic sunscreen with the broadest spectrum (UVB and UVA II, less good at UVA I) protection available today. It also has good stability and also works as a skin protectant, anti-irritant. Might leave some whitish tint on the skin, though. [more]
what‑it‑does soothing | moisturizer/humectant
The famous aloe vera. A great moisturizer and anti-inflammatory ingredient that also helps wound healing and skin regeneration. [more]
what‑it‑does emollient
A very common emollient that makes your skin feel nice and smooth. Comes from coconut oil and glycerin, it’s light-textured, clear, odorless and non-greasy. [more]
what‑it‑does skin-identical ingredient | moisturizer/humectant
irritancy, com. 0, 0
A real oldie but a goodie. Great natural moisturizer and skin-identical ingredient that plays an important role in skin hydration and general skin health. [more]
what‑it‑does emollient
irritancy, com. 0, 0-2
Jojoba oil - a wax ester (chemically not a real oil), that's very similar to human sebum. It's uniquely excellent at helping the skin with its protective barrier and helping it to stay moisturized. [more]
what‑it‑does emulsifying | surfactant/cleansing
what‑it‑does solvent
A type of glycol. Its main job is to be a solvent, but it has also very good antimicrobial properties and acts as a true preservative booster. [more]
what‑it‑does viscosity controlling
A white powdery thing that can mattify the skin and thicken up cosmetic products. [more]
what‑it‑does emulsifying
what‑it‑does emollient
The emollient plant oil coming from the seeds of the cactus commonly called Prickly Pear or Nopal Fig. It is a native to Mexico cactus with large, sweet fruits that are used to create jam and jellies. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant | soothing | antimicrobial/antibacterial
Rosemary leaf extract - Its main active is rosmarinic acid, a potent antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. It has also anti-bacterial, astringent and toning properties. [more]
If life gives the cosmetic industry lemon, it makes lemon fruit extract.  As to why, we can write here extremely similar things to our shiny description of orange fruit extract.  Being both of them citruses, they contain very similar active compounds with very similar (potential) effects on the skin.  [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant | soothing
Ginger extract that has antioxidant and soothing properties. It is also known to increase blood circulation and thus have a toning effect. [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming | viscosity controlling
what‑it‑does buffering
Lye - A solid white stuff that’s very alkaline and used in small amount to adjust the pH of the product.  [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant
irritancy, com. 0-3, 0-3
Pure Vitamin E. Great antioxidant that gives significant photoprotection against UVB rays. Works in synergy with Vitamin C. [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming
what‑it‑does surfactant/cleansing
what‑it‑does emollient | emulsifying
It's quite the multi-tasker: an emollient and water-binding ingredient but also an emulsifier and can be used for stabilization purposes. It's also often used to create liposomes.  [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming
The essential oil coming from the fruit (probably the rind) of the bergamot orange.  It's a common top note in perfumes and contains (among others) fragrant compounds limonene (37%), linalyl acetate (30%) and linalool (8.8%).  A well-known issue with bergamot oil (apart from the fragrance allergens) is that it contains phototoxic  [more]
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant | perfuming | soothing
what‑it‑does perfuming
what‑it‑does antioxidant | emollient
irritancy, com. 0, 0-2
Safflower Seed Oil - emollient plant oil with moisturizing fatty acids (linoleic: 70%, oleic: 11%) and antioxidant vitamin E (44mg/100g alpha-tocopherol). [more]
what‑it‑does viscosity controlling
Sodium chloride is the fancy name of salt. Normal, everyday table salt.  If (similar to us) you are in the weird habit of reading the label on your shower gel while taking a shower, you might have noticed that sodium chloride is almost always on the ingredient list. [more]
what‑it‑does colorant
irritancy, com. 0, 0
A mix of red, yellow and black iron oxide. [more]
what‑it‑does emulsifying
irritancy, com. 0, 4
A natural emulsifier that brings a soft and powdery feel to the formula. It's also very gentle and is recommended for sensitive or baby skin products.
what‑it‑does emulsifying | viscosity controlling
A plant based ingredient that helps water to mix with oil (aka W/O emulsifier).  It's especially good for soft to low-viscosity water-in-oil emulsions with non-greasy, pleasant skin feel like lip balms or thick body butters.
what‑it‑does emollient | antimicrobial/antibacterial
An often used emollient with a light and silky feel. It's very mild to both skin and eyes and spreads nicely and easily. It's often used in sunscreens as it's also an excellent solvent for sunscreen agents. 
what‑it‑does emollient | emulsifying
It's quite the multi-tasker: an emollient and water-binding ingredient but also an emulsifier and can be used for stabilization purposes. It's also often used to create liposomes.  [more]
what‑it‑does viscosity controlling
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant | emollient
A handy multi-tasking ingredient that gives the skin a nice, soft feel and also boosts the effectiveness of other preservatives. [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming | solvent
A naturally occurring floral component with a delicate scent that can mask the odor of other raw materials. It also has remarkable antimicrobial and preservative boosting abilities.
what‑it‑does soothing | emollient
Sunflower seed extract that contains a bunch of skin goodies, including anti-inflammatory minerals, moisturizing and soothing amino acids, sugars and proteins as well as antioxidant polyphenol derivatives. [more]
what‑it‑does chelating
what‑it‑does surfactant/cleansing
what‑it‑does solvent | moisturizer/humectant
A natural corn sugar derived glycol. It can be used to improve skin moisturization, as a solvent, to boost preservative efficacy or to influence the sensory properties of the end formula. [more]
what‑it‑does solvent
A multi-functional helper ingredient that acts as a humectant and emollient. It's also a solvent and can boost the effectiveness of preservatives. [more]
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant | emollient
A handy multi-tasking ingredient that gives the skin a nice, soft feel and also boosts the effectiveness of other preservatives. [more]
what‑it‑does preservative
A pale yellow solid material with antioxidant and antibacterial activity. Combined with other preservatives it helps to form a broad spectrum preservative system for cosmetic products.  [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant
Coconut Water is the liquid inside the coconut and/or the juice pressed from the coconut fruit. It is a really nice and refreshing beverage loaded with good for the body and the skin things. [more]
what‑it‑does viscosity controlling
A soft, white powder that can be used as a talc replacement in body powders or in pressed powders. It also has some oil absorbing properties and gives increased cushion and richness to emulsion-type formulas.  
what‑it‑does antioxidant
Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a great antioxidant that's also part of the body's natural antioxidant system. It's soluble both in water-rich and lipid-rich environments so it's versatile and can interact with many types of evil oxidants as well as other nice antioxidants. ALA seems to be a great choice for topical use as studies show it can penetrate the skin rapidl [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant
Q10 - an antioxidant found naturally in human cells where it plays an important role in energy production. As for skincare, it works as an awesome antioxidant that might also be able to reduce wrinkle depth. [more]
what‑it‑does emollient
what‑it‑does antioxidant | emollient
The oil-soluble extract coming from the edible, orange part of the carrot. It is created by macerating the carrot root in a carrier oil such as sunflower or olive oil, and the resulting thing (base oil + carrot root extract) is often called carrot oil or carrot root oil. [more]
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant
Coconut Water is the liquid inside the coconut and/or the juice pressed from the coconut fruit. It is a really nice and refreshing beverage loaded with good for the body and the skin things. [more]
what‑it‑does emollient
irritancy, com. 0, 0
Sunflower Oil - it's a great emollient that protects & enhances the skin barrier. [more]
It's a little helper ingredient coming from corn, rice or potato starch that can help to keep skin mat (absorbent), to stabilise emulsions, and to keep the product together (binding). 
what‑it‑does skin-identical ingredient | moisturizer/humectant
irritancy, com. 0, 0
A real oldie but a goodie. Great natural moisturizer and skin-identical ingredient that plays an important role in skin hydration and general skin health. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant
Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a great antioxidant that's also part of the body's natural antioxidant system. It's soluble both in water-rich and lipid-rich environments so it's versatile and can interact with many types of evil oxidants as well as other nice antioxidants. ALA seems to be a great choice for topical use as studies show it can penetrate the skin rapidl [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant
Q10 - an antioxidant found naturally in human cells where it plays an important role in energy production. As for skincare, it works as an awesome antioxidant that might also be able to reduce wrinkle depth. [more]