Skin science article
Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Lip Liner Versus rhode Peptide Lip Shape
Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Lip Liner Versus rhode Peptide Lip Shape What's inside Key Ingredients Benefits Concerns Ingredients Side-by-side Cyclopentasiloxane Synthetic Wax Isododecane Polybutene Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil Mica Ceresin Ozokerite Cera Microc
Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Lip Liner Versus rhode Peptide Lip Shape
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Cyclopentasiloxane
Synthetic Wax
Isododecane
Polybutene
Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil
Mica
Ceresin
Ozokerite
Cera Microcristallina
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Tocopherol
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
Butylene Glycol
Caprylyl Glycol
Sodium Hyaluronate
Hexylene Glycol
Phenoxyethanol
CI 77891
Iron Oxides
CI 15850
Cyclopentasiloxane, Synthetic Wax, Isododecane, Polybutene, Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, Mica, Ceresin, Ozokerite, Cera Microcristallina, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hexylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77891, Iron Oxides, CI 15850
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate
Silica
Trimethylolpropane Triisostearate
Boron Nitride
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
C20-40 Alcohols
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Stearalkonium Hectorite
Disteardimonium Hectorite
Tocopheryl Acetate
Trigonella Foenum-Graecum Seed Extract
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Lactic Acid
Tribehenin
Polyethylene
Sorbitan Isostearate
Aluminum Hydroxide
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
CI 77491
CI 77492
CI 77499
CI 42090
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate, Synthetic Wax, Silica, Trimethylolpropane Triisostearate, Boron Nitride, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, C20-40 Alcohols, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Tocopheryl Acetate, Trigonella Foenum-Graecum Seed Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Lactic Acid, Tribehenin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Polyethylene, Sorbitan Isostearate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77891, Iron Oxides, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 15850, CI 42090
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ci 15850 is the pigment color red. It is an azo dye and created synthetically.
Azo dyes need to be thoroughly purified before use. This allows them to be more stable and longer-lasting.
This ingredient is common in foundations, lipsticks, and blushes. This color is described as brown/orangey red.
It has many secondary names such as Red 6 and Red 7. According to a manufacturer, Red 6 usually contains aluminum.
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.
Ethylhexyl Palmitate, also known as octyl palmitate, is created from 2-ethylhexyl alcohol and palmitic acid.
In cosmetics, it plays many roles:
One thing worth noting: a controlled study found this ingredient applied under occlusion to acne-prone subjects increased microcomedones. Just keep in mind this was under occlusive conditions and don't reflect how most products are used day-to-day.
For most people, this is a well-tolerated and lightweight ingredient.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because it is an ester of palmitic acid, a C16 fatty acid that falls within the C11-24 range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Synthetic Wax is a manufactured hydrocarbon wax. In formulas, it works as an occlusive emollient that helps reduce water loss and improves the spreadability of products.
Research comparing synthetic wax to traditional mineral-derived products found that formulas containing it perform as well for skin hydration.
It is considered non-comedogenic and vegan-friendly.
This ingredient has a well-established safety record by the CIR Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety.
Synthetic Waxes are straight/branched-chain hydrocarbons with no ester bond or fatty acids. That means there is nothing for the Malassezia yeast to feed on.
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.
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.