Tarte Maracuja Tinted Moisturizer Versus Tarte Amazonian Clay BB Tinted Moisturizer

Tarte Maracuja Tinted Moisturizer Versus Tarte Amazonian Clay BB Tinted Moisturizer

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Dimethicone

Isononyl Isononanoate

Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate

Glycerin

Phenyl Trimethicone

Magnesium Sulfate

Octyldodecanol

Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone

Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Cetyl Dimethicone

Disteardimonium Hectorite

Lauroyl Lysine

Phenoxyethanol

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Dehydroacetate

Trimethylsiloxysilicate

Sodium Benzoate

Xanthan Gum

Disodium EDTA

Tocopherol

Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil

Sodium Hyaluronate

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract

Collagen Amino Acids

Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Titanium Dioxide

Iron Oxides

Water, Dimethicone, Isononyl Isononanoate, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Glycerin, Phenyl Trimethicone, Magnesium Sulfate, Octyldodecanol, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cetyl Dimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Lauroyl Lysine, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Collagen Amino Acids, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides

Cyclopentasiloxane

Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate

PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone

Aluminum Hydroxide

Stearic Acid

Triethoxycaprylylsilane

Saccharum Officinarum Extract

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Citrus Limon Fruit Extract

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Kaolin

Phytantriol

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Retinyl Palmitate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Butylene Glycol

Methicone

Boron Nitride

Palmitic Acid

Dextrin Palmitate

Sodium Chloride

Hexylene Glycol

Caprylyl Glycol

Mica

Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Glycerin, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Dimethicone, Aluminum Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Kaolin, Phytantriol, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Butylene Glycol, Methicone, Octyldodecanol, Boron Nitride, Palmitic Acid, Dextrin Palmitate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Mica, Iron Oxides

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.

What it does:

Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:

Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.

Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.

This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.

Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.

Glycerin (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.

Octyldodecanol is a fatty alcohol sourced from plant oils like coconut or palm (or made synthetically).

It is:

You'll likely see this in many BHA products because this is the go-to solvent for salicylic acid.

This ingredient is typically used at levels between 2-20%.

Regarding fungal acne: In 2019, this ingredient was tested against multiple Malassezia species (the yeast that causes fungal acne) and showed no growth.

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.

Sodium 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.

Sodium 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.

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.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on 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!

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.

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