e.l.f. cosmetics Bronzing Drops Versus Summer Fridays Sheer Skin Tint

e.l.f. cosmetics Bronzing Drops Versus Summer Fridays Sheer Skin Tint

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Trimethyl Pentaphenyl Trisiloxane

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Glycerin

Synthetic Fluorphlogopite

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

Mica

Bis-Behenyl/Isostearyl/Phytosteryl Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate

Tocopherol

Phenoxyethanol

Sorbitan Isostearate

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Carbomer

Caprylyl Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Tromethamine

Disodium EDTA

Polysorbate 60

Xanthan Gum

Sodium Citrate

Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil

Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Tin Oxide

Tocopheryl Acetate

Ubiquinone

CI 77491

CI 77499

CI 77492

CI 77891

Water, Trimethyl Pentaphenyl Trisiloxane, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Mica, Bis-Behenyl/Isostearyl/Phytosteryl Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan Isostearate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Carbomer, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tromethamine, Disodium EDTA, Polysorbate 60, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Citrate, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Tin Oxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ubiquinone, CI 77491, CI 77499, CI 77492, CI 77891

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Isododecane

Diethylhexyl Carbonate

Isohexadecane

Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Trimethylsiloxysilicate

Sodium Chloride

C13-15 Alkane

Sodium Hyaluronate

Squalane

Niacinamide

Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract

Persea Gratissima Oil

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil

Glycine Soja Oil

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

Silica

Alumina

Disteardimonium Hectorite

Magnesium Oxide

Propylene Carbonate

Zinc Stearate

Boron Nitride

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Titanium Dioxide

Iron Oxides

Water, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Isododecane, Diethylhexyl Carbonate, Isohexadecane, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Sodium Chloride, C13-15 Alkane, Sodium Hyaluronate, Squalane, Niacinamide, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Persea Gratissima Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Silica, Alumina, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Magnesium Oxide, Propylene Carbonate, Zinc Stearate, Boron Nitride, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides

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.

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.

Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

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.

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.

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.

Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.

Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.

It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.

One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.

Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.

Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.

Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.

The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.

Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.

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!

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