Westman Atelier Vital Skincare Complexion Drops Versus Summer Fridays Sheer Skin Tint

Westman Atelier Vital Skincare Complexion Drops Versus Summer Fridays Sheer Skin Tint

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Squalane

Water

Persea Gratissima Oil

Punica Granatum Seed Oil

Mica

Pentylene Glycol

Camellia Japonica Seed Oil

Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate

Sorbitan Isostearate

Propanediol

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Zingiber Officinale Root Extract

Oryza Sativa Extract

Oryza Sativa Germ Extract

Bisabolol

Disteardimonium Hectorite

Glycine Soja Oil

Gossypium Hirsutum Seed Oil

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil

Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil

Zea Mays Germ Oil

4-T-Butylcyclohexanol

Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate

Aluminum Hydroxide

Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate

Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate

Tin Oxide

Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate

Lysine

Magnesium Chloride

Tocopherol

CI 77891

Iron Oxides

CI 77491

CI 77492

CI 77499

Squalane, Water, Persea Gratissima Oil, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Mica, Pentylene Glycol, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Propanediol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Oryza Sativa Germ Extract, Bisabolol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Glycine Soja Oil, Gossypium Hirsutum Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Zea Mays Germ Oil, 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol, Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Tin Oxide, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Lysine, Magnesium Chloride, Tocopherol, CI 77891, Iron Oxides, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Glycerin

Isododecane

Diethylhexyl Carbonate

Isohexadecane

Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Trimethylsiloxysilicate

Sodium Chloride

C13-15 Alkane

Sodium Hyaluronate

Niacinamide

Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract

Tocopheryl Acetate

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

Silica

Alumina

Magnesium Oxide

Propylene Carbonate

Zinc Stearate

Boron Nitride

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Caprylyl Glycol

Phenoxyethanol

Titanium Dioxide

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.

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.

Hectorite is a rare, white clay mineral.

Glycine Soja Oil is a plant-derived oil from soybean seeds. Like other oils, it is rich in essential fatty acids (mostly linoleic and oleic) that support skin hydration and barrier function.

The fatty acids are able to integrate into the lipid matrix of the stratum corneum to help soften skin and reduce water loss.

On top of that, soybean oil is rich in vitamins like vitamin E, a potent antioxidant.

Research on soybean's active components also point to anti-inflammatory, collagen-stimulating, antioxidant activity, and protection against UV-induced oxidative damage.

Most of this research applies to the broader soybean plant and not just the oil fraction alone.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe due to the oleic acid content.

This ingredient is also known as Avocado oil. It's the cold-pressed oil from the flesh of the avocado fruit packed with fatty acids (mostly oleic acid).

The rich fatty acid profile allows it to function as a skin conditioning agent and emollient; it helps soften and smooth skin while reducing water loss.

Preclinical research has found that topical avocado oil increased collagen synthesis and reduced inflammation during wound healing, giving it some skin-repairing credibility.

The unsaponifiable fraction of the oil is also interesting: studies on avocado unsaponifiables showed that it helped skin produce more collagen and other structural compounds that support healing.

The CIR Expert Panel has found this ingredient to be non-irritating in formulations.

It's a great ingredient for dry or compromised skin. Just know it may not be fungal acne safe. This is because the oleic acid content falls within the range that Malassezia can use as a food source.

Squalane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).

It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.

This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.

Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.

Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.

No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).

Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.

This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.

Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.

Read more about squalene with an "e".

Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.

The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.

Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.

A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.

The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.

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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