Butter Glow Bronzing Serum

Physician's Formula

Where to buy Possibly in stock

About this product

The Physician's Formula Butter Glow Bronzing Serum is a misc. Our analysis of its 35 ingredients (28 low-risk) rates it Excellent (97/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to dry skin. Heads up: it contains fragrance, which can irritate sensitive or reactive skin.

Vegan-friendly Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Misc
Ingredients
35
Low-risk
28
Fragrance
Contains fragrance
Origin
United States

The evidence

Quick Product Notes

Paraben-Free Sulfate-Free Alcohol-Free Silicone-Free EU Allergen-Free Fungal Acne (Malassezia) Safe

Notable Effects & Ingredients

No Notable Effects & Ingredients

Ingredients Related to Skin Types

Good   Bad — tap a skin type to see which ingredients · estimated from ingredient functions
Dry Skin 11/7
Good for dry skin
Gluconolactone Glyceryl Stearate Glyceryl Oleate Diisostearyl Malate Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter Sodium Hyaluronate Glycerin Astrocaryum Tucuma Seed Butter Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate Hydrogenated Polydecene Lecithin
Caution for dry skin
Glyceryl Oleate Diisostearyl Malate Glycerin Quaternium-90 Bentonite Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate Silica Lecithin
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin No data
Sensitive Skin 2/8
Good for sensitive skin
Ascorbyl Palmitate Glycerin
Caution for sensitive skin
Gluconolactone Glyceryl Oleate Ascorbyl Palmitate Glycerin Citric Acid Hydrogenated Polydecene Sodium Benzoate Phenoxyethanol

Ingredients list

35 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (6)
All35 Skin Conditioning18 Fragrance9 Emollient8 Viscosity Controlling7 Solvent6 Colorant4 Cosmetic Colorant4 Humectant4
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
1
Water
(Solvent)
C13-14 Alkane
(Solvent)
2
A
Hydrogenated Polydecene
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Solvent)
2
Mica
(Cosmetic Colorant, Opacifying)
2
A
Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
A
Diisostearyl Malate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Surfactant)
1
B
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Emulsifying, Surfactant)
Bad for Oily Skin
Bad for Oily Skin
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
Propanediol
(Solvent, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
1
B
Quaternium-90 Bentonite
(Suspending Agent Nonsurfactant, Viscosity Controlling)
2
3
Lecithin
(Skin Conditioning, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Antistatic Agent, Emollient)
1
A
Calcium Sodium Borosilicate
(Bulking Agent)
1
2
A
Silica
(Abrasive, Absorbent, Anticaking Agent, Bulking Agent, Opacifying, Viscosity Controlling)
Chondrus Crispus Extract
(Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Controlling)
1
Gluconolactone
(Fragrance, Humectant, Solvent)
3
A
Sodium Benzoate
(Fragrance, Preservative, Anticorrosive, Masking)
1
A
Sodium Hyaluronate
(Skin Conditioning, Humectant)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
4
A
Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative)
Paraben
Paraben
1
B
Lauroyl Lysine
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
(Bulking Agent, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
PARFUM
(Fragrance, Perfuming)
1
A
Ethylhexylglycerin
(Deodorant, Skin Conditioning)
1
6
Quartz
(Abrasive)
2
A
Tin Oxide
(Abrasive, Bulking Agent, Opacifying, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter
(Emollient, Skin Conditioning)
1
Astrocaryum Tucuma Seed Butter
(Emollient)
1
A
Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter
(Skin Conditioning)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
TOCOPHEROL
(Antioxidant, Fragrance, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Ascorbyl Palmitate
(Antioxidant, Masking)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
A
Glyceryl Stearate
(Emollient, Emulsifying)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
A
Glyceryl Oleate
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Perfuming)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
2
A
Citric Acid
(Chelating Agent, Fragrance, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent, Masking)
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
1
2
CI 77491
(Colorant, Cosmetic Colorant)
1
CI 77492
(Colorant, Cosmetic Colorant)
2
CI 77499
(Colorant, Cosmetic Colorant)
CI 77891
(Colorant)

My Ingredient Notes

No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.

Browse similar misc
No close formula match yet — browse other products like this

Key ingredients

Hydrogenated Polydecene
Skin Conditioning, Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant, Skin Protecting
Diisostearyl Malate
Skin Conditioning, Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Skin Conditioning, Emollient
Lecithin
Skin Conditioning, Emollient
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning

Benefits

Good for dry skin

Concerns

Contains paraben
Not fungal acne (malassezia) safe
May not suit sensitive skin

Ingredients explained

Water
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Solvent
C13-14 Alkane
Solvent
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Solvent
Hydrogenated Polydecene
Fragrance, Hair conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A FragranceHair conditioningSkin conditioningEmollientSolvent
Mica
Cosmetic colorant, Opacifying
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 Cosmetic colorantOpacifying
Diisostearyl Malate
Skin conditioning, Emollient
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Skin conditioningEmollientSurfactant
Propanediol
Solvent, Viscosity decreasing agent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 SolventViscosity decreasing agentViscosity controlling
Quaternium-90 Bentonite
Suspending agent - nonsurfactant, Viscosity controlling
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B Suspending agent - nonsurfactantViscosity controlling
Lecithin
Skin conditioning, Emulsifying
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 2–3 Skin conditioningEmulsifyingSurfactantAntistatic agentEmollient
Calcium Sodium Borosilicate
Bulking agent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Bulking agent
Silica
Abrasive, Absorbent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1–2 CIR A AbrasiveAbsorbentAnticaking agentBulking agentOpacifyingViscosity controlling
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin conditioning, Viscosity controlling
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioningViscosity controlling
Gluconolactone
Fragrance, Humectant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 FragranceHumectantSolvent
Sodium Benzoate
Fragrance, Preservative
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR A FragrancePreservativeAnticorrosiveMasking
Lauroyl Lysine
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B Hair conditioningSkin conditioningViscosity controlling
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Bulking agent, Viscosity increasing agent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Bulking agentViscosity increasing agentViscosity controlling
+ 10 more — see the full ingredients list above
Glycerin
Denaturant, Fragrance
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A DenaturantFragranceHair conditioningHumectantOral care agentOral health care drugSkin protectingViscosity decreasing agentPerfumingSolvent Good for Dry SkinFungal-acne trigger
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Skin conditioning, Emollient
Potentially comedogenic - can block poresRead moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B Skin conditioningEmollientEmulsifyingSurfactant Bad for Oily SkinFungal-acne trigger
Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin conditioning, Humectant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Skin conditioningHumectant Good for Dry Skin
Phenoxyethanol
Fragrance, Preservative
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR A FragrancePreservative Paraben
Quartz
Abrasive
Moderate-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1–6 Abrasive
Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter
Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Skin conditioning Fungal-acne trigger
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant, Masking
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A AntioxidantMasking Fungal-acne trigger
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient, Emulsifying
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A EmollientEmulsifying Fungal-acne trigger
Glyceryl Oleate
Fragrance, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A FragranceSkin conditioningEmollientEmulsifyingSurfactantPerfuming Fungal-acne trigger
Citric Acid
Chelating agent, Fragrance
Skin irritation can occur at high concentrationRead moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A Chelating agentFragrancePh adjusterBuffering agentMasking Bad for Sensitive Skin

How to use

How to use

  • 1 Morning works well: Antioxidants like vitamin C pair well with daytime use under sunscreen.

General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.

Trust & honesty

Effective levels — general guide

The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.

Vitamin C (ascorbic) 5–20%

L-ascorbic acid is usually used at 5–20% (around 10–15% is common). Above ~20% adds little and tends to irritate more; it also needs a low pH to work.

Ascorbyl Palmitate

INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.

From the community

0
Reviews
0
Saved by users
0
In collections

Ratings & reviews

Write a Review
0.0
from 0 ratings

Used this product? Rate it in 10 seconds

Alternatives