Full Transparency
WHAT'S IN IT.
AND WHY.
We build with a short list of recognizable, functional ingredients — and we'll
tell you exactly what each one does and why it earned its place. One UV mineral. A handful of
waxes, butters, and oils. No synthetic filters, no synthetic preservatives, no filler that
doesn't pull its weight. Below is every ingredient across the line, what it's for, and where it
stands with independent and regulatory sources.
The UV Mineral
Non-Nano Zinc Oxide Zinc Oxide
In every formula
The single UV-active ingredient in every Dank's product, and the reason the rest of the formula
exists — to carry it and keep it on your skin. Zinc oxide is a mineral that sits on the skin's
surface and works physically, rather than being absorbed to work chemically. "Non-nano" means
the particle size is large enough that the particles aren't designed to pass through skin.
Structure — Waxes & Fatty Alcohols
Beeswax Cera Alba
All formulas
The backbone of our wax matrix and the primary lever for water resistance. Beeswax is what gives
a balm its body and helps the film stay put through a long session instead of washing or sweating off.
Comedogenicity 2/5 · moderately low
Carnauba Wax Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Face Fortress · Barrier Butter
A hard plant wax with a high melt point. A small amount raises firmness and gives a drier, less
greasy finish — useful in our firmer, higher-resistance formulas.
Comedogenicity 1/5 · low
Cetyl Alcohol Cetyl Alcohol
Face Fortress · Barrier Butter
A fatty alcohol that gives the balm a smooth, even glide and helps hold the structure together.
Despite the name, it's a waxy emollient — not the drying, stripping kind of alcohol.
Emollient · skin-conditioning
Emollient Butters & Oils
Jojoba Oil Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
All formulas · primary carrier
Our workhorse carrier — the oil we use to pre-disperse both the zinc oxide and the iron oxide
pigments so they spread evenly. Technically a liquid wax ester, jojoba is structurally close to
skin's own sebum and absorbs cleanly without a heavy feel.
Comedogenicity 2/5 · moderately low
Shea Butter Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
All formulas
A rich, conditioning butter that softens the formula and the skin it sits on. Adds slip and a
cushioned feel without dominating the structure.
Comedogenicity 0/5 · won't clog pores
Cocoa Butter Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Barrier Butter · Sun Slather
A firm butter that adds structure and a protective, occlusive feel — a good fit for heavy-coverage
body formulas. It's richer than our other butters, which is why we keep it
out of Face Fortress, our facial stick.
Comedogenicity 4/5 · richer / heavier
Castor Oil Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Barrier Butter · Sun Slather
Adds slip and a glossy film. Its ricinoleic acid helps the formula grip the skin's surface, which
improves how the film holds up against sweat from underneath.
Comedogenicity 1/5 · low
MCT Oil Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Sun Slather
A light, shelf-stable oil fractionated from coconut. It thins the formula just enough for easy
spreading over large areas of the body without leaving heaviness or greasiness behind.
Lightweight emollient · oxidatively stable
Functional
Sunflower Lecithin Helianthus Annuus Lecithin
All formulas
A plant-derived phospholipid that helps wet and disperse the zinc oxide evenly, so it spreads
uniformly instead of clumping or dragging. We use sunflower-derived lecithin specifically — not soy.
Dispersant · wetting agent
Tocopherol Tocopherol (Vitamin E)
All formulas
A natural antioxidant that protects the unsaturated oils in the formula from oxidation — keeping
the product fresh and stable over its life without synthetic preservatives.
Comedogenicity 2/5 · antioxidant
Color
Iron Oxides Yellow · Red · Black
All formulas
Mineral pigments that give each balm its skin-tone tint and cut the white cast that zinc oxide
leaves on its own. These are the same earth-derived colorants used throughout the cosmetics
world — they're our only tinting system.
On the numbers. Zinc oxide is the only UV-active ingredient in our formulas; the U.S. FDA
recognizes zinc oxide as safe and effective for sun use at concentrations up to 25%. Iron oxides are
FDA-approved for use as cosmetic colorants.
Comedogenicity ratings (0 = won't clog pores,
5 = highly likely to) are widely-cited, directional figures from cosmetic-formulation references — they
describe an ingredient applied on its own at high concentration, so real-world behavior in a finished
blend varies, and individual skin differs. They're offered here for context, not as a promise about how
any one person's skin will respond. For independent ingredient safety reviews, the
Cosmetic Ingredient Review
maintains public assessments of cosmetic ingredients, and you can look up finished sunscreens on the
EWG Sunscreen Guide.