What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHomosalate
Skin Conditioning
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Rhizome Oil
Skin Conditioning
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Isododecane
EmollientGlucosyl Hesperidin
HumectantMelissa Officinalis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningHordeum Distichon Extract
Skin ProtectingCaesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Pod Extract
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientDimethiconol
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Acrylates Copolymer
Helianthus Annuus Sprout Extract
Skin ConditioningPolyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingIsohexadecane
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLecithin
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone/Bis-Isobutyl PPG-20 Crosspolymer
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Myristyl Glucoside
CleansingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPullulan
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Silica
Abrasive
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Homosalate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Zinc Oxide, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Caprylyl Methicone, Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Curcuma Longa Rhizome Oil, Saccharide Isomerate, Isododecane, Glucosyl Hesperidin, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hordeum Distichon Extract, Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Pod Extract, Glyceryl Caprylate, Dimethiconol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Helianthus Annuus Sprout Extract, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Lauryl Glucoside, Isohexadecane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate, Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Dimethicone/Bis-Isobutyl PPG-20 Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Myristyl Glucoside, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Sclerotium Gum, Pullulan, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Gluconate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Silica, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate
Homosalate 10%
Skin Conditioning
Octocrylene 10%
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Polyamide-8
EmollientC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Isopropyl Isostearate
Emollient
Butyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
Polyamide-3
Vp/Eicosene Copolymer
Hylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningRubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin ProtectingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Oryza Sativa Germ Extract
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Homosalate 10%, Octocrylene 10%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Polyamide-8, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Isopropyl Isostearate, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Polyamide-3, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Hylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract, Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Oryza Sativa Extract, Oryza Sativa Germ Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is a lightweight emollient made by combinig benzoic acid with fatty alcohols that are 12-15 carbons long.
In cosmetics, it plays several roles:
The Cosmetic Review Expert Panel has concluded the alkyl benzoate group to be safe as used in cosmetics; it wasn't found to be a skin irritant and unlikely to be absorbed due to its low water solubility.
This report recorded almost 1000 reported uses with concentrations up to 59% in leave-on products but your cosmetics will typically use 0.5-15% depending on the product.
It's often called a "SPF booster": this is because it keeps UV filters properly dissolved and evenly distributed to support a sunscreen's performance. It doesn't actually raise SPF on its own.
Overall, this ingredient is well tolerated.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because it is an ester of benzoic acid.
Think of this ingredient as two parts stuck together: an oily part and an acid part. Malassezia only gets a meal when it can snip off a fatty acid to eat. With C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, the acid part is benzoic acid, which isn't a fatty acid and which the yeast can't use as food.
Benzoic acid is actually used as a preservative to stop yeast from growing.
The oily part is a blend of C12-15 fatty alcohols but fatty alcohols in this size range can support only a little Malassezia growth (mostly for one species of Malassezia as well).
In the ingredient, those alcohols stay locked inside the molecule. The yeast can only reach them by snipping the benzoate bond, and that type of bond is harder for it to cut than a normal fatty bond.
So not much gets released. And whatever does get snipped comes packaged with benzoic acid, which discourages yeast growth.
Learn more about C12-15 Alkyl BenzoateCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideHomosalate is an oil-soluble organic UVB filter that has been a sunscreen staple for decades. Its job is to absorb UVB rays (~295-315 nm) and protect your skin against sunburn,
This is one of the more photostable organic UV filters; it holds up pretty well under UV and a 2022 quantum-chemistry study found it stays stable in sunlight.
It's actually so reliable that formulators often pair it with shakier ingredients like oxybenzone and avobenzone. Formulators also use it to help dissolve the other UV filters into the oil phase.
One thing to keep in mind: "stable" isn't the same as "strong". On its own, homosalate is actually a pretty weak UV filter so it's better off as a helpful team player that helps boost overall SPF protection.
The safety picture is a bit nuanced but not scary.
This ingredient has a long track record of being gentle and regulators agree it isn't an irritant; EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety found that homosalate is not considered a skin irritant and doesn't raise eye-irritation flags either.
There's talk about homosalate because your skin absorbs a little bit of it into your bloodstream. A 2020 FDA-backed study found homosalate showed up in people's blood levels at the level where the FDA decides to double check.
The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) also found small amounts in blood and breast milk. They estimated that about 5% of what you apply gets absorbed through the skin.
Due to the debate about whether it might mess with hormones, the SCCS recommended a maximum limit of 0.5% in most products of 7.3% in face creams/pump sprays.
One important thing to keep in mind: in the US, Homosalate is currently labeled "non-GRASE" by the FDA. This sounds alarming but really just means the FDA wants more data to confirm it's safe. It's not confidently saying this ingredient is harmful.
As of now, homosalate is still completely legal and widely used while that research gets done.
The current maximum limits are:
Learn more about HomosalateTocopheryl 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.
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.
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%.
Learn more about Tocopheryl Acetate
