What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHomosalate
Skin Conditioning
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Cyclomethicone
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Isostearyl Neopentanoate
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Silica
Abrasive
Triethanolamine
BufferingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCetyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Citric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Homosalate, Octocrylene, Cyclomethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Cyclohexasiloxane, Ceteareth-20, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Glycerin, PEG-40 Stearate, Silica, Triethanolamine, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Cetyl Dimethicone, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Panthenol, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientMethylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV Filter
Diisopropyl Adipate
EmollientSilica
Abrasive
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone
UV Absorber
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
C10-18 Triglycerides
Emollient
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAscophyllum Nodosum Extract
Skin ConditioningBenzoic Acid
Masking
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Glyceryl Behenate
Emollient
Glyceryl Dibehenate
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Glucoside
EmollientTribehenin
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Diisopropyl Adipate, Silica, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone, Alcohol, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, C10-18 Triglycerides, Decyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Benzoic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Glyceryl Behenate, Glyceryl Dibehenate, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Stearyl Alcohol, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Glucoside, Tribehenin, Xanthan Gum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Also known as Avobenzone, this ingredient is an oil-soluble used to absorb the full spectrum of UVA rays (peak 357 nm).
It's one of the most effective UVA filters available but has a major caveat of photostability: avobenzone is susceptible to photodegradation.
This means it can lose efficacy when exposed to sunlight without the help of a stabilizing agent.
Studies show antioxidants (like vitamin E or vitamin C) and some UV filters (like octocrylene and Tinosorb S) can meaningfully improve its stability in a formulation.
The maximum allowable concentration according to regulation is 3% in the US + Canada, and 5% in the EU, Australia, China, Korea, and ASEAN countries.
It has a well-support safety profile: a comprehensive 2025 review found minimal toxicity with no evidence of carcinogenicity.
Overall, avobenzone is a safe and regulated ingredient used in sunscreen for over 40 years.
Learn more about Butyl MethoxydibenzoylmethaneC12-15 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 BenzoateCaprylyl 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).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTASilica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.
Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.
The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.
It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.
In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.
Learn more about SilicaTocopherol 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.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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!
Learn more about WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
