Arbonne RE9 Advanced Lifting and Contouring Cream SPF 15 Sunscreen Versus Nivea Q10 Power Anti-Wrinkle + Pore Minimising Day Cream SPF15
This mineral sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~93% of UVB at SPF 15, below the SPF 30 recommended for daily use.
This anti-aging day moisturizer is formulated around Ubiquinone and Fucus Vesiculosus Extract to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Zinc Oxide 4.45%
Cosmetic Colorant
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlycerin
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
SurfactantStearic Acid
Cleansing
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Osmanthus Fragrans Flower Extract
MaskingPaeonia Albiflora Root Extract
Skin ConditioningChondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Ganoderma Lucidum Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningSerenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract
AstringentUndaria Pinnatifida Extract
Skin ConditioningTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Pantolactone
Humectant
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
Micrococcus Lysate
Skin ConditioningBiosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Disodium Acetyl Glucosamine Phosphate
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Phytic Acid
Sodium Citrate
BufferingAminomethyl Propanediol
BufferingPropanediol
Solvent
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glyoxal
Antimicrobial
Sodium Nitrate
SoothingZinc Oxide 4.45%, Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Dimethicone, Cetyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Behenyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Squalane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Isononyl Isononanoate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Stearic Acid, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Osmanthus Fragrans Flower Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Ganoderma Lucidum Stem Extract, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Pantolactone, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Micrococcus Lysate, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Disodium Acetyl Glucosamine Phosphate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Phytic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Propanediol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Glyoxal, Sodium Nitrate
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclomethicone
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Sucrose Polystearate
EmollientButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Dimethicone
Emollient
Methylpropanediol
SolventOctocrylene
UV Absorber
Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Creatine
Skin Conditioning1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide
Skin ConditioningFucus Vesiculosus Extract
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientDistarch Phosphate
AbsorbentChondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Sodium Chloride
MaskingTrisodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cyclomethicone, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Alcohol Denat., Sucrose Polystearate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Dimethicone, Methylpropanediol, Octocrylene, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Ubiquinone, Creatine, 1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethiconol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Distarch Phosphate, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Sodium Chloride, Trisodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Limonene, Linalool, Benzyl Alcohol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Geraniol, Parfum, CI 42090
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/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 TriglycerideChondrus Crispus Extract comes from a red algae native to the northern Atlantic coasts of Europe and North America. It helps hydrate the skin and is rich in antioxidants.
The antioxidants in chondrus crispus include lutein and zeaxanthin. Lutein has the ability to filter blue light from screens.
Other contents of chondrus crispus include polysaccharides, peptides, and amino acids. These help hydrate the skin.
What's the difference between algae and seaweed?
Algae is a broad term that includes seaweed. Not all algae is seaweed.
Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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 Water
