What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Zinc Oxide 12%
Cosmetic Colorant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningBisabolol
Antioxidant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Behenate
Emollient
Glyceryl Dibehenate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Isoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Methylpropanediol
SolventNeopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientPhenylpropanol
Masking
Polyester-7
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate
Emulsifying
Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Chloride
MaskingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tribehenin
Emollient
Tridecyl Salicylate
Skin ConditioningZinc Oxide 12%, Allantoin, Water, Bisabolol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Coco-Caprylate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Behenate, Glyceryl Dibehenate, Glyceryl Stearate, Isoamyl Laurate, Lecithin, Methylpropanediol, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Phenylpropanol, Polyester-7, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate, Silica, Sodium Chloride, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tribehenin, Tridecyl Salicylate
Water
Skin ConditioningOctocrylene
UV Absorber
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlycerin
Humectant
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer
Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Triacontanyl Pvp
HumectantAcrylates Copolymer
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingParfum
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGalactoarabinan
Disodium EDTA
Linalool
Perfuming
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Water, Octocrylene, Alcohol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Triacontanyl Pvp, Acrylates Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Galactoarabinan, Disodium EDTA, Linalool, Cellulose Gum, Benzyl Alcohol, Limonene, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Coumarin, Eugenol, Geraniol
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 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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinTocopheryl 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 AcetateWater. 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
