What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV Filter
Diisopropyl Adipate
EmollientBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone
UV Absorber
Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydroxycapric Acid
Skin ConditioningLauryl Glucoside
CleansingOxothiazolidine
Skin ProtectingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate
CleansingSorbic Acid
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Glucoside
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Diisopropyl Adipate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Glycerin, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Decyl Glucoside, Benzoic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hydroxycapric Acid, Lauryl Glucoside, Oxothiazolidine, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate, Sorbic Acid, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum
Water
Skin ConditioningDibutyl Adipate
EmollientDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialDiethylhexyl Butamido Triazone
UV Absorber
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Brassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer
Skin Conditioning
C20-22 Alkyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentC20-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPolyglyceryl-6 Behenate
Emulsion Stabilising
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Mannitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingO-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Rhamnose
HumectantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Diisopropyl Sebacate
EmollientFructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Propylheptyl Caprylate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin Conditioning
Water, Dibutyl Adipate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Propanediol, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Brassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer, C20-22 Alkyl Phosphate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, C20-22 Alcohols, Sodium Citrate, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ectoin, Mannitol, Xylitol, Cellulose Gum, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Rhamnose, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Fructooligosaccharides, Propylheptyl Caprylate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is better known as bemotrizinol or Tinosorb S and is one of the best broad-spectrum UV filters in modern sunscreen.
It works by absorbing UV light across a whole range (280-400 nm) with peaks around 310 nm (UVB) and 340-345 nm (UVA). This means it covers UVB plus the deeper UVA wavelengths that drive photoaging and pigmentation.
Another pro?
It's exceptionally photostable, barely degrades in sunlight, and acts as a "bodyguard" for less stable filters.
That's why you'll see it paired with avobenzone or octinoxate; this team up ensures they keep working through sun exposure.
Safety reviews have been reassuring across the board. This ingredient shows low absorption through the skin, rarely irritates, and lab studies found it doesn't act like a hormone in the body (a concern that's been raised about some older sunscreen filters).
On maximum concentrations:
In 2026, the US F.D.A finally added it as an OTC sunscreen ingredient at concentrations up to 6% for adults / children 6 months and older
Learn more about Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl TriazineAlso 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 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 TriglycerideCaprylyl 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 GlycolDiethylhexyl Butamido Triazone is a photostable UV absorber. It protects in both the UVB and UVA II range.
The great thing about this ingredient is that it is ultra-photostable at low concentrations.
It is also pretty water-resistant and is highly oil-soluble (so your oil cleanser will get it off right away).
This ingredient is currently available in Europe and Japan, but not in the US.
Learn more about Diethylhexyl Butamido TriazoneGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateTocopherol 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
