What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV AbsorberHomosalate 7.34%
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV AbsorberOctocrylene 10%
UV AbsorberButyloctyl Salicylate
Skin ConditioningCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
MaskingDiethylhexyl 2,6-Naphthalate
EmollientEthylhexyl Methoxycrylene
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantIsododecane
EmollientMaleated Soybean Oil Glyceryl/Octyldodecanol Esters
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantOenocarpus Bataua Fruit Oil
EmollientParfum
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePongamia Glabra Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningPongamia Pinnata Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantTocopherol
AntioxidantTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 7.34%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Diethylhexyl 2,6-Naphthalate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene, Ethylhexylglycerin, CI 77491, Isododecane, Maleated Soybean Oil Glyceryl/Octyldodecanol Esters, Mica, Oenocarpus Bataua Fruit Oil, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Pongamia Glabra Seed Oil, Pongamia Pinnata Seed Extract, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, CI 77891, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Limonene
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 MethoxydibenzoylmethaneOctocrylene is an oil-soluble organic UV filter that mainly absorbs UVB and short wave UVA II light.
Its real superpower is teamwork: octocrylene is remarkably photostable and is most famous for stabilizing avobenzone (the workhorse UVA filter).
This ingredient is commonly used to enhance both UVB and UVA protection due to its unique property in stabilizing avobenzone. It also pulls double duty by boosting water resistance and giving formulas a smooth, spreadable feel.
The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has deemed octocrylene to be safe as a UV-filter at concentrations up to 10% (capped at 9% in propellant sprays). The US also permits it up to 10%.
Two things worth knowing:
You'll usually see this ingredient used in concentrations between 2-10% (higher amounts when used as a stabilizer for avobenzone).
Learn more about OctocryleneTocopherol 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 Tocopherol