Versus

Bioderma Photoderm Bronz Spray SPF 50+ Versus Bioderma Photoderm AKN Mat SPF 30

Sunscreen
Sunscreen
French Brand France
French Brand France

Updated on September 18, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both sunscreens. They have a total of 17 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain SPF

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin, brightening skin and sensitive skin

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens, silicones or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain fragrances and oils

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

About this product

About this product

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Photoderm Bronz Spray SPF 50+

Water

Skin Conditioning

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Emollient

Octocrylene

UV Absorber
Chemical UV Filter IconNon-Reef-Safe IconMay worsen Eczema Icon

Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol

UV Filter
Chemical UV Filter IconMineral UV Filter Icon

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane

UV Absorber
Chemical UV Filter IconMay cause irritation IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon
Photoderm AKN Mat SPF 30

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Water. 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. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol (Tinosorb M) is a hybrid and broad-spectrum UV ingredient. It is both a UV absorber and filter.

UV absorbers are an agent that absorbs UV rays. They protect your skin by using chemical reactions to convert UV rays into heat and energy. UV filters physically reduce the amount of UV rays from reaching your skin.

Tinosorb M covers a range of 280-400 nm and is photostable. This ingredient is neither oil or water soluble.

Tinosorb M is not available in the US. However, it is available in the EU and Asia.

It's sister, Tinosorb S, is set to be approved in the US by late 2025 (fingers crossed!).

Learn more about Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
Skin Conditioning, UV Absorber, UV Filter

You might know this ingredient as Tinosorb S or Bemotrizinol. It is a UV filter that covers both UVA and UVB rays.

This ingredient has two peak UV absorption peaks ( 310 and 340 nm) and is able to absorb both UV-A and UV-B rays. This ingredient works by preventing UV rays from reaching and damaging your skin.

On top of that - it is highly photostable and helps prevent the photodegration of other sunscreen ingredients such as avobenzone.

Tinosorb S is allowed in the EU, Australia, and Asia. It is close to being approved by the FDA and we'll hopefully get this ingredient in the U.S. by late 2025.

Fun fact: Tinosorb S is the most effective UV absorber at maximum concentration (measured by SPF) permitted in the EU.

This ingredient is oil-soluble, so your oil-cleansers will take this right off at night.

Learn more about Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning

Ectoin is a compound found naturally in some species of bacteria. It can be synthetically created for skincare use.

This ingredient is an osmolyte; Osmolytes help organisms survive osmotic shock (it protects them from extreme conditions). It does this by influencing the properties of biological fluids within cells.

When applied to the skin, ectoin helps bind water molecules to protect our skin. The water forms a sort of armor for the parts of our skin cells, enzymes, proteins, and more.

Besides this, ectoin has many uses in skincare:

A study from 2004 found ectoin to counteract the damage from UV-A exposure at different cell levels. It has also been shown to protect skin against both UV-A, UV-B rays, infrared light, and visible light.

Studies show ectoin to have dual-action pollution protection: first, it protects our skin from further pollution damage. Second, it helps repair damage from pollution.

In fact, ectoin has been shown to help with:

Fun fact: In the EU, ectoin is used in inhalation medication as an anti-pollution ingredient.

Ectoin is a highly stable ingredient. It has a wide pH range of 1-9. Light, oxygen, and temperature do not affect this ingredient.

Learn more about Ectoin
Humectant, Masking, Moisturising

Mannitol is a sugar alcohol. It is a humectant and moisturizes the skin. In vitro (not tested on a living organism), mannitol displays antioxidant properties.

When found in aqueous solutions, mannitol tends to become acidic. This is because it loses a hydrogen ion. This is why mannitol can often be found with pH adjusting ingredients, such as sodium bicarbonate.

Fun fact: Mannitol can be found in foods as a sweetener. It can be naturally found in mushrooms, algae, fruits, and veggies.

Learn more about Mannitol
Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Xylitol is a humectant and prebiotic. It can help with dry skin.

In studies, xylitol has been shown to improve dry skin. It decreased transepidermal water loss, or when water passes through the skin and evaporates. Xylitol also showed to help improve the biomechanical properties of the skin barrier.

The prebiotic property of xylitol may also help reinforce our skin's natural microbiome. Having a healthy microbiome prevents infection by bad bacteria and helps with hydration.

As a humectant, Xylitol helps draw moisture from both the air and from deeper skin layers. This helps keep skin hydrated.

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and commonly used as a sugar substitute. It is naturally occurring in plants such as strawberries and pumpkin.

Learn more about Xylitol
Humectant, Masking

We don't have a description for Rhamnose yet.

Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Fructooligosaccharides is an alternative sweetener. It is often derived from the blue agave plant.

This ingredient is a prebiotic and helps to hydrate the skin. Emerging studies are also showing fructooligosaccharides to have antioxidant properties.

As a humectant, Fructooligosaccharides helps draw moisture to the skin, helping to hydrate the skin.

Bananas, onions, garlic, asparagus, jícama, and leeks also contain fructooligosaccharides.

Learn more about Fructooligosaccharides
Skin Conditioning

Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract is a type of kelp. It helps sooth and hydrate the skin. By nourishing the skin's barrier, it may also help relieve irritation.

This ingredient contains both lipids and antioxidants. The lipids nourish the skin's barrier. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.

This ingredient is good for soothing sensitive skin.

Many different types of algae have different benefits.

Learn more about Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Cleansing, Emulsion Stabilising

Decyl Glucoside is a glucose-based surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.

Surfactants help clean the skin by trapping oil, sebum, and dirt to be washed away. As an emulsion stabilizer, it stabilizes the ingredients in a product by preventing them from separating.

This ingredient is biodegradable and non-toxic. This ingredient is commonly found in baby shampoos.

Decyl Glucoside is sometimes used to stabilize the UV filter Tinosorb.

Learn more about Decyl Glucoside
Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming

Xanthan 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

This is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.

It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.

Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Propylene Glycol is an odorless, colorless liquid. As a humectant, it helps skin retain moisture. It also aids in delivering active ingredients.

Another role of this ingredient is preventing a product from melting or freezing. Propylene glycol also adds antimicrobrial properties to a product, elongating product lifespan.

This ingredient is considered an organic alcohol and commonly added into both cosmetics and foods.

Those with sensitive skin or conditions may develop a rash when using this ingredient.

Learn more about Propylene Glycol
Emulsifying

Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.

Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.

In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.

Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.

Learn more about Polysorbate 60
Masking, Skin Conditioning

This ingredient is an emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.

It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.

Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this.

Learn more about Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Buffering

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Learn more about Sodium Hydroxide
Masking, Perfuming

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.

Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.

The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.

One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

Learn more about Parfum

When to use

30 Routines
97% use in am
3% use in pm
93% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Bioderma Photoderm Bronz Spray SPF 50+ 49 ingredients

Photoderm Bronz Spray SPF 50+ hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

Bioderma Photoderm AKN Mat SPF 30 33 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 2 ratings
Absorbs Well (1) Heavy (1) Pilling (1)
natashaig's avatar

natashaig

7 months ago
Review

This is a good sunscreen if you have normal/oily skin and you don't like looking dewy. I like it because it doesn't break me out and it helps me with not looking too oily at the end of the day. I wouldn't say it's matte though, when I apply it on top of a dewy moisturizer it leaves more of a natural finish. I don't have any problem putting it on top of the rest of my skincare. However, when I try Show more

#heavy
#absorbs well
#pilling
#works well