Biore UV Aqua Rich Weightless Moisturizer SPF 50 - Canada Versus Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Lotion SPF 50 - US
Updated on November 06, 2024
Overview
What they are
These products are both sunscreens. They have a total of 7 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain hyaluronic acid
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for dry skin, brightening skin and scar healing
Free From
They both do not contain any oils, parabens or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain harsh alcohols, fragrances and silicones
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
Biore UV Aqua Rich Weightless Moisturizer SPF 50 27 ingredients
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Lotion SPF 50 26 ingredients
About this product
About this product
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Biore UV Aqua Rich Weightless Moisturizer SPF 50 27 ingredients
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Lotion SPF 50 26 ingredients
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Homosalate 10%
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV Absorber
Octocrylene 5%
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Lauryl Methacrylate/Sodium Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Diethylhexyl 2,6-Naphthalate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Dextrin Palmitate
Emulsifying
Dicaprylyl Ether
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Behenate
Emollient
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sorbitan Distearate
EmollientLimonene
Perfuming
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingStearoyl Glutamic Acid
CleansingArginine
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Disodium EDTA
Citral
Perfuming
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 10%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Octocrylene 5%, Water, Alcohol Denat., Lauryl Methacrylate/Sodium Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Diethylhexyl 2,6-Naphthalate, Glycerin, Dextrin Palmitate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Phenoxyethanol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Behenate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Parfum, Cetyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Distearate, Limonene, Sodium Hydroxide, Stearoyl Glutamic Acid, Arginine, Linalool, Geraniol, Disodium EDTA, Citral, Sodium Hyaluronate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Diisopropyl Adipate
EmollientSilica
Abrasive
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Polyurethane-62
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningAluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
AbsorbentSodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Menthyl Lactate
MaskingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingBasic Violet 2
Blue 1 Lake
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Caprylyl Methicone, Diisopropyl Adipate, Silica, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Dimethicone, Polyurethane-62, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Pentylene Glycol, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Crosspolymer, Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Parfum, Chlorphenesin, Menthyl Lactate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Trideceth-6, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Basic Violet 2, Blue 1 Lake
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 WaterAlcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying - mostly due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue, constricting pores and leaving your skin dried out.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is if this alcohol is near the end of an ingredients list, it will probably not affect your skin much.
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
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 ParfumSodium 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 HydroxideDisodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.
Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAIngredient Ratings
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these products.
When to use
Biore UV Aqua Rich Weightless Moisturizer SPF 50 27 ingredients
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Lotion SPF 50 26 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Biore UV Aqua Rich Weightless Moisturizer SPF 50 27 ingredients
Best sunscreen I’ve ever used, and perhaps my favourite skincare product ever, period. I love its light, fresh smell and how deeply hydrating it is. It leaves my skin feeling firm and supple at the same time, and imbues it with an instant glow and brightness that lasts for the entire day. This will definitely be my go-to cold weather sunscreen from now on—could not recommend this more.
Got this version after the Japanese 2017 one, and I like it way less. It is lighter, less oily and smells like citrus (which I dislike). In general, I think it still does its job well, but it's a worse fit for me.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Lotion SPF 50 26 ingredients
If you have oily skin, do not use!
It is super greasy and it feels impossible to apply enough without ending up like a disco ball.
It somehow always ends up in my eyes and burns like mad.
If you have dry skin, you may find it very hydrating.
As with most other Hydro Boost products, this is hydrating with a lovely light scent and pleasant gel consistency, plus the added benefit of leaving no cast at all. However, if it gets anywhere even remotely close to the eyes (and I mean remotely), said eyes will burn and sting until kingdom come.
