What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Lauryl Methacrylate/Sodium Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Diethylhexyl 2,6-Naphthalate
EmollientIsodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientDextrin Palmitate
Emulsifying
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Homosalate
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Glyceryl Behenate
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sorbitan Distearate
EmollientStearoyl Glutamic Acid
CleansingArginine
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citral
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Alcohol Denat., Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Lauryl Methacrylate/Sodium Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Diethylhexyl 2,6-Naphthalate, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Dextrin Palmitate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Glycerin, Homosalate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Parfum, Glyceryl Behenate, Sodium Hydroxide, Cetyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Distearate, Stearoyl Glutamic Acid, Arginine, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Citral, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialDiisopropyl Adipate
EmollientDiethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingDiethylhexyl Butamido Triazone
UV Absorber
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Inositol
Humectant
Water, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Diisopropyl Adipate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone, Dicaprylyl Ether, Myristyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Parfum, Potassium Hydroxide, Sclerotium Gum, Acacia Senegal Gum, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Inositol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dicaprylyl Ether is created from caprylic acid. It is a texture-enhancer and emollient.
As an emollient, Dicaprylyl Ether is non-comedogenic. It helps soften and smooth the skin by creating a barrier on top. This barrier helps trap moisture in, helping to hydrate the skin.
Dicaprylyl Ether gives a non-greasy feel and better spreadability to products.
Learn more about Dicaprylyl EtherEthylhexyl Salicylate (also called Octisalate or Octyl Salicylate) is an oil-soluble organic UV filter that's been used in sunscreen since the 1950's.
It absorbs UVB light in the 280-320 nm range with a peak absorbance around 306 nm.
You'll often see it paired with other UV filters to boost overall SPF because octisalate is a fairly week filter on its own.
The reason you'll see it so often is because it can help solubilize and stabilize the trickier filters like oxybenzone and avobenzone.
Unlike these filters, octisalate has pretty good photostability and doesn't create skin-damaging free radicals when exposed to sunlight.
The fatty-alcohol part of the molecule also gives it a light, emollient feel so it doubles as a nice texture enhancer.
Usage levels vary around the world:
Safety-wise, this ingredient has a pretty reassuring track record. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) found very low skin penetration in human skin tests and negative results for irritation, phototoxicity, and photoallergy.
The real-world allergy risk is pretty low too; a 2012 European study of 1,031 people recorded only 2 reactions to it (a rate of 0.19%).
You might have seen scary headlines about sunscreen getting into your blood.
In 2019, the FDA found that several chemical filters can absorb through the skin and show up in the bloodstream at small but measurable levels.
Here's the important part: these tiny levels are just a cutoff the FDA uses to decide which ingredients need more testing and doesn't mean anything harmful was found.
The researchers were clear that the results are no reason to stop wearing sunscreen.
Learn more about Ethylhexyl SalicylateGlycerin (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 GlycerinParfum 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 ParfumPhenoxyethanol 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.
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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
