This hybrid sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50.
This chemical sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Titanium Dioxide 8%
Cosmetic Colorant
Zinc Oxide 10%
Cosmetic Colorant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Alumina
Abrasive
Aluminum Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantAphanizomenon Flos-Aquae Extract
HumectantButyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cetyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
ChelatingEthylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Glycerin
Humectant
Hexyl Laurate
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emollient
Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientPEG-7 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer
Water
Skin ConditioningTitanium Dioxide 8%, Zinc Oxide 10%, 1,2-Hexanediol, Alumina, Aluminum Stearate, Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae Extract, Butyloctyl Salicylate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetyl Dimethicone, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Dimethicone, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Glycerin, Hexyl Laurate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, PEG-7 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Propanediol, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Water
Water
Skin ConditioningDibutyl Adipate
EmollientDiethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Glycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Tributyl Citrate
SolventBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Triacontanyl Pvp
HumectantVp/Hexadecene Copolymer
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialEthylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Acrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Bran Cera
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Squalane
Emollient
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentDecylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium Iminodisuccinate
ChelatingDisodium Phosphate
BufferingArginine
Masking
Acrylates Copolymer
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGalactoarabinan
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
ChelatingPotassium Phosphate
BufferingDisodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate
CleansingCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Dibutyl Adipate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Tributyl Citrate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Triacontanyl Pvp, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Acrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Coconut Alkanes, Oryza Sativa Bran Cera, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Squalane, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Decylene Glycol, Tetrasodium Iminodisuccinate, Disodium Phosphate, Arginine, Acrylates Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Galactoarabinan, Sodium Hydroxide, Coco-Glucoside, Cellulose Gum, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Potassium Phosphate, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Citric Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
C12-15 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 BenzoateCaprylyl 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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinTocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.
Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.
It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.
One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.
Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.
Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.
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.
Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.
The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.
Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateVP/Hexadecene Copolymer is a synthetic film-forming agent. It has both water and oil loving properties, allowing it to create a flexible, even film on the skin.
This ingredient helps enhance texture, smoothness, and wear resistance in makeup products while reducing tackiness.
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
