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
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Alumina
Abrasive
Aluminum Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantButyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cetyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Hexyl Laurate
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emollient
Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientPEG-7 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Propanediol
Solvent
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer
Water
Skin ConditioningTitanium Dioxide 8%, Zinc Oxide 10%, 1,2-Hexanediol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Alumina, Aluminum Stearate, 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, Hexyl Laurate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, PEG-7 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Propanediol, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Water
Water
Skin ConditioningTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Isodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientTriethylhexanoin
MaskingC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlycerin
Humectant
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Alumina
Abrasive
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Hexyl Laurate
Emollient
C30-45 Alkyl Methicone
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
C30-45 Olefin
Skin ConditioningCyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientSilk Amino Acids
HumectantSodium Chloride
Masking
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Talc
Abrasive
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantTocopheryl Glucoside
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Titanium Dioxide, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Triethylhexanoin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Alumina, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Hexyl Laurate, C30-45 Alkyl Methicone, Stearic Acid, C30-45 Olefin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, CI 77492, Octyldodecanol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Silk Amino Acids, Sodium Chloride, Sorbic Acid, Talc, CI 77891, Tocopheryl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alumina is another name for the compound aluminum oxide. It is used as a thickener, absorbent, and abrasive.
As an absorbent, alumina can give a mattifying effect. It is used in mineral sunscreens to help coat nano-sized filters, such as titanium dioxide. By increasing the size of the UV filters, these ingredients stay on the skin for a longer time. By coating small sized ingredients, alumina helps thicken a product.
Alumina may be used as an abrasive, or exfoliant.
Alumina is naturally occurring in the mineral corundum. Certain varieties of corundum create rubies and sapphires. Corundum is also the crystalline form of alumina.
Learn more about AluminaC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is made up of Benzoic Acid and long chain alcohols. It has a low molecular weight.
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is an emollient and texture enhancer. Due to its solubility, it is often used in sunscreens to help evenly distribute active ingredients.
As an emollient, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate helps soften and hydrate your skin. Emollients create a film on your skin that traps moisture within.
This ingredient has been reported to cause eye irritation.
Learn more about C12-15 Alkyl BenzoateCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.
Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.
This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolThis ingredient is a high molecular weight silicone. It has emulsifying and skin conditioning properties.
Disodium 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 EDTAHexyl Laurate isn't fungal acne safe.
This ingredient is an emulsifer and stabilizer. It comes from isostearic acid and polyglycerin.
As an emulsifier, it helps blend oil and water to improve texture, spreadbility, and application.
Due to it being derived from isostearic acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polyglyceryl-4 IsostearateTitanium dioxide is a mineral UV filter widely used in sunscreens and cosmetics.
It is one of only two UV filters officially classified as “mineral” by regulatory agencies, the other being zinc oxide.
Titanium dioxide provides broad-spectrum protection mostly in the UVB and UVAII range, with some protection in the UVAI range.
While its UVA protection isn’t as strong as zinc oxide’s, the difference is minor.
A common myth is that mineral UV filters reflect UV light. However, modern research shows titanium dioxide absorbs UV radiation like chemical filters (~95% absorption & 5% reflection).
Thanks to its non-irritating nature, titanium dioxide is suitable for sensitive, acne-prone, or redness-prone skin. It is unlikely to cause "eye sting" like other sunscreen ingredients.
A major drawback of this ingredient is its white cast and thick texture. This is why mineral sunscreens often leave a white cast and are less cosmetically elegant than chemical/hybrid sunscreens.
To improve white cast and spreadability, micronized or nano-sized titanium dioxide is often used.
There are ongoing concerns surrounding nano-titanium oxide's impact on marine ecosystems.
There is no conclusive evidence that any form of titanium oxide (or any other sunscreen ingredients) will cause harm to marine ecosystems or coral reefs. The science is still developing but many consumers are keeping a close eye on this issue.
Please note, many destinations have reef-safety sunscreen rules. For instance, the U.S. Virgin Islands advises all visitors to use non-nano mineral sunscreens.
Nano mineral sunscreens once raised safety concerns about absorption into skin.
Extensive research has shown that they do not penetrate healthy or damaged skin; they remain safely on the surface and the top layer of dead skin (stratum corneum).
You'll likely find titanium dioxide bundled with alumina, silica, or dimethicone. These ingredients help make titanium dioxide highly photostable; this prevents it from interacting with other formula components under UV light.
Learn more about Titanium DioxideWater. 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
