What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Caprylic Acid
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCera Alba
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
PEG-15 Cocamine
EmulsifyingPEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Carrageenan
Emulsion StabilisingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Chloride
Masking4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Caprylic Acid, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cera Alba, Silica, PEG-15 Cocamine, PEG-40 Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Panthenol, Sodium Carrageenan, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Chloride
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialButylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Distarch Phosphate
AbsorbentDibutyl Adipate
EmollientEthylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Rapeseed Oil
Emollient
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate
EmollientCetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarrageenan
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Trisodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingParfum
Masking
Water, Alcohol Denat., C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Distarch Phosphate, Dibutyl Adipate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Myristyl Myristate, Hydrogenated Rapeseed Oil, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Glycerin, Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate, Cetyl Palmitate, Xanthan Gum, Carrageenan, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylyl Glycol, Trisodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Also known as Avobenzone, this ingredient is an oil-soluble used to absorb the full spectrum of UVA rays (peak 357 nm).
It's one of the most effective UVA filters available but has a major caveat of photostability: avobenzone is susceptible to photodegradation.
This means it can lose efficacy when exposed to sunlight without the help of a stabilizing agent.
Studies show antioxidants (like vitamin E or vitamin C) and some UV filters (like octocrylene and Tinosorb S) can meaningfully improve its stability in a formulation.
The maximum allowable concentration according to regulation is 3% in the US + Canada, and 5% in the EU, Australia, China, Korea, and ASEAN countries.
It has a well-support safety profile: a comprehensive 2025 review found minimal toxicity with no evidence of carcinogenicity.
Overall, avobenzone is a safe and regulated ingredient used in sunscreen for over 40 years.
Learn more about Butyl MethoxydibenzoylmethaneC12-15 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 GlycolEthylhexyl Triazone (aka Octyl Triazone) is an oil-soluble organic UVB filter. It has peak absorption around 314 nm, right in the middle of the UVB range.
This ingredient is described as one of the most effective UVB filters available and small concentrations are enough to deliver a high SPF thanks to its strong UV absorbing power.
Formulators love it for its stability; its ability to filter UV stays practically unchanged even under intense radiation and it can also help boost the photostability of less stable filters like avobenzone.
It's also a great pick for water resistant products because it's insoluble in water and has a good affinity for keratin.
Because it's a big, heavy molecule, the European Scientific Committee has found to to have very low dermal penetration and negative results for allergenicity.
In vitro testing also showed a low absorption rate and clean results on irritation.
Typical use levels are 1-5% with 5% being the maximum in the EU, Japan, and other markets that allow it. However, this ingredient is not approved yet in the US or Canada.
Learn more about Ethylhexyl TriazoneGlycerin (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 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.
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
