What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Octocrylene 8%
UV Absorber
Homosalate 6%
Skin Conditioning
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydrated Silica
Abrasive
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingWater
Skin ConditioningVp/Hexadecene Copolymer
Triethanolamine
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingOctocrylene 8%, Homosalate 6%, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Carbomer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrated Silica, Hydroxyacetophenone, Alcohol, Isopropyl Palmitate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Water, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Triethanolamine, Xanthan Gum
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Homosalate
Skin Conditioning
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCeresin
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Methylparaben
Preservative
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-15 Cocamine
EmulsifyingPEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Stearyl Stearate
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingCera Alba
Emollient
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Homosalate, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Benzyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Ceresin, Citric Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Methylparaben, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Hydroxyethylcellulose, PEG-15 Cocamine, PEG-40 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Water, Stearic Acid, Stearyl Stearate, Triethanolamine, Cera Alba
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice comes from leaves of the aloe plant. Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice is best known for helping to soothe sunburns. It is also anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, antiseptic, and can help heal wounds.
Aloe is packed with good stuff including Vitamins A, C, and E. These vitamins are antioxidants, which help fight free-radicals and the damage they may cause. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice also contains sugars. These sugars come in the form of monosaccharides and polysaccharides, folic acid, and choline. These sugars are able to help bind moisture to skin.
It also contains minerals such as calcium, 12 anthraquinones, fatty acids, amino acids, and Vitamin B12.
Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf JuiceAlso 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 MethoxydibenzoylmethaneCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerHomosalate is an oil-soluble organic UVB filter that has been a sunscreen staple for decades. Its job is to absorb UVB rays (280-315 nm) and protect your skin against sunburn,
This is one of the more photostable organic UV filters; it holds up pretty well under UV and a 2022 quantum-chemistry study found it stays stable in sunlight.
It's actually so reliable that formulators often pair it with shakier ingredients like oxybenzone and avobenzone. Formulators also use it to help dissolve the other UV filters into the oil phase.
One thing to keep in mind: "stable" isn't the same as "strong". On its own, homosalate is actually a pretty weak UV filter so it's better off as a helpful team player that helps boost overall SPF protection.
The safety picture is a bit nuanced but not scary.
This ingredient has a long track record of being gentle and regulators agree it isn't an irritant; EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety found that homosalate is not considered a skin irritant and doesn't raise eye-irritation flags either.
There's talk about homosalate because your skin absorbs a little bit of it into your bloodstream. A 2020 FDA-backed study found homosalate showed up in people's blood levels at the level where the FDA decides to double check.
The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) also found small amounts in blood and breast milk. They estimated that about 5% of what you apply gets absorbed through the skin.
Due to the debate about whether it might mess with hormones, the SCCS recommended a maximum limit of 0.5% in most products of 7.3% in face creams/pump sprays.
One important thing to keep in mind: in the US, Homosalate is currently labeled "non-GRASE" by the FDA. This sounds alarming but really just means the FDA wants more data to confirm it's safe. It's not confidently saying this ingredient is harmful.
As of now, homosalate is still completely legal and widely used while that research gets done.
The current maximum limits are:
Learn more about HomosalateOctocrylene is an oil-soluble organic UV filter that mainly absorbs UVB and short wave UVA II light.
Its real superpower is teamwork: octocrylene is remarkably photostable and is most famous for stabilizing avobenzone (the workhorse UVA filter).
This ingredient is commonly used to enhance both UVB and UVA protection due to its unique property in stabilizing avobenzone. It also pulls double duty by boosting water resistance and giving formulas a smooth, spreadable feel.
The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has deemed octocrylene to be safe as a UV-filter at concentrations up to 10% (capped at 9% in propellant sprays). The US also permits it up to 10%.
Two things worth knowing:
You'll usually see this ingredient used in concentrations between 2-10% (higher amounts when used as a stabilizer for avobenzone).
Learn more about OctocrylenePhenoxyethanol 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.
Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateTriethanolamine (TEA) is an emulsifier and pH adjuster. It is created using ethylene oxide and ammonia. This gives Triethanolamine a nitrogen core and a similar scent to ammonia.
As an emulsifier, it prevents ingredients from separating and enhances texture by adding volume to a product.
PH adjusters are common in cosmetic products. The pH of a product can affect the effectiveness of other ingredients. A product with a high pH may also irritate the skin.
If you are looking for the tea leaf ingredient, click here.
Learn more about TriethanolamineWater. 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
