What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV Filter
Dimethicone
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Vp/Eicosene Copolymer
Adipic Acid/Diglycol Crosspolymer
Tribehenin
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone
UV Absorber
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingParfum
Masking
Methylparaben
Preservative
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Acrylates/Vinyl Isodecanoate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Tetrasodium EDTA
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantWater, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Octocrylene, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Adipic Acid/Diglycol Crosspolymer, Tribehenin, Phenoxyethanol, Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone, Dimethiconol, Decyl Glucoside, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Parfum, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Acrylates/Vinyl Isodecanoate Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Glycerin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Potassium Hydroxide, Propylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Dipropylene Glycol
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 MethoxydibenzoylmethaneThis ingredient is also known as Tinosorb M or Bisoctrizole and is a bit of an overachiever in the sunscreen world.
It's a hybrid broad-spectrum filter that covers UVA and UVB (~280-400nm) with peak absorption around 305nm for UVB or 360nm for UVA (and a tiny bit in blue-light territory as well).
One of its best party tricks is photostability; it doesn't break down with repeated sun exposure and doesn't generate free radicals in the process either. You'll also see it paired with wobbly filters like avobenzone because it helps stabilize them.
The safety profile is assuring as well. Because it's a large molecule, it doesn't easily absorb into skin and rarely causes irritation.
It's approved in the EU, Asia, and Australia up to 10% and most formulas land somewhere in the 2-10% range.
You won't find it as a sunscreen active in the US, but it can make an appearance as a formula-protecting UV-absorber.
Learn more about Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl TetramethylbutylphenolOctocrylene 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 one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about Phenoxyethanol
