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
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Homosalate
Skin Conditioning
Dibutyl Adipate
EmollientNiacinamide
Smoothing
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV Filter
Polysilicone-15
UV Filter
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract
Antioxidant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Ficus Carica Fruit Extract
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ceteth-10
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Propanediol
Solvent
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Astaxanthin
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Ascorbyl Propyl Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Tromethamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Homosalate, Dibutyl Adipate, Niacinamide, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Cyclopentasiloxane, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Polysilicone-15, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract, Ceramide NP, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycerin, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceteth-10, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Decyl Glucoside, Propanediol, Tocopherol, Astaxanthin, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Ascorbyl Propyl Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Adenosine, Xanthan Gum, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Propylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.
As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.
It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.
A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.
Learn more about Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate CrosspolymerCarbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerGlycerin (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 GlycerinHomosalate is an oil-soluble organic UVB filter that has been a sunscreen staple for decades. Its job is to absorb UVB rays (~295-315 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 HomosalateWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
