What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Polyethylene
Abrasive
Isohexadecane
EmollientBehenyl Behenate
EmollientBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Paraffin
Skin ConditioningMicrocrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingSilica Silylate
Emollient
Drometrizole Trisiloxane
UV Absorber
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Isopropyl Palmitate, Polyethylene, Isohexadecane, Behenyl Behenate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Paraffin, Microcrystalline Wax, Silica Silylate, Drometrizole Trisiloxane, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Synthetic Wax, Glycine Soja Oil, Tocopherol, Water, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Ceramide NP, Triethyl Citrate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Benzoic Acid, Ceramide EOP
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Polyethylene
Abrasive
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Isohexadecane
EmollientTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Ozokerite
Emulsion StabilisingButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Drometrizole Trisiloxane
UV Absorber
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantDimethicone
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
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 shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterDrometrizole Trisiloxane is an oil-soluble organic UV filter that L'oreal patented back in 1989.
Its offers broad-spectrum protection against UVB and UVA with two peaks: 303nm in the UVB range and 344 nm in the UVA range.
The standout trait is photostability. Unlike other UV filters, this one doesn't break down when exposed to sunlight.
You'll likely see it paired with Mexoryl SX (Ecamsule) because the two filters show a synergistic effect where the combined protection is greater than the sum of the individual filters.
Because it is oil soluble, it's great for water-resistant/sport/beach sunscreens.
Concentration-wise, the EU permits up to 15% but formulas use it well below that ceiling and almost never as a solo active.
It has a pretty solid safety record: allergic reactions are considered rare, its large molecule size means little to no absorption through skin, and toxicology reviews found no significant toxicity.
Just so you know, there were a handful of isolated allergic contact dermatitis case reports (which is true of every UV filter), but most people will not react to it.
This ingredient is available in the EU, Canada, Australia, and Japan, but not the US. This is just because the manufacturer hasn't pushed the data through the FDA's OTC ingredient pathway.
Learn more about Drometrizole TrisiloxaneIsohexadecane is added to enhance texture, emulsify, and to help cleanse. It is an isoparrafin. It is a component of petrolatum.
Due to its large size, Isohexadecane is not absorbed by the skin. Instead, it sits on top and acts as an emollient. Emollients help keep your skin soft and smooth by trapping moisture within.
Isohexadecane is often used in products designed to help oily skin. It is lightweight and non-greasy while helping to moisturize. When mixed with silicones, it gives a product a silky feel.
Learn more about IsohexadecaneIsopropyl Palmitate is a lightweight emollient made by combining isopropyl alcohol and palmitic acid.
It is an emollient that leaves skin feeling smooth and silky without leaving a greasy feel.
Typical usage concentrations range from 1-5%.
Human testing shows it's non-irritating and non-sensitizing, and the EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has cleared it at very high levels (79% in leave-on products).
The one thing worth knowing about its comedogenic score of 3-4 is to keep it in perspective: these ratings come from old rabbit-ear tests using 100% of pure ingredient and doesn't reflect how it behaves at low levels in a finished product.
Because it is an ester of palmitic acid (C16), it falls into the range that the Malassezia yeast can feed on and is considered not fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Isopropyl PalmitatePolyethylene is a synthetic ingredient that helps the skin retain moisture. It is a polymer.
It is also typically used within product formulations to help bind solid ingredients together and thicken oil-based ingredients. When added to balms and emulsions, it helps increase the melting point temperature.
This ingredient is also known as castor oil. It is a skin conditioning ingredient.
The star component of castor oil is ricinoleic acid, an unusual fatty acid that makes up ~80-92% of its composition.
In skincare, it is an emollient that dries down to a solid film with water-binding properties. This helps keep skin hydrated and helps reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
A 2026 dermatology review pulls together its broader uses:
Human clinical testing found this ingredient to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Because castor oil contains fatty acids in the C11-24 range, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
At this time, the literature does not support castor oil in regrowing hair. A 2022 systematic review found no strong evidence that it supports hair growth and only weak evidence that it improves hair shine.
Castor oil itself carries "perfuming" and "masking" function tags according to the official CosIng database. This is because of its mild odor and odor-dampening properties.
Learn more about Ricinus Communis Seed OilTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter comes from the Theobroma cacoa, or Cacao tree. Cacao trees are native to tropical landscapes.
Like other plant butters, Cacao seed butter is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and soften your skin. By creating a barrier to trap moisture in, emollients help keep your skin hydrated.
Cacao seed butter contains antioxidants known as polyphenols. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules by stabilizing them. Unstable free-radicals may cause damage to your skin cells. Antioxidants may help with anti-aging.
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter can be bad for acne prone skin.
Learn more about Theobroma Cacao Seed ButterTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about Tocopherol
