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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 50 versus La Roche-Posay Anthelios SX 15 Daily Face Moisturizer with Sunscreen SPF 15 .

Published on March 27, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both sunscreens. They have a total of 10 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain SPF

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin and brightening skin

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, oils or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain parabens and silicones

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Sunscreen American Brand United States
Sunscreen French Brand France

Sunscreen

Sunscreens help absorb or reflect UV radiation and protect skin against skin damage. Sunscreens may come in the form of lotion, gel, foam, spray, or solid-stick.

Sunscreen

Sunscreens help absorb or reflect UV radiation and protect skin against skin damage. Sunscreens may come in the form of lotion, gel, foam, spray, or solid-stick.

Price

Shop

Buy Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 50

Starts at $11.58
Shop

Buy Anthelios SX 15 Daily Face Moisturizer with Sunscreen SPF 15

Starts at $13.00

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
spf rating
50
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
spf rating
15

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Chemical UV Filter (4)
Mineral UV Filter
Vitamin E

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Anti-Aging
Scar Healing
Brightening (2)

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating (3)
Rosacea
Eczema (3)

Notable Ingredients

Chemical UV Filter (3)

Benefits

Hydrating
Brightening

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Acne Trigger
Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema (3)
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Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: UV Absorber, UV Filter
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Octocrylene protects skin from sun damage. It absorbs UV-B with peak absorption of 304 nm. It is a common sunscreen ingredient and often paired with avobenzone, a UVA filter. This is because octocrylene stabilizes other sunscreen ingredients by protecting them from degradation when exposed to sunlight. Octocrylene is a photostable ingredient and loses about 10% of SPF in 95 minutes.

Octocrylene also acts as an emollient, meaning it helps skin retain moisture and softens skin. It is oil-soluble and hydrophobic, enhancing water-resistant properties in a product.

Those who are using ketoprofen, a topical anti-inflammatory drug, may experience an allergic reaction when using octocrylene. It is best to speak with a healthcare professional about using sunscreens with octocrylene.

The EU allows a maximum of these concentrations:

Learn more about Octocrylene

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 3.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios SX 15 Daily Face Moisturizer with Sunscreen SPF 15 contains this as ingredient number 3.

2
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 6.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios SX 15 Daily Face Moisturizer with Sunscreen SPF 15 contains this as ingredient number 16.

3
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Propylene Glycol is an odorless, colorless liquid. As a humectant, it helps skin retain moisture. It also aids in delivering active ingredients.

Another role of this ingredient is preventing a product from melting or freezing. Propylene glycol also adds antimicrobrial properties to a product, elongating product lifespan.

This ingredient is considered an organic alcohol and commonly added into both cosmetics and foods.

Those with sensitive skin or conditions may deliver a rash when using this ingredient.

Learn more about Propylene Glycol

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 7.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios SX 15 Daily Face Moisturizer with Sunscreen SPF 15 contains this as ingredient number 14.

4
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 8.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios SX 15 Daily Face Moisturizer with Sunscreen SPF 15 contains this as ingredient number 9.

5
What it does: Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Cyclomethicone is a class of silicones used to improve the texture of products.

Their cyclic or circular structure decreases stability. This causes quick evaporation when applied to skin. Cyclomethicones are often used as a carrier for other ingredients. Once it evaporates, it leaves a silky barrier on the skin.

The most popular types of cyclomethicones include D5 and D6.

Learn more about Cyclomethicone

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 11.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios SX 15 Daily Face Moisturizer with Sunscreen SPF 15 contains this as ingredient number 6.

6
What it does: Cleansing, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Masking
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Stearic Acid is a fatty acid. It is an emollient, emulsifier, and texture enhancer.

As an emollient, stearic acid helps soften skin. It aids the skin's protective barrier by preventing water loss. It also provides a gentle cleansing effect without stripping away natural oils.

Stearic acid may also be used to enhance the texture of products. It can add volume and stabilize ingredients such as water and oil. This can help water and oil ingredients from separating.

Sources of stearic acid include animal or vegetable fats/oils such as coconut or shea. It can be naturally found in butter, cocoa butter, shea butter, vegetable fats, and animal tallow.

This ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis, or fungal-acne safe.

Learn more about Stearic Acid

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 12.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios SX 15 Daily Face Moisturizer with Sunscreen SPF 15 contains this as ingredient number 17.

7
What it does:
Community Rating: Disliked

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 18.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios SX 15 Daily Face Moisturizer with Sunscreen SPF 15 contains this as ingredient number 8.

8
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and 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.

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 21.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios SX 15 Daily Face Moisturizer with Sunscreen SPF 15 contains this as ingredient number 13.

9
What it does: Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming
Community Rating: Disliked

Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create gel consistency within products.

Carbomer is commonly found in many types of cosmetics products. It is found to be safe in concentrations up to 15%. However, a high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Most products contain 1% of less of carbomer.

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 25.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios SX 15 Daily Face Moisturizer with Sunscreen SPF 15 contains this as ingredient number 4.

10
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Methylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben. It is used to prevent the growth of fungus, mold, and other harmful bacteria. Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in both cosmetics and food.

Methylparaben can be synthetically created. It can also be found naturally in some fruits, such as blueberries.

Oftentimes, Methylparaben is combined with other parabens to help increase the shelf life.

The safety of Methylparaben is currently being studied. While ongoing studies are looking into the safety of parabens, the results have been very mixed. Some studies have not found Methylparaben to be harmful.

Learn more about Methylparaben

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 26.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios SX 15 Daily Face Moisturizer with Sunscreen SPF 15 contains this as ingredient number 12.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

15% are loved or liked
4% have mixed ratings
74% are disliked or very disliked
7% have no rating yet
17% are loved or liked
0% have mixed ratings
67% are disliked or very disliked
17% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 50 27 ingredients

1.0 /5
from 1 rating
Drying (1) Irritating (1) Light (1) No Scent (1)
RemiShen's avatar

RemiShen

2 days ago · Sensitive Skin
Review

I was excited to try this sunscreen because it's affordable, and I got it from Costco. However, I have really sensitive, dry skin and I've used it...

I was excited to try this sunscreen because it's affordable, and I got it from Costco. However, I have really sensitive, dry skin and I've used it a few times now and it stings and burns my skin really bad. I usually have to wash it off and use something else. I think this might be better suited for people without sensitive skin. I'm disappointed because Cetaphil usually is great for me and doesn't irritate my skin.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios SX 15 Daily Face Moisturizer with Sunscreen SPF 15 18 ingredients

Anthelios SX 15 Daily Face Moisturizer with Sunscreen SPF 15 hasn't been rated yet.
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Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 50.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to La Roche-Posay Anthelios SX 15 Daily Face Moisturizer with Sunscreen SPF 15.

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