What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Titanium Dioxide 10.1%
Cosmetic Colorant
Zinc Oxide 7.8%
Cosmetic Colorant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Diglyceryl Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone
Emulsion Stabilising
Chromium Oxide Greens
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Iron Oxides
Isohexadecane
EmollientMagnesium Sulfate
Methylpropanediol
SolventSilica
Abrasive
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Trisiloxane
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningTitanium Dioxide 10.1%, Zinc Oxide 7.8%, Allantoin, Benzyl Alcohol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caffeine, Caprylyl Methicone, Cetyl Diglyceryl Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone, Chromium Oxide Greens, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Dimethicone, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Iron Oxides, Isohexadecane, Magnesium Sulfate, Methylpropanediol, Silica, Tocopherol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Trisiloxane, Water
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialOctocrylene
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate
Emollient
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Dimethicone
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Tribehenin
Emollient
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone
UV Absorber
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylparaben
Preservative
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantRetinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Simethicone
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium EDTA
Sorbitan Laurate
Emulsifying
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate
Emulsion Stabilising
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethylmethoxy Chromanol
Antioxidant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingMedicago Sativa Extract
TonicPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingAcetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Skin Conditioning
Morus Alba Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Octocrylene, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Dimethicone, Alcohol Denat., Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Butylene Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tribehenin, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Dimethiconol, Parfum, Propylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Ethylparaben, Dipropylene Glycol, Retinyl Palmitate, Simethicone, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sorbitan Laurate, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, T-Butyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Potassium Hydroxide, Medicago Sativa Extract, Polysorbate 20, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Morus Alba Leaf Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is a lightweight emollient made by combinig benzoic acid with fatty alcohols that are 12-15 carbons long.
In cosmetics, it plays several roles:
The Cosmetic Review Expert Panel has concluded the alkyl benzoate group to be safe as used in cosmetics; it wasn't found to be a skin irritant and unlikely to be absorbed due to its low water solubility.
This report recorded almost 1000 reported uses with concentrations up to 59% in leave-on products but your cosmetics will typically use 0.5-15% depending on the product.
It's often called a "SPF booster": this is because it keeps UV filters properly dissolved and evenly distributed to support a sunscreen's performance. It doesn't actually raise SPF on its own.
Overall, this ingredient is well tolerated.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because it is an ester of benzoic acid.
Think of this ingredient as two parts stuck together: an oily part and an acid part. Malassezia only gets a meal when it can snip off a fatty acid to eat. With C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, the acid part is benzoic acid, which isn't a fatty acid and which the yeast can't use as food.
Benzoic acid is actually used as a preservative to stop yeast from growing.
The oily part is a blend of C12-15 fatty alcohols but fatty alcohols in this size range can support only a little Malassezia growth (mostly for one species of Malassezia as well).
In the ingredient, those alcohols stay locked inside the molecule. The yeast can only reach them by snipping the benzoate bond, and that type of bond is harder for it to cut than a normal fatty bond.
So not much gets released. And whatever does get snipped comes packaged with benzoic acid, which discourages yeast growth.
Learn more about C12-15 Alkyl BenzoateDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinTocopherol 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 TocopherolWater. 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
