What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialDibutyl Adipate
EmollientTapioca Starch
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV Filter
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitol
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingPolyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningTriethanolamine
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Ethyl Ferulate
Antioxidant
Sodium Anisate
AntimicrobialPolymethylsilsesquioxane
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Glycerophosphate
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBHT
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Alumina
Abrasive
Magnesium Oxide
AbsorbentCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dibutyl Adipate, Tapioca Starch, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Sorbitol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Tocopherol, Dimethicone, Lauryl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Cetyl Phosphate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Levulinate, Triethanolamine, Caprylyl Glycol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ethyl Ferulate, Sodium Anisate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Glycerophosphate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, BHT, Citric Acid, Alumina, Magnesium Oxide, CI 77499, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77891
Water
Skin ConditioningDiethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientPhenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Dibutyl Adipate
EmollientDistarch Phosphate
AbsorbentEthylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Tapioca Starch
Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate
Emulsion Stabilising
Carrageenan
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSilica
Abrasive
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Dibutyl Adipate, Distarch Phosphate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Tapioca Starch, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Carrageenan, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Silica, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydroxyacetophenone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzyl Alcohol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholThis ingredient is better known as bemotrizinol or Tinosorb S and is one of the best broad-spectrum UV filters in modern sunscreen.
It works by absorbing UV light across a whole range (280-400 nm) with peaks around 310 nm (UVB) and 340-345 nm (UVA). This means it covers UVB plus the deeper UVA wavelengths that drive photoaging and pigmentation.
Another pro?
It's exceptionally photostable, barely degrades in sunlight, and acts as a "bodyguard" for less stable filters.
That's why you'll see it paired with avobenzone or octinoxate; this team up ensures they keep working through sun exposure.
Safety reviews have been reassuring across the board. This ingredient shows low absorption through the skin, rarely irritates, and lab studies found it doesn't act like a hormone in the body (a concern that's been raised about some older sunscreen filters).
On maximum concentrations:
In 2026, the US F.D.A finally added it as an OTC sunscreen ingredient at concentrations up to 6% for adults / children 6 months and older
Learn more about Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl TriazineC12-15 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 BenzoateCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholDibutyl Adipate is a lightweight, oil-soluble ester that acts as an emollient and solvent. It helps products spread more easily and leaves a soft, silky, dry-touch finish without being greasy.
You'll likely see this ingredient in sunscreens because it does a nice job dissolving UV filters and keeping them evenly distributed.
This ingredient has been found to be safe as used in cosmetics, wasn't a skin or eye irritant in clinical patch testing, and wasn't phototoxic.
In a clinical comedogenicity test, this ingredient tested negative so it isn't likely to clog pores.
Typical use levels are about 5-8% for sunscreens + nail products, but can range from 0.005%-8% depending on the product.
Learn more about Dibutyl AdipateDiethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate (DHHB) is a chemical UV-A absorber. It is formulated for high UVA protection (320-400 nm).
DHHB is well-liked for:
DHHB has been approved by the EU, Japan, Taiwan, and South America for use up to 10%. Unfortunately, it has not been approved for use in the US or Canada due to slow regulatory processes.
This ingredient is soluble in oils, fats, and lipids.
Learn more about Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl BenzoateEthylhexyl Triazone is a modern chemical sunscreen that protects from UV-B radiation.
It is the most effective of existing UV-B filters, as it provides the highest level of photo-stable absorption. It protects from the entire UV-B range (280 to 320nm), with it's highest level of protection at 314nm.
Ethylhexyl Triazone is oil soluble, oderless and colorless, which mean it is able to be incorporated into a variety of different formulations.
It is not currently available within the United States due to slow changing FDA regulations. Outside of the US, it is used in formulations at concentrations up to 5%.
Learn more about Ethylhexyl TriazoneGlycerin (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 GlycerinTapioca starch is a thickening agent and is made from the cassava root, also known as yucca.
According to a manufacturer, it is an excellent talc replacement.
It is gluten-free.
Learn more about Tapioca StarchWater. 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
