Versus

COOLA Refreshing Water Plumping Gel SPF 30 Versus Mad Hippie Sheer Tint Sun Serum SPF 29 - Light/Medium

Sunscreen
Sunscreen
American Brand United States
American Brand United States

Updated on April 24, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan and cruelty-free sunscreens. They have a total of 6 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid and SPF

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any parabens, silicones or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain oils

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

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

About this product

About this product

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Refreshing Water Plumping Gel SPF 30

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%

UV Absorber
Chemical UV Filter IconMay cause irritation IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Homosalate 6%

Skin Conditioning
Chemical UV Filter IconNon-Reef-Safe Icon

Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%

UV Absorber
0 / 0 Chemical UV Filter IconNon-Reef-Safe IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Octocrylene 7%

UV Absorber
Chemical UV Filter IconNon-Reef-Safe IconMay worsen Eczema Icon

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Skin Conditioning
Helps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon
Sheer Tint Sun Serum SPF 29 - Light/Medium

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Skin Conditioning

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice comes from leaves of the aloe plant. Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice is best known for helping to soothe sunburns. It is also anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, antiseptic, and can help heal wounds.

Aloe is packed with good stuff including Vitamins A, C, and E. These vitamins are antioxidants, which help fight free-radicals and the damage they may cause. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice also contains sugars. These sugars come in the form of monosaccharides and polysaccharides, folic acid, and choline. These sugars are able to help bind moisture to skin.

It also contains minerals such as calcium, 12 anthraquinones, fatty acids, amino acids, and Vitamin B12.

Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Butyloctyl Salicylate is similar to octisalate. It a photostabilizer, SPF booster, emollient and solvent. Its main purpose is to evenly spread out ingredients.

This ingredient is a common sunscreen ingredient carrier and photostabilizer. According to a manufacturer, it is suitable for carrying micro Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, and pigments.

Photostabilizers help stabilize UV-filters and prevents them from degrading quickly.

Due to regulation loopholes, this ingredient is not required to be labeled as an active chemical filter like other UV ingredients. This is why you'll likely find this ingredient in mineral sunscreens from the US.

According to EU regulation, this ingredient can cause harmful effects to aquatic life.

Learn more about Butyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water
Antioxidant

Ethyl Ferulate is an antioxidant.

Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.

It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.

Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.

This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.

Learn more about Caprylyl Glycol
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

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

When to use

5 Routines
100% use in am
0% use in pm
100% use every day
9 Routines
100% use in am
0% use in pm
89% use every day

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

COOLA Refreshing Water Plumping Gel SPF 30 49 ingredients

Refreshing Water Plumping Gel SPF 30 hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

Mad Hippie Sheer Tint Sun Serum SPF 29 - Light/Medium 36 ingredients

3.0 /5
from 2 ratings
Great Value (1) Irritating (1) Light Scent (1)
alyssaklein's avatar

Alyssa Klein

9 months ago
Review

I love love love this tinted sunscreen serum! 4 stars only because it isn't oil free or fungal acne safe :/ I still like using it though. It's a serum so it's more watery than you might expect, and it smells fruity! The tint gives me light coverage. Careful layering it on top of other products, or it may pill. Also careful traveling with it - the pump doesn't lock and it has exploded all over my Show more

#great value
#pilling
#light scent
#works well
MercyNicine's avatar

Mercy Nicine

7 months ago
Review

My skin generally gets along well with Mad Hippie products but this sunscreen did not work for me. I used it twice and discovered that it had severely irritated my skin throughout the day when I washed it off in the evening.

After the first time, my face looked like it had been sunburned so I chalked it up to just forgetting to reapply when I was outside.
The second time it happened, I was Show more

#irritating