What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 2.5%
UV Absorber
Homosalate 6%
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV Absorber
Octocrylene 7%
UV Absorber
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialRose Ketone-4
Perfuming
Phenylacetaldehyde
Perfuming
Nonadienal
Perfuming
Triacetin
AntimicrobialLauraldehyde
MaskingHexanal
MaskingGeranyl Acetate
Perfuming
Ethyl 2-Methylbutyrate
Perfuming
Dimethylheptenal
Perfuming
3-Hexenol
Masking
Eugenia Caryophyllus Leaf Oil
Masking
Methylbenzyl Acetate
Masking
Eucalyptol
Perfuming
Gamma-Undecalactone
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Benzyl Acetate
Masking
Amyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Hexyl Acetate
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningAlgae Extract
EmollientPlumeria Acutifolia Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Elaeis Guineensis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Cinnamidopropyltrimonium Chloride
Glycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Xylitol
Humectant
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 2.5%, Homosalate 6%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Octocrylene 7%, Alcohol Denat., C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Rose Ketone-4, Phenylacetaldehyde, Nonadienal, Triacetin, Lauraldehyde, Hexanal, Geranyl Acetate, Ethyl 2-Methylbutyrate, Dimethylheptenal, 3-Hexenol, Eugenia Caryophyllus Leaf Oil, Methylbenzyl Acetate, Eucalyptol, Gamma-Undecalactone, Citronellol, Benzyl Acetate, Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Acetate, Linalool, Triethyl Citrate, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Glycerin, Water, Algae Extract, Plumeria Acutifolia Flower Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Elaeis Guineensis Fruit Extract, Panthenol, Cinnamidopropyltrimonium Chloride, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Xylitol
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Diethylhexyl Succinate
EmollientC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialDimethicone
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAcetic Acid
BufferingBHT
Antioxidant
Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer
Skin Conditioning
Zea Mays Oil
Emulsifying
Cyclomethicone
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Polysilicone-15
UV Filter
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Alcohol, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Diethylhexyl Succinate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Tocopherol, Retinyl Palmitate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Acetic Acid, BHT, Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer, Zea Mays Oil, Cyclomethicone, Squalane, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Polysilicone-15, Paraffinum Liquidum
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 Benzoate
