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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF 50 PA+++ versus Nivea Daily Essentials Mattifying Day Cream .

Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on October 30, 2022

Overview

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 oils, parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances 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 South Korean Brand South Korea
Day Moisturizer German Brand Germany

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.

Day Moisturizer

Day Moisturizers are marketed to hydrate the skin during the daytime.

Price

Shop

Buy Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF 50 PA+++

Starts at $8.99
Shop

Buy Daily Essentials Mattifying Day Cream

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

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Chemical UV Filter (4)
Mineral UV Filter
Vitamin E
Exfoliators

Benefits

Hydrating
Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation
Dark Spots
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (3)
Acne Trigger
Irritating (3)
Rosacea (4)
Eczema (5)

Notable Ingredients

Chemical UV Filter (2)
Mineral UV Filter

Benefits

Hydrating
Acne Fighting
Brightening

Concerns

Drying (3)
May Worsen Oily Skin (3)
Acne Trigger (2)
Irritating (3)
Rosacea (6)
Eczema (3)
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Ingredients Compared

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

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: 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

COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF 50 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 1.

Nivea Daily Essentials Mattifying Day Cream contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
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

COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF 50 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 3.

Nivea Daily Essentials Mattifying Day Cream contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Cetearyl alcohol is a mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is mainly used as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help prevent the separation of oils and products. Due to its composition, it can also be used to thicken a product or help create foam.

Cetearyl alcohol is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.

Studies show Cetearyl alcohol is non-toxic and non-irritating. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient is usually derived from plant oils such as palm, vegetable, or coconut oils. There is debate on whether this ingredient will cause acne.

Due to the fatty acid base, this ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.

Learn more about Cetearyl Alcohol

COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF 50 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 18.

Nivea Daily Essentials Mattifying Day Cream contains this as ingredient number 9.

4
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Mixed

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Learn more about Sodium Hydroxide

COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF 50 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 22.

Nivea Daily Essentials Mattifying Day Cream contains this as ingredient number 24.

5
What it does: Masking, Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give aroma to products. Parfum, or fragrance, can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "Parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

In the US, the alternative name for parfum is 'fragrance'. The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance. One example is Calendula flower extract. Essential oil ingredients still impart a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, it can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Products use parfum often to give products a scent or cover up smells of different ingredients.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

Learn more about Parfum

COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF 50 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 27.

Nivea Daily Essentials Mattifying Day Cream contains this as ingredient number 31.

6
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.

COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF 50 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 29.

Nivea Daily Essentials Mattifying Day Cream contains this as ingredient number 25.

7
What it does: Emulsion Stabilising
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken and improve the texture of products.

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is also an emulsifier. Due to its properties, it can prevent water and oil ingredients from separating.

COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF 50 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 30.

Nivea Daily Essentials Mattifying Day Cream contains this as ingredient number 22.

8
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.

COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF 50 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 33.

Nivea Daily Essentials Mattifying Day Cream contains this as ingredient number 20.

9
What it does: Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Linalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.

Linalool has the same effect as Limonene when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.

Linalool has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.

Learn more about Linalool

COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF 50 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 39.

Nivea Daily Essentials Mattifying Day Cream contains this as ingredient number 28.

10
What it does: Perfuming, Tonic
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Geraniol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is the main component of citronellol. It is a monoterpenoid and an alcohol.

Monoterpenes are naturally found in many parts of different plants.

Geraniol can be found in many essential oils including Rose Oil and Citronella Oil. The scent of Geraniol is often described as "rose-like". Many foods also contain Geraniol for fruit flavoring.

Geraniol can irritate the skin when exposed to air. However, irritation depends on the ability of geraniol to penetrate into the skin. In general, geraniol is not able to penetrate skin easily.

Geraniol is colorless and has low water-solubility. However, it is soluble in common organic solvents.

Like citronellol, it is a natural insect repellent.

2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (2E)-

Learn more about Geraniol

COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF 50 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 41.

Nivea Daily Essentials Mattifying Day Cream contains this as ingredient number 29.

11
What it does: Perfuming, Preservative, Solvent
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.

Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.

Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.

Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.

Other types of astringent alcohols include:

According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.

Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.

Learn more about Benzyl Alcohol

COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF 50 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 42.

Nivea Daily Essentials Mattifying Day Cream contains this as ingredient number 27.

12
What it does: Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Citronellol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is often derived from plants such as roses. In fact, it can be found in many essential oils including geranium, lavender, neroli, and more. The scent of Citronellol is often described as "fresh, grassy, and citrus-like".

Since the Citronellol molecule is already unstable, Citronellol becomes irritating on the skin when exposed to air.

Citronellol is a modified terpene. Terpenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons found in plants. They make up the primary part of essential oils.

Citronellol is not able to be absorbed into deeper layers of the skin. It has low permeability,

Citronellol is also a natural insect repellent.

Learn more about Citronellol

COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF 50 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 43.

Nivea Daily Essentials Mattifying Day Cream contains this as ingredient number 30.

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

16% are loved or liked
11% have mixed ratings
64% are disliked or very disliked
9% have no rating yet
10% are loved or liked
19% have mixed ratings
58% are disliked or very disliked
13% have no rating yet

Usage

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

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF 50 PA+++ 45 ingredients

2.3 /5
from 23 ratings
Irritating (6) Doesn't Work (4) Broke Me Out (4) Light Scent (3) Pilling (3) Heavy (2)
mooj's avatar

mooj

5 months ago · Dry Skin
Review

this sunscreen stung my eyes super bad. even when i took care to avoid my eye area, it still burnt. left my skin red and irritated looking.

sword's avatar

sword

11 months ago · Oily Skin
Review

Broke Me Out Horrifically
I used to use this when I was in school and had awful acne, so I didn't notice it caused me to break out until I decided...

Broke Me Out Horrifically
I used to use this when I was in school and had awful acne, so I didn't notice it caused me to break out until I decided to try it again recently. It gave me an awful break out all over my cheeks, and flared up my rosacea. It took a few days to recover. Also this has a white cast, so beware if that's something you typically avoid.

Nivea Daily Essentials Mattifying Day Cream 31 ingredients

Daily Essentials Mattifying Day Cream hasn't been rated yet.
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