What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor
UV Absorber
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Dipropylene Glycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Bambusa Vulgaris Extract
Skin Conditioning
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Tromethamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Silica
Abrasive
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor, Behenyl Alcohol, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Bambusa Vulgaris Extract, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract, Butylene Glycol, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Parfum, Silica, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexylglycerin
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Octocrylene 10%
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningDiisopropyl Adipate
EmollientCyclomethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Triethanolamine
BufferingButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Octocrylene 10%, Water, Diisopropyl Adipate, Cyclomethicone, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Triethanolamine
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Also known as Avobenzone, this ingredient is a chemical sunscreen filter that provides protection in the UV-A range.
Avobenzone is globally approved and is the most commonly used UV-A filter in the world.
Studies have found that avobenzone becomes ineffective when exposed to UV light (it is not photostable; meaning that it breaks down in sunlight). Because of this, formulations that include avobenzone will usually contain stabilizers such as octocrylene.
However, some modern formulations (looking at you, EU!) are able to stabilize avobenzone by coating the molecules.
Avobenzone does not protect against the UV-B range, so it's important to check that the sunscreen you're using contains other UV filters that do!
The highest concentration of avobenzone permitted is 3% in the US, and 5% in the EU.
Learn more about Butyl MethoxydibenzoylmethaneCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinOctocrylene protects skin from sun damage. It absorbs UV-B with peak absorption of 304 nm. It is a common sunscreen ingredient and often paired with avobenzone, a UVA filter. This is because octocrylene stabilizes other sunscreen ingredients by protecting them from degradation when exposed to sunlight. Octocrylene is a photostable ingredient and loses about 10% of SPF in 95 minutes.
Octocrylene also acts as an emollient, meaning it helps skin retain moisture and softens skin. It is oil-soluble and hydrophobic, enhancing water-resistant properties in a product.
Those who are using ketoprofen, a topical anti-inflammatory drug, may experience an allergic reaction when using octocrylene. It is best to speak with a healthcare professional about using sunscreens with octocrylene.
The EU allows a maximum of these concentrations:
Learn more about OctocrylenePhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent 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.
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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
