What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Homosalate 10%
Skin Conditioning
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7.5%
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningButyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Polyacrylate-13
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycereth-2 Cocoate
Emulsifying
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Polyisobutene
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Sodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan
CleansingAnthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Cassia Alata Leaf Extract
AstringentHomosalate 10%, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7.5%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Water, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Glycerin, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polyacrylate-13, Pentylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Benzoic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycereth-2 Cocoate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Panthenol, Arginine, Sodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cassia Alata Leaf Extract
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Homosalate 15%
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV Absorber
Octocrylene 10%
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningPolymethylsilsesquioxane
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate
Emulsion StabilisingStyrene/Acrylates Copolymer
Silica
Abrasive
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer
Skin Conditioning
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin ProtectingPEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingPEG-8 Laurate
Emulsifying
Inulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
P-Anisic Acid
Masking
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Cassia Alata Leaf Extract
AstringentMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Sodium Dodecylbenzenesulfonate
CleansingButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 15%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Water, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Silica, Caprylyl Methicone, Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Tocopherol, Caprylyl Glycol, Panthenol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, PEG-8 Laurate, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Chlorphenesin, P-Anisic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Cassia Alata Leaf Extract, Maltodextrin, Sodium Dodecylbenzenesulfonate
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 an oil-soluble used to absorb the full spectrum of UVA rays (peak 357 nm).
It's one of the most effective UVA filters available but has a major caveat of photostability: avobenzone is susceptible to photodegradation.
This means it can lose efficacy when exposed to sunlight without the help of a stabilizing agent.
Studies show antioxidants (like vitamin E or vitamin C) and some UV filters (like octocrylene and Tinosorb S) can meaningfully improve its stability in a formulation.
The maximum allowable concentration according to regulation is 3% in the US + Canada, and 5% in the EU, Australia, China, Korea, and ASEAN countries.
It has a well-support safety profile: a comprehensive 2025 review found minimal toxicity with no evidence of carcinogenicity.
Overall, avobenzone is a safe and regulated ingredient used in sunscreen for over 40 years.
Learn more about Butyl MethoxydibenzoylmethaneWe don't have a description for Cassia Alata Leaf Extract yet.
Ethylhexyl Salicylate (also called Octisalate or Octyl Salicylate) is an oil-soluble organic UV filter that's been used in sunscreen since the 1950's.
It absorbs UVB light in the 280-320 nm range with a peak absorbance around 306 nm.
You'll often see it paired with other UV filters to boost overall SPF because octisalate is a fairly week filter on its own.
The reason you'll see it so often is because it can help solubilize and stabilize the trickier filters like oxybenzone and avobenzone.
Unlike these filters, octisalate has pretty good photostability and doesn't create skin-damaging free radicals when exposed to sunlight.
The fatty-alcohol part of the molecule also gives it a light, emollient feel so it doubles as a nice texture enhancer.
Usage levels vary around the world:
Safety-wise, this ingredient has a pretty reassuring track record. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) found very low skin penetration in human skin tests and negative results for irritation, phototoxicity, and photoallergy.
The real-world allergy risk is pretty low too; a 2012 European study of 1,031 people recorded only 2 reactions to it (a rate of 0.19%).
You might have seen scary headlines about sunscreen getting into your blood.
In 2019, the FDA found that several chemical filters can absorb through the skin and show up in the bloodstream at small but measurable levels.
Here's the important part: these tiny levels are just a cutoff the FDA uses to decide which ingredients need more testing and doesn't mean anything harmful was found.
The researchers were clear that the results are no reason to stop wearing sunscreen.
Learn more about Ethylhexyl SalicylateGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateHomosalate is an oil-soluble organic UVB filter that has been a sunscreen staple for decades. Its job is to absorb UVB rays (~295-315 nm) and protect your skin against sunburn,
This is one of the more photostable organic UV filters; it holds up pretty well under UV and a 2022 quantum-chemistry study found it stays stable in sunlight.
It's actually so reliable that formulators often pair it with shakier ingredients like oxybenzone and avobenzone. Formulators also use it to help dissolve the other UV filters into the oil phase.
One thing to keep in mind: "stable" isn't the same as "strong". On its own, homosalate is actually a pretty weak UV filter so it's better off as a helpful team player that helps boost overall SPF protection.
The safety picture is a bit nuanced but not scary.
This ingredient has a long track record of being gentle and regulators agree it isn't an irritant; EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety found that homosalate is not considered a skin irritant and doesn't raise eye-irritation flags either.
There's talk about homosalate because your skin absorbs a little bit of it into your bloodstream. A 2020 FDA-backed study found homosalate showed up in people's blood levels at the level where the FDA decides to double check.
The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) also found small amounts in blood and breast milk. They estimated that about 5% of what you apply gets absorbed through the skin.
Due to the debate about whether it might mess with hormones, the SCCS recommended a maximum limit of 0.5% in most products of 7.3% in face creams/pump sprays.
One important thing to keep in mind: in the US, Homosalate is currently labeled "non-GRASE" by the FDA. This sounds alarming but really just means the FDA wants more data to confirm it's safe. It's not confidently saying this ingredient is harmful.
As of now, homosalate is still completely legal and widely used while that research gets done.
The current maximum limits are:
Learn more about HomosalatePanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate is the potassium salt of a mixture. This mixture consists of the esters from phosphoricacid and cetyl alcohol.
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate is an emulsifier and cleansing agent. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.
As a cleansing agent, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate helps gather oils, dirts, and pollutants from your skin. This makes it easier to rinse them away with water.
Learn more about Potassium Cetyl PhosphateThis ingredient is a synthetic polymer that mainly works as a film former. It creates a thin, flexible film on the surface of your skin. Once applied, it helps improves wear, durability, and resistance to water/smudging.
Due to its large molecule size, it sits on top of your skin rather than absorbing into it.
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 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
