What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Homosalate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingBrassica Glycerides
EmollientAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Polysilicone-11
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Erythritol
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPolygonum Aviculare Extract
EmollientMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningHibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningBisabolol
Antioxidant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Octocrylene, Water, Dimethicone, Propanediol, Alcohol Denat., Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Brassica Glycerides, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Polysilicone-11, Aminomethyl Propanol, Disodium EDTA, Erythritol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butylene Glycol, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Polygonum Aviculare Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract, Bisabolol, Decyl Glucoside, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Homosalate 10%
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningPolyester-8
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates Copolymer
Diisopropyl Sebacate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Isodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientIsododecane
EmollientLauryl Lactate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingBrassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Olivate
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin ProtectingAniba Rosaeodora Wood Oil
Astringent
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningEucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract
TonicPelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil
Masking
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHelianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Behenic Acid
Cleansing
Cetyl Behenate
Isostearyl Isostearate
Emollient
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pentasodium Triphosphate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 10%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Water, Polyester-8, Acrylates Copolymer, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Glycerin, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Isododecane, Lauryl Lactate, Cetyl Alcohol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Brassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Cetearyl Olivate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sorbitan Olivate, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Aniba Rosaeodora Wood Oil, Chlorphenesin, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Behenic Acid, Cetyl Behenate, Isostearyl Isostearate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Tocopherol, Allantoin, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Panthenol, Pentasodium Triphosphate, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
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 MethoxydibenzoylmethaneEthylhexyl 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 GlycerinHomosalate is an oil-soluble organic UVB filter that has been a sunscreen staple for decades. Its job is to absorb UVB rays (280-315 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 HomosalateWater. 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
