What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDibutyl Adipate
EmollientC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialIsoamyl P-Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Tromethamine
BufferingDiisostearyl Malate
EmollientHydrogenated Poly(C6-20 Olefin)
Abrasive
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDrometrizole Trisiloxane
UV Absorber
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Ultramarines
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantHdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Citric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Alumina
Abrasive
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTriethoxycaprylylsilane
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Amylodextrin
AbsorbentLavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract
Cleansing
Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Skin Protecting
Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSambucus Nigra Fruit Extract
AstringentViola Mandshurica Flower Extract
Antioxidant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Calcium Pantothenate
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Pyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningSilica
Abrasive
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Water, Dibutyl Adipate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Isoamyl P-Methoxycinnamate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Glycerin, Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid, Titanium Dioxide, Niacinamide, Tromethamine, Diisostearyl Malate, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-20 Olefin), Hydroxyacetophenone, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Drometrizole Trisiloxane, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Ultramarines, Dipropylene Glycol, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Citric Acid, Parfum, Caprylyl Glycol, Alumina, Ethylhexylglycerin, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Adenosine, Dimethicone, Amylodextrin, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Sambucus Nigra Fruit Extract, Viola Mandshurica Flower Extract, Maltodextrin, Calcium Pantothenate, Butylene Glycol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Pyridoxine Hcl, Silica, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Isododecane
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialSilica
Abrasive
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Diethylhexyl Succinate
EmollientDiethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Polysilicone-15
UV Filter
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
BHT
Antioxidant
Acrylates/Dimethicone Methacrylate/Ethylhexyl Acrylate Copolymer
Skin Conditioning
Stearoyl Inulin
EmollientTriethoxycaprylylsilane
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
SurfactantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Zinc Oxide, Alcohol, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Isododecane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Silica, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Diethylhexyl Succinate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Polysilicone-15, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Butylene Glycol, BHT, Acrylates/Dimethicone Methacrylate/Ethylhexyl Acrylate Copolymer, Stearoyl Inulin, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is better known as bemotrizinol or Tinosorb S and is one of the best broad-spectrum UV filters in modern sunscreen.
It works by absorbing UV light across a whole range (280-400 nm) with peaks around 310 nm (UVB) and 340-345 nm (UVA). This means it covers UVB plus the deeper UVA wavelengths that drive photoaging and pigmentation.
Another pro?
It's exceptionally photostable, barely degrades in sunlight, and acts as a "bodyguard" for less stable filters.
That's why you'll see it paired with avobenzone or octinoxate; this team up ensures they keep working through sun exposure.
Safety reviews have been reassuring across the board. This ingredient shows low absorption through the skin, rarely irritates, and lab studies found it doesn't act like a hormone in the body (a concern that's been raised about some older sunscreen filters).
On maximum concentrations:
In 2026, the US F.D.A finally added it as an OTC sunscreen ingredient at concentrations up to 6% for adults / children 6 months and older
Learn more about Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl TriazineButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolC12-15 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 BenzoateCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideDiethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate (DHHB) is a chemical UV-A absorber. It is formulated for high UVA protection (320-400 nm).
DHHB is well-liked for:
DHHB has been approved by the EU, Japan, Taiwan, and South America for use up to 10%. Unfortunately, it has not been approved for use in the US or Canada due to slow regulatory processes.
This ingredient is soluble in oils, fats, and lipids.
Learn more about Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl BenzoatePolyhydroxystearic Acid is a vegetable-derived soft wax made from castor oil. It's an emulsion stabilizer, thickener, and film former.
You'll likely see it in sunscreens because it helps disperse pigments and UV-reflecting minerals like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide evenly.
Depending on the concentration, it can drastically change the texture of a product from pasty solid (like lipstick) to sprayable liquid.
The CIR Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics. The highest reported use concentration is 14.2% in lipsticks.
Learn more about Polyhydroxystearic AcidSilica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.
Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.
The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.
It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.
In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.
Learn more about SilicaSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateTriethoxycaprylylsilane is a silicon-based surface modifier that makes sunscreens feel silky and makeup stay put.
Its main job is to coat mineral particles like titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and color pigments in a thin, oily layer so they spread smoothly, don't clump, and stick to skin better.
This ingredient is typically used at low levels (up to 2.5% in eyeshadow and 1% in lipstick).
Learn more about TriethoxycaprylylsilaneWater. 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
