ELFORMULA Mugwort Soothing Sun Gel SPF 40 PA+++ Versus True to Skin Sunfriends Soothing Sunscreen Gel SPF 50 PA++++
This chemical sunscreen covers burning UVB and near UVA but not the deep UVA that drives aging.
This chemical sunscreen covers most of the UV range, lighter on the deep UVA that drives aging.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Glycerin
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Leaf Water
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Tromethamine
BufferingPolyphenylsilsesquioxane
Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Vinyl Dimethicone
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer
SolventDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantSodium Citrate
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Artemisia Vulgaris Extract
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Glycerin, Centella Asiatica Leaf Water, Dimethicone, Tromethamine, Polyphenylsilsesquioxane, Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid, Vinyl Dimethicone, Panthenol, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Glucoside, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Hexylene Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Tocopherol, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11
Emulsion StabilisingBetaine
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Triethanolamine
BufferingSilica
Abrasive
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Lecithin
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Triethylene Glycol
Masking
Methicone
Emollient
Water, Butylene Glycol, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Glycerin, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Octocrylene, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11, Betaine, Centella Asiatica Extract, Triethanolamine, Silica, Phenoxyethanol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Lecithin, Chlorphenesin, Triethylene Glycol, Methicone
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinPhenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid (aka Ensulizole) is a chemical UV filter that's a bit of a unicorn in the sunscreen world: it's water-soluble where most organic filters are oil-based.
Being water-solubility is the headline because it feels lightweight and non-greasy in formulations. This makes it suitable for oily or acne-prone skin in gel/water-based products.
Ensulizole primarily protects against UVB radiation (~290-320 nm) but offers some minimal UVA protection. You'll see it often paired with UVA filters to ensure broad-spectrum coverage.
Interestingly, it can help boost SPF and stabilize finicky filters when combined with other UVB absorbers.
The FDA has approved this ingredient for OTC sunscreens up to 4% and the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Products concluded that up to 8% is allowed in cosmetics.
In practice, you'll most likely see it formulated around 1-4%.
Safety-wise, it is neither irritating nor sensitizing, shows no photoallergenic potential, and in vivo tests show no mutagenic potential.
You might see discussion about the "double-edged sword" effect of this ingredient. This is because lab tests done on cells in a dish (not on humans) showed Ensulizole can create small amounts of unstable molecules called free radicals that can damage DNA when exposed to UV light. It sounds scary but this is just test-tube research. There hasn't been proof that this can happen when used in a sunscreen on skin.
Learn more about Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic AcidWater. 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
