Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of EltaMD, Inc UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 versus Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 50 .
Last updated on November 08, 2023. Published on October 23, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both sunscreens. They have a total of 5 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain hyaluronic acid, SPF and Vitamin E
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, brightening skin and dark spots
Free From
They both do not contain any parabens or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain silicones
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
Sunscreen
Sunscreens help absorb or reflect UV radiation and protect skin against skin damage. Sunscreens may come in the form of lotion, gel, foam, spray, or solid-stick.
Sunscreen
Sunscreens help absorb or reflect UV radiation and protect skin against skin damage. Sunscreens may come in the form of lotion, gel, foam, spray, or solid-stick.
Price
Ingredient Info
EltaMD, Inc UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 17 ingredients
Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 50 39 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Malassezia Safe
This product is free of malassezia feeding ingredients 🎉
Not Reef Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not reef safe:
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Not Reef Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not reef safe:
Contains EU Allergens
Ingredients in this product that are EU allergens:
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
EltaMD, Inc UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 17 ingredients
Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 50 39 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Concerns
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Notable Ingredients
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 5 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
EltaMD, Inc UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 17 ingredients
Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 50 39 ingredients
Zinc Oxide 9% • Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7.5% • Water • Cyclomethicone • Niacinamide • Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate • Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer • Polyisobutene • Peg-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether • Sodium Hyaluronate • Tocopheryl Acetate • Lactic Acid • Oleth-3 Phosphate • Phenoxyethanol • Butylene Glycol • Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate • Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Titanium Dioxide 9% • Zinc Oxide 7% • Water • Isohexadecane • Butyloctyl Salicylate • Cetyl Dimethicone • Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer • Olive Oil Polyglyceryl-6 Esters • Sorbitan Olivate • Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate • Vp/Eicosene Copolymer • Cetearyl Alcohol • Cetearyl Olivate • Cetyl Palmitate • Sorbitan Palmitate • Dimethicone Peg-8 Laurate • Ceramide NP • Ceramide AP • Ceramide EOP • Cholesterol • Phytosphingosine • Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid • Benzyl Alcohol • Bisabolol • Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate • Propanediol • Xanthan Gum • Aluminum Hydroxide • Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate • Carbomer • Tocopheryl Acetate • Disodium EDTA • Stearic Acid • Triethoxycaprylylsilane • Citric Acid • Maltodextrin • Phenoxyethanol • Capryloyl Glycine • Undecylenoyl Glycine
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Zinc Oxide is a mineral broad-spectrum UV filter; it is the broadest UVA and UVB reflector approved by the FDA. While it is most commonly man-made for cosmetics, it can naturally occur in zincite, a rare mineral.
Today, traditional and nano-sized zinc oxide can be found in beauty products. Nano-sized zinc oxide can enhance a product's UV protection. While it is not believed to have a negative effect on skin, nano-zinc oxide can be harmful to coral reefs.
More about harmful reef ingredients here.
Zinc Oxide also has antibacterial and calming properties. It is not water soluble.
Zinc has been used throughout history as an ingredient in paint and medicine. An Indian text from 500BC is believed to list zinc oxide as a salve for open wound. The Ancient Greek physician Dioscorides has also mentioned the use of zinc as an ointment in 1AD.
Learn more about Zinc OxideEltaMD, Inc UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 contains this as ingredient number 1.
Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 2.
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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterEltaMD, Inc UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 contains this as ingredient number 3.
Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 3.
Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateEltaMD, Inc UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 contains this as ingredient number 11.
Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 31.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and 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.
EltaMD, Inc UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 contains this as ingredient number 14.
Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 37.
Triethoxycaprylylsilane is a silicone used to bind and stabilize ingredients.
As an emulsifier, it helps prevent ingredients from separating. This can help elongate the shelf life of products.
Triethoxycaprylylsilane is often used to coat mineral sunscreens ingredients to help give a better feel. It also helps reduce oxidative stress in sunscreens.
Learn more about TriethoxycaprylylsilaneEltaMD, Inc UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 contains this as ingredient number 17.
Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 34.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
EltaMD, Inc UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 17 ingredients
Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 50 39 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
EltaMD, Inc UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 17 ingredients
Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 50 39 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
EltaMD, Inc UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 17 ingredients
nja
Feels SO comfortable on the skin, I want to keep using it. I also love that it's FA safe. But it pills after I blend out concealer with a sponge...
Feels SO comfortable on the skin, I want to keep using it. I also love that it's FA safe. But it pills after I blend out concealer with a sponge and I wonder how much of it is still on my face after that. It's supposed to be good for sensitive skin and while it's actually calming for my skin overall after I put it on, it also irritates the skin around my eyes - at the end of the day, there's always tiny little red bumps and I need to apply either LRP Cicaplast or Uriage Bariederm-Cica on that area before bed so that they go away by the next morning. I'm tired of doing this every day. I'm changing it to Bea Skincare sunscreen as soon as possible (had my eye on it for some time because the INCI seems so clean) and giving this to my less sensitive boyfriend.
EDIT: tried Bea sunscreen and didn't work out :/
febbynm
No for me.
I actually really enjoy the consistency. It glides really nicely but oh my lord this thing PILLS like no other. It doesn’t matter if I...
No for me.
I actually really enjoy the consistency. It glides really nicely but oh my lord this thing PILLS like no other. It doesn’t matter if I rub, gently pat it in, or wait however amount of time after my moisturizer; it will pill making it especially impossible to wear under makeup.
Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 50 39 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 18 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to EltaMD, Inc UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46.
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