What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Water
Skin ConditioningPetrolatum
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyisobutene
PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether
Emulsifying
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Polyether-1
Citric Acid
Buffering
Oleth-3 Phosphate
SurfactantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Zinc Oxide, Water, Petrolatum, Isopropyl Palmitate, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, PEG-100 Stearate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyisobutene, PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polyether-1, Citric Acid, Oleth-3 Phosphate, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Isododecane
EmollientEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 6%
UV Absorber
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Butyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
Homosalate 4%
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 4%
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 2%
UV Absorber
Polysilicone-11
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Coffea Arabica Seed Extract
Masking
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Calluna Vulgaris Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Physalis Angulata Extract
Skin ProtectingPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin ProtectingIsododecane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 6%, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Homosalate 4%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 4%, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 2%, Polysilicone-11, Bisabolol, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Retinyl Palmitate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Calluna Vulgaris Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Physalis Angulata Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
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 also known as Octinoxate and is one of the oldest and most widely used chemical UV filters in skincare.
It has a simple job: soap up UVB radiation (290-320 nm), the wavelengths responsible for sunburn and a big chunk of long-term sun damage.
In formulas, it's always paired with a separate UVA filter because octinoxate solely protects skin from UVB.
Because it's an oil-soluble liquid, it's easy to blend into the oil phase of lotions/creams and gives a cosmetically elegant feel.
The one quirk about formulating this ingredient is photostability; the molecule slowly changes shape into a less effective version when sunlight hits it. So the longer you're in the sun, the weaker its protection gets. The drop can be more than 30% in some formulas.
It also doesn't play nice with Avobenzone (the common UVA filter) since avobenzone destabilizes octinoxate and the two degrade each other. But don't worry: brands have solved this issue by adding photostabilizers like Tinosorb S to prevent degradation and keep SPF stable under heavy UV exposure.
The maximum allowed level is 10% in the EU and Australia, 7.5% in the US and Canada, and 20% in Japan.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics up to 10%.
One last thing worth knowing for context:
Octinoxate has been the subject of ongoing review in Europe where the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety's (SCCS) 2025 final opinion is that this ingredient is an endocrine-active substance.
Lab and animal studies suggest it can act a bit like a hormone in the body (mildly mimicking estrogen and slightly blocking male hormones). It's important to know this hasn't really been shown to happen in everyday human use.
This ingredient is also banned in Hawaii over coral reef concerns.
Learn more about Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
