What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingCetearyl Olivate
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Lecithin
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Glycerin
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialBHT
Antioxidant
Tetrasodium EDTA
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Octocrylene, Phenoxyethanol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Cetearyl Olivate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Chlorphenesin, Allantoin, Salicylic Acid, Lecithin, Sorbitan Olivate, Xanthan Gum, Centella Asiatica Extract, Propylene Glycol, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Glycerin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Polysorbate 60, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, BHT, Tetrasodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningHomosalate
Skin Conditioning
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Distarch Phosphate
AbsorbentDimethicone
Emollient
Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Methylpropanediol
SolventSilica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientMineral Salts
Skin ConditioningCarnitine
Cleansing
Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Isoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSilica
Abrasive
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTrisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingParfum
Masking
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Homosalate, Alcohol Denat., Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Octocrylene, Distarch Phosphate, Dimethicone, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Behenyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Methylpropanediol, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Mineral Salts, Carnitine, Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract, Isoamyl Laurate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Silica, Mica, Sodium Hydroxide, Trisodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Chloride, Parfum, CI 77891
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.
As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.
It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.
A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.
Learn more about Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate CrosspolymerAlso 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 MethoxydibenzoylmethaneGlycerin (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 GlycerinOctocrylene is an oil-soluble organic UV filter that mainly absorbs UVB and short wave UVA II light.
Its real superpower is teamwork: octocrylene is remarkably photostable and is most famous for stabilizing avobenzone (the workhorse UVA filter).
This ingredient is commonly used to enhance both UVB and UVA protection due to its unique property in stabilizing avobenzone. It also pulls double duty by boosting water resistance and giving formulas a smooth, spreadable feel.
The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has deemed octocrylene to be safe as a UV-filter at concentrations up to 10% (capped at 9% in propellant sprays). The US also permits it up to 10%.
Two things worth knowing:
You'll usually see this ingredient used in concentrations between 2-10% (higher amounts when used as a stabilizer for avobenzone).
Learn more about OctocrylenePhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
