Etude House Sunprise Mild Watery Light SPF50+/PA+++ Versus Missha All Round Safe Block Aqua Sun Gel SPF 50+ PA++++
This chemical sunscreen covers most of the UV range, lighter on the deep UVA that drives aging.
This chemical sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Homosalate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
C20-22 Alkyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingC20-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Silica
Abrasive
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Viscum Album Leaf Extract
SoothingPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Tromethamine
BufferingDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingCereus Grandiflorus Extract
Antioxidant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Lipids
Skin ConditioningMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyisobutene
Carex Humillis Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Pinus Sylvestris Leaf Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantifolia Oil
Cleansing
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Malpighia Glabra Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingAdansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Ascidian Tunic Extract
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Isoceteth-10
EmulsifyingIsoceteth-25
EmulsifyingWater, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Octocrylene, C20-22 Alkyl Phosphate, C20-22 Alcohols, Silica, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetyl Alcohol, Viscum Album Leaf Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Octyldodecanol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Cereus Grandiflorus Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycine Soja Lipids, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyisobutene, Carex Humillis Root Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Pinus Sylvestris Leaf Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Malpighia Glabra Fruit Extract, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Cellulose Gum, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Ascidian Tunic Extract, Sorbitan Oleate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Isoceteth-10, Isoceteth-25
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Homosalate
Skin Conditioning
Dibutyl Adipate
EmollientBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV Filter
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Polysilicone-15
UV Filter
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Vp/Eicosene Copolymer
Octadecane
Emollient
Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningTromethamine
BufferingDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolyether-1
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Guaiazulene
Antimicrobial
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Water, Propanediol, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Homosalate, Dibutyl Adipate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Caprylyl Methicone, Polysilicone-15, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate, Glycerin, Behenyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Octadecane, Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer, Tromethamine, Decyl Glucoside, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sodium Polyacrylate, Xanthan Gum, Polyether-1, Caprylyl Glycol, T-Butyl Alcohol, Guaiazulene, Glyceryl Glucoside, Tocopherol, Beta-Glucan, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Diethylamino 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 BenzoateEthylhexyl Salicylate (also called Octisalate or Octyl Salicylate) is an oil-soluble organic UV filter that's been used in sunscreen since the 1950's.
It absorbs UVB light in the 280-320 nm range with a peak absorbance around 306 nm.
You'll often see it paired with other UV filters to boost overall SPF because octisalate is a fairly week filter on its own.
The reason you'll see it so often is because it can help solubilize and stabilize the trickier filters like oxybenzone and avobenzone.
Unlike these filters, octisalate has pretty good photostability and doesn't create skin-damaging free radicals when exposed to sunlight.
The fatty-alcohol part of the molecule also gives it a light, emollient feel so it doubles as a nice texture enhancer.
Usage levels vary around the world:
Safety-wise, this ingredient has a pretty reassuring track record. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) found very low skin penetration in human skin tests and negative results for irritation, phototoxicity, and photoallergy.
The real-world allergy risk is pretty low too; a 2012 European study of 1,031 people recorded only 2 reactions to it (a rate of 0.19%).
You might have seen scary headlines about sunscreen getting into your blood.
In 2019, the FDA found that several chemical filters can absorb through the skin and show up in the bloodstream at small but measurable levels.
Here's the important part: these tiny levels are just a cutoff the FDA uses to decide which ingredients need more testing and doesn't mean anything harmful was found.
The researchers were clear that the results are no reason to stop wearing sunscreen.
Learn more about Ethylhexyl SalicylateHomosalate is an oil-soluble organic UVB filter that has been a sunscreen staple for decades. Its job is to absorb UVB rays (~295-315 nm) and protect your skin against sunburn,
This is one of the more photostable organic UV filters; it holds up pretty well under UV and a 2022 quantum-chemistry study found it stays stable in sunlight.
It's actually so reliable that formulators often pair it with shakier ingredients like oxybenzone and avobenzone. Formulators also use it to help dissolve the other UV filters into the oil phase.
One thing to keep in mind: "stable" isn't the same as "strong". On its own, homosalate is actually a pretty weak UV filter so it's better off as a helpful team player that helps boost overall SPF protection.
The safety picture is a bit nuanced but not scary.
This ingredient has a long track record of being gentle and regulators agree it isn't an irritant; EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety found that homosalate is not considered a skin irritant and doesn't raise eye-irritation flags either.
There's talk about homosalate because your skin absorbs a little bit of it into your bloodstream. A 2020 FDA-backed study found homosalate showed up in people's blood levels at the level where the FDA decides to double check.
The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) also found small amounts in blood and breast milk. They estimated that about 5% of what you apply gets absorbed through the skin.
Due to the debate about whether it might mess with hormones, the SCCS recommended a maximum limit of 0.5% in most products of 7.3% in face creams/pump sprays.
One important thing to keep in mind: in the US, Homosalate is currently labeled "non-GRASE" by the FDA. This sounds alarming but really just means the FDA wants more data to confirm it's safe. It's not confidently saying this ingredient is harmful.
As of now, homosalate is still completely legal and widely used while that research gets done.
The current maximum limits are:
Learn more about HomosalatePolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6 is a texture enhancer and pH adjuster.
It is be used to thicken water-based products and create a gel-texture with a velvet feel.
One manufacturer claims this ingredient to have a pH range of 2-8 and to be biodegradable.
This ingredient is also known as Sepimax Zen.
Learn more about Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6Tromethamine (aka THAM) is a synthetic amino acid that shows up in skincare as a helper ingredient.
It functions as a pH adjuster to help neutralize acidic ingredients and set a formula's pH to the right spot.
This matters a lot because a lot of actives (like vitamin C) needs a specific pH to work well and feel comfortable on skin.
Concentration use ranges from 0.1-1.0% depending on the formula.
Learn more about TromethamineWater. 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
