What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Homosalate 9%
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 4.5%
UV Absorber
Octocrylene 9%
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialNeopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientStyrene/Acrylates Copolymer
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin ProtectingVp/Eicosene Copolymer
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 9%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 4.5%, Octocrylene 9%, Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Tocopherol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Water
Skin ConditioningSilica
Abrasive
Diisopropyl Adipate
EmollientDiethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Beheneth-25
CleansingBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialC15-19 Alkane
SolventDiethylhexyl Butamido Triazone
UV Absorber
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientAcrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Polyester-7
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate
CleansingLepidium Sativum Sprout Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Silica, Diisopropyl Adipate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Beheneth-25, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, C15-19 Alkane, Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Acrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Polyester-7, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Parfum, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Arginine, Coco-Glucoside, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Glycine Soja Oil, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Lepidium Sativum Sprout Extract
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
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is a lightweight emollient made by combinig benzoic acid with fatty alcohols that are 12-15 carbons long.
In cosmetics, it plays several roles:
The Cosmetic Review Expert Panel has concluded the alkyl benzoate group to be safe as used in cosmetics; it wasn't found to be a skin irritant and unlikely to be absorbed due to its low water solubility.
This report recorded almost 1000 reported uses with concentrations up to 59% in leave-on products but your cosmetics will typically use 0.5-15% depending on the product.
It's often called a "SPF booster": this is because it keeps UV filters properly dissolved and evenly distributed to support a sunscreen's performance. It doesn't actually raise SPF on its own.
Overall, this ingredient is well tolerated.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because it is an ester of benzoic acid.
Think of this ingredient as two parts stuck together: an oily part and an acid part. Malassezia only gets a meal when it can snip off a fatty acid to eat. With C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, the acid part is benzoic acid, which isn't a fatty acid and which the yeast can't use as food.
Benzoic acid is actually used as a preservative to stop yeast from growing.
The oily part is a blend of C12-15 fatty alcohols but fatty alcohols in this size range can support only a little Malassezia growth (mostly for one species of Malassezia as well).
In the ingredient, those alcohols stay locked inside the molecule. The yeast can only reach them by snipping the benzoate bond, and that type of bond is harder for it to cut than a normal fatty bond.
So not much gets released. And whatever does get snipped comes packaged with benzoic acid, which discourages yeast growth.
Learn more about C12-15 Alkyl BenzoateThis ingredient is an emollient with skin conditioning properties.
According to the manufacturer, it is light, non-greasy, spreadable, and has the ability to act as a "silicone alternative".
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
