Eucerin Complete Hydration Lotion SPF 50 Face & Body Versus Aveeno Protect + Soothe Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30
This chemical sunscreen covers burning UVB and near UVA but not the deep UVA that drives aging.
This hybrid sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~97% of UVB at SPF 30.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Homosalate
Skin Conditioning
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialNeopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientStyrene/Acrylates Copolymer
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin Protecting
Vp/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
ChelatingSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Homosalate, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, 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
Titanium Dioxide 6.5%
Cosmetic Colorant
Zinc Oxide 18.7%
Cosmetic Colorant
Water
Skin ConditioningIsohexadecane
EmollientC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialEthylhexyl Methoxycrylene
Skin Conditioning
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Steareth-21
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
ChelatingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Titanium Dioxide 6.5%, Zinc Oxide 18.7%, Water, Isohexadecane, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene, Behenyl Alcohol, Steareth-21, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Aluminum Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Stearic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, Chlorphenesin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel 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.
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 BenzoateDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAWater. 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
