What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDiethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientPhenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Dibutyl Adipate
EmollientDistarch Phosphate
AbsorbentEthylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Tapioca Starch
Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate
Emulsion Stabilising
Carrageenan
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSilica
Abrasive
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Dibutyl Adipate, Distarch Phosphate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Tapioca Starch, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Carrageenan, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Silica, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydroxyacetophenone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzyl Alcohol
Zinc Oxide 12%
Cosmetic Colorant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Butyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingIsododecane
EmollientLauryl PEG-10 Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Lauryl PEG-8 Dimethicone
Surfactant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientPEG-10
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Trilaureth-4 Phosphate
EmulsifyingWater
Skin ConditioningZinc Oxide 12%, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Butyloctyl Salicylate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylyl Methicone, Dimethicone, Dimethiconol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Isododecane, Lauryl PEG-10 Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone, Lauryl PEG-8 Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, PEG-10, Phenoxyethanol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Propanediol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Tocopherol, Trilaureth-4 Phosphate, Water
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 BenzoateEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
