What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Propanediol
Solvent
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingInulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water
Antimicrobial
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientTriethoxycaprylylsilane
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Limonene
Perfuming
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Benzyl Glycol
SolventHydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Propanediol, Titanium Dioxide, Niacinamide, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, C14-22 Alcohols, Hydroxyacetophenone, Behenyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water, Aluminum Hydroxide, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Ethylhexylglycerin, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Adenosine, Xanthan Gum, Butylene Glycol, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Limonene, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Benzyl Glycol, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Triethanolamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Water, Paraffinum Liquidum, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Polysorbate 60, Titanium Dioxide, Beeswax, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Dimethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Parfum, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Disodium EDTA
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeThis ingredient is also known as Octinoxate and is one of the oldest and most widely used chemical UV filters in skincare.
It has a simple job: soap up UVB radiation (290-320 nm), the wavelengths responsible for sunburn and a big chunk of long-term sun damage.
In formulas, it's always paired with a separate UVA filter because octinoxate solely protects skin from UVB.
Because it's an oil-soluble liquid, it's easy to blend into the oil phase of lotions/creams and gives a cosmetically elegant feel.
The one quirk about formulating this ingredient is photostability; the molecule slowly changes shape into a less effective version when sunlight hits it. So the longer you're in the sun, the weaker its protection gets. The drop can be more than 30% in some formulas.
It also doesn't play nice with Avobenzone (the common UVA filter) since avobenzone destabilizes octinoxate and the two degrade each other. But don't worry: brands have solved this issue by adding photostabilizers like Tinosorb S to prevent degradation and keep SPF stable under heavy UV exposure.
The maximum allowed level is 10% in the EU and Australia, 7.5% in the US and Canada, and 20% in Japan.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics up to 10%.
One last thing worth knowing for context:
Octinoxate has been the subject of ongoing review in Europe where the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety's (SCCS) 2025 final opinion is that this ingredient is an endocrine-active substance.
Lab and animal studies suggest it can act a bit like a hormone in the body (mildly mimicking estrogen and slightly blocking male hormones). It's important to know this hasn't really been shown to happen in everyday human use.
This ingredient is also banned in Hawaii over coral reef concerns.
Learn more about Ethylhexyl MethoxycinnamateTitanium Dioxide (TD) is a mineral UV filter widely used in sunscreens and cosmetics.
It's one of only two UV filters officially classified as "mineral" by regulatory agencies (the other being Zinc Oxide).
A really common myth is that mineral filters work by reflecting UV light off your skin like tiny mirrors.
They don't only do that; modern research shows TD protects mostly by absorbing UV radiation, the same way chemical filters do.
When researchers measured this, reflection accounted for only about 4-5% of the protection (and less than SPF 2 on its own). The other ~95% comes from absorption: the UV photons hit the particle and their energy gets soaked up by its semiconductor band gap rather than bouncing off.
So "reflects vs. absorbs" was never really the right way to split mineral from chemical filters.
TD gives broad-spectrum protection that's strongest in the UVB and UVA-2 range and weaker in the UVA-1 range. Its UVA protection isn't quite as strong as Zinc Oxide's which is why you'll often see the two paired together.
Together, they make a solid broad-spectrum system.
TD is a great pick for sensitive, acne-prone, or redness-prone skin because it's non-irritating and chemically inert. Regulatory reviews classify it as a non-sensitizer and mild-to-non-irritant.
It's also unlikely to cause the "eye sting" some chemical filters are known for.
The main trade-off is cosmetic; TD can leave a white cast and has a thicker texture. This is why mineral sunscreens are often less cosmetically elegant than chemical or hybrid formulas (and harder to shade-match on deeper skin tones).
Formulators often use micronized or nano-sized TD to cut down on white case and improve spreadability. Smaller particles scatter less visible light so the formula looks less chalky while still filtering UV.
TD is almost always bundled with coatings like Alumina, Silica, Stearic Acid, or Dimethicone. These coatings do two important jobs:
TD can be used at up to 25% in a finished sunscreen; this is the regulatory ceiling in both the US and the EU.
In practice, the amount in any given product varies a lot depending on the target SPF and whether it's paired with other UV filters.
TD is one of the most heavily vetted sunscreen ingredients out there. It is approved as a UV filter in all major markets worldwide, including the US, EU, UK, Japan, Korea, China, Australia, and Canada.
The safety evidence is solid. There was an old worry that nano particles might absorb through skin into the body but multiple studies (including on damaged, sunburned, and UV-irradiated skin) have shown that TD stays on the surface and the layer of dead skin cells on top of everything else.
There's also no evidence of carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, or reproductive toxicity from dermal exposure of this ingredient.
For those who have seen the headline about a 2022 EU ban on TD, that was on TD as a food additive (a complete separate use from topical sunscreen).
There are ongoing questions about how nano-TD might affect marine ecosystems. As of now, there has been no conclusive evidence that any form of TD (or any other sunscreen filter) harms coral reefs or marine life.
The science is still developing and it's a space worth watching rather than packing over.
However, several destinations have reef-safety sunscreen rules that restrict certain chemical filters and steer visitors toward mineral, non-nano options. If you're traveling somewhere with these rules, a non-nano mineral sunscreen is the safe bet.
Learn more about Titanium DioxideWater. 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
