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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 versus EltaMD, Inc UV Elements Broad-Spectrum SPF 44 .

Published on February 19, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both sunscreens. They have a total of 4 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain SPF and Vitamin E

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, scar healing and better texture

Free From

They both do not contain any common allergens, oils, parabens or sulfates

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Sunscreen American Brand United States
Sunscreen American Brand United States

Sunscreen

Sunscreens help absorb or reflect UV radiation and protect skin against skin damage. Sunscreens may come in the form of lotion, gel, foam, spray, or solid-stick.

Sunscreen

Sunscreens help absorb or reflect UV radiation and protect skin against skin damage. Sunscreens may come in the form of lotion, gel, foam, spray, or solid-stick.

Price

Shop

Buy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30

Starts at $37.00
Shop

Buy UV Elements Broad-Spectrum SPF 44

Starts at $33.44

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
spf rating
30
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
spf rating
44

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Mineral UV Filter
PHA
Vitamin E

Benefits

Hydrating
Reduces Irritation
Skin Texture
Anti-Aging (2)
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Acne Trigger (2)
Irritating

Notable Ingredients

Mineral UV Filter (2)
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Exfoliators
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating
Redness Reducing
Skin Texture
Anti-Aging (2)
Dark Spots
Scar Healing (2)
Acne Fighting
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
Acne Trigger
Irritating
Rosacea
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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Cosmetic Colorant, Skin Protecting, UV Absorber, UV Filter
Community Rating: Liked

Zinc Oxide is a mineral broad-spectrum UV filter; it is the broadest UVA and UVB reflector approved by the FDA. While it is most commonly man-made for cosmetics, it can naturally occur in zincite, a rare mineral.

Today, traditional and nano-sized zinc oxide can be found in beauty products. Nano-sized zinc oxide can enhance a product's UV protection. While it is not believed to have a negative effect on skin, nano-zinc oxide can be harmful to coral reefs.

More about harmful reef ingredients here.

Zinc Oxide also has antibacterial and calming properties. It is not water soluble.

Zinc has been used throughout history as an ingredient in paint and medicine. An Indian text from 500BC is believed to list zinc oxide as a salve for open wound. The Ancient Greek physician Dioscorides has also mentioned the use of zinc as an ointment in 1AD.

Learn more about Zinc Oxide

Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 1.

EltaMD, Inc UV Elements Broad-Spectrum SPF 44 contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Water. 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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 2.

EltaMD, Inc UV Elements Broad-Spectrum SPF 44 contains this as ingredient number 5.

3
What it does: Antioxidant, Masking, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.

Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.

Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.

You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.

There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.

Learn more about Tocopherol

Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 24.

EltaMD, Inc UV Elements Broad-Spectrum SPF 44 contains this as ingredient number 13.

4
What it does: Buffering, Masking
Community Rating: Disliked

Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).

If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.

As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Citric Acid

Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 31.

EltaMD, Inc UV Elements Broad-Spectrum SPF 44 contains this as ingredient number 20.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

33% are loved or liked
8% have mixed ratings
44% are disliked or very disliked
15% have no rating yet
21% are loved or liked
11% have mixed ratings
53% are disliked or very disliked
16% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 39 ingredients

Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

EltaMD, Inc UV Elements Broad-Spectrum SPF 44 19 ingredients

2.0 /5
from 1 rating
Absorbs Well (1) Broke Me Out (1)
elltea11's avatar

elltea11

17 days ago · Dry Skin
Review

Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2023
Initially, the texture feels too thick and the tint too dark, but it blends well and feels...

Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2023
Initially, the texture feels too thick and the tint too dark, but it blends well and feels lighter shortly after putting it on. However, I am someone lucky enough to have only had maybe a dozen zits in my life total and this made even my dry skin break out after a few weeks of consistent use. Might be a good option if you were to alternate it with other products or if you have a deeper cleansing routine, which I don’t due to my dry skin and lack of makeup wearing.

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 35 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to EltaMD, Inc UV Elements Broad-Spectrum SPF 44.

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