First Aid Beauty Mineral Sunscreen Zinc Oxide Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Versus bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream SPF30
This mineral 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
Zinc Oxide 20%
Cosmetic Colorant
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Avena Sativa Kernel Meal
Abrasive
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingPolyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Zinc Oxide 20%, Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coconut Alkanes, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Coco-Glucoside, Avena Sativa Kernel Meal, Tocopherol, Persea Gratissima Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Arachidyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Water
Skin ConditioningCoconut Alkanes
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Squalane
Emollient
Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate
Emulsifying
Isostearic Acid
Cleansing
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Trehalose
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Agar
MaskingSilica
Abrasive
Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Salicornia Herbacea Extract
Skin ConditioningMelilotus Officinalis Extract
AstringentTheobroma Cacao Seed Extract
Antioxidant
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Succinoglycan
Skin ConditioningAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientHydrogen Dimethicone
Citric Acid
Buffering
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingAcetyl Tetrapeptide-5
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate/Succinate
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingMagnesium Chloride
Calcium Chloride
AstringentPotassium Chloride
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Magnesium Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Coconut Alkanes, Propanediol, Titanium Dioxide, Squalane, Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate, Isostearic Acid, Polysorbate 60, Trehalose, Glycerin, Agar, Silica, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Melilotus Officinalis Extract, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caffeine, Lauroyl Lysine, Succinoglycan, Aluminum Hydroxide, Hydrogen Dimethicone, Citric Acid, Disodium Phosphate, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Butylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate/Succinate, Cellulose Gum, Magnesium Chloride, Calcium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Magnesium Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Mica, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77891
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCoco-Caprylate/Caprate is a lightweight ester created from coconut oil fatty acids, caprylic acid, and capric acid.
It is an emollient that helps soften skin and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL). What sets it apart from heavier emollients is its ultralight, non-greasy feel.
Once applied, this ingredient dries down quickly and leaves a dry, silky finish behind. This also helps improve spreadability and texture.
This ingredient has an excellent safety-record and is non-irritating.
Typical concentrations for cosmetics range from 0.5-62%.
Research on Malassezia growth found no growth on fatty acid esters with chain lengths shorter than 12 carbons (it prefers C11-24).
Since Coco-Caprylate/Caprate is built on C8 and C10 fatty acids, it is out of the range that Malassezia metabolizes, and therefore safe for fungal acne.
Learn more about Coco-Caprylate/CaprateCoconut Alkanes is a lightweight, plant-derived emollient and solvent made from the fatty acids of coconut oil.
It spreads easily and adds a soft, silky, non-greasy slip, then evaporates rather than sinking into skin. Due to this behavior, it's prized as a natural and renewable replacement for silicones.
Typical use concentrations can go anywhere up to 20%.
The CIR Expert Panel has reviewed coconut oil and its hydrogenated derivatives and found them to be safe as used in cosmetics. It's a low-irritating and well-tolerated ingredient with no notable sensitization concerns.
Because it's a pure saturated hydrocarbon and not a free fatty acid or ester in the C11-24 range that Malassezia can feed on, it doesn't provide the lipids for Malassezia to feed on. This ingredient is generally regarded as safe for fungal acne.
Learn more about Coconut AlkanesGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinWater. 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
