Garnier Ambre Solaire Kids Sensitive Advanced Sun Cream Spray SPF 50+ Versus Nivea Sun Mineral Face Cream SPF50+
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDiethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Homosalate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
C12-22 Alkyl Acrylate/Hydroxyethylacrylate Copolymer
StabilisingDiisopropyl Adipate
EmollientDiisopropyl Sebacate
EmollientDicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Triethanolamine
BufferingDrometrizole Trisiloxane
UV Absorber
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingWater, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Alcohol Denat., Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Octocrylene, Glycerin, Propanediol, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, C12-22 Alkyl Acrylate/Hydroxyethylacrylate Copolymer, Diisopropyl Adipate, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Tocopherol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Polyacrylate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Triethanolamine, Drometrizole Trisiloxane, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Water
Skin ConditioningZinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialDicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Rapeseed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Silica
Abrasive
Magnesium Sulfate
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Water, Zinc Oxide, Isopropyl Palmitate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Titanium Dioxide, Alcohol Denat., Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Hydrogenated Rapeseed Oil, Glycerin, Ubiquinone, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Tocopherol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Silica, Magnesium Sulfate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dimethicone
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
One thing to note:
People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder comes from the aloe plant.
You may know Aloe to be a good sunburn reliever and inflammation reducer. This is because it contains many components that are known to help reduce irritation and itchiness.
Aloe leaves are also great moisturizers. They are naturally rich in polysaccharides, a carbohydrate made of sugars. Polysaccharides are able to mimic the carbs found in the top layer of your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
Aloe contains the antioxidants Vitamins A, C, and E. These vitamins neutralize free radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.
Aloe does not protect against UV rays, despite it soothing sunburns.
Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice PowderDicaprylyl Ether is created from caprylic acid. It is a texture-enhancer and emollient.
As an emollient, Dicaprylyl Ether is non-comedogenic. It helps soften and smooth the skin by creating a barrier on top. This barrier helps trap moisture in, helping to hydrate the skin.
Dicaprylyl Ether gives a non-greasy feel and better spreadability to products.
Learn more about Dicaprylyl EtherGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is antioxidant with skin conditioning and soothing properties. It also boosts the efficiency of preservatives.
Though naturally occuring in Norwegian spruce needles, this ingredient is usually synthetically created.
This ingredient is not irritating or sensitizing. Recent research also suggests it may have skin-brightening effects through tyrosinase inhibition.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
