Healez Beauty Invisible Restorative Sun Shield SPF 50 Versus Healez Beauty Barrier Restorative Hydrating Essence
This hybrid sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50.
This barrier-repair essence is formulated around Hypochlorous Acid and Urea to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Dibutyl Adipate
EmollientTriethylhexanoin
MaskingZinc Oxide
Cosmetic ColorantCaprylic Acid
CleansingPhenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV AbsorberGlycerin
HumectantDiethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV FilterDiethylhexyl Butamido Triazone
UV AbsorberMethylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV FilterTriethanolamine
BufferingDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingInositol
HumectantTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantAvena Sativa Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningBisabolol
AntioxidantPropylene Carbonate
SolventCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCellulose
AbsorbentDecyl Glucoside
CleansingPropylene Glycol
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDibutyl Adipate, Triethylhexanoin, Zinc Oxide, Caprylic Acid, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Glycerin, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Triethanolamine, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Inositol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Avena Sativa Seed Extract, Bisabolol, Propylene Carbonate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Cellulose, Decyl Glucoside, Propylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin
Hypochlorous Acid
AntiseborrhoeicWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantFructose
HumectantUrea
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCitric Acid
BufferingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialMaltose
MaskingSodium PCA
HumectantBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningSodium Lactate
BufferingTrehalose
HumectantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantGlucose
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHyaluronic Acid
HumectantHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantHypochlorous Acid, Water, Glycerin, Fructose, Urea, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Maltose, Sodium PCA, Beta-Glucan, Sodium Lactate, Trehalose, Allantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glucose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (tea extract) is one of the most well-researched plant extracts in skincare with an impressive resume.
Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant.
Studies show green tea extract and its catechins (like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) help your skin cells product energy more efficiently and reducing the number of free-radicals that can damage your skin from the inside.
In lab-grown skin models, this translated to younger, healthier, and stronger skin.
There's also good sun protection data; researchers saw less DNA damage and redness on human skin when green tea was applied before UVB exposure. And the more they applied, the better the protection.
Needless to say, this ingredient shouldn't replace your sunscreen. But it is a great supportive ingredient that you can already find in many sunscreens and antioxidant serums.
A 2009 study found a 2% green tea lotion was effective for mild-to-moderate acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity.
The quality of the extract matters a lot here:
Good extracts contain 50-90% catechins while lower quality ones are mostly there for marketing. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the quality or source of their ingredients.
Human Repeated Insult Patch Testing showed no irritation or sensitization at use concentrations (0.86% in leave-on products and up to 30% as leaf water).
Learn more about Camellia Sinensis Leaf ExtractEthylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about Phenoxyethanol