HELIOCARE Ultra 90 Gel SPF 50+ Versus Altruist Dermatologist Sunscreen SPF 50

See how these products line up with your preferences

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of HELIOCARE Ultra 90 Gel SPF 50+ versus Altruist Dermatologist Sunscreen SPF 50 .

Published on May 28, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free sunscreens. They have a total of 10 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain exfoliants and SPF

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin and brightening skin

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, oils, parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain silicones

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

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HELIOCARE Ultra 90 Gel SPF 50+

Altruist Dermatologist Sunscreen SPF 50

Sunscreen Spanish Brand Spain

Sunscreen British Brand United Kingdom

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

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.

HELIOCARE Ultra 90 Gel SPF 50+ 34 ingredients

Altruist Dermatologist Sunscreen SPF 50 29 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

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

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

HELIOCARE Ultra 90 Gel SPF 50+ 34 ingredients

Altruist Dermatologist Sunscreen SPF 50 29 ingredients

Notable Ingredients

Chemical UV Filter (6)

Mineral UV Filter (3)

AHA

Vitamin E

Exfoliators

Benefits

Hydrating

Acne Fighting

Brightening (3)

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin

Irritating

Rosacea (3)

Eczema (3)

Notable Ingredients

Chemical UV Filter (7)

Mineral UV Filter (2)

Exfoliators

Benefits

Hydrating

Brightening

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin

Acne Trigger (2)

Irritating

Rosacea (2)

Eczema (2)

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Ingredients Compared

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

HELIOCARE Ultra 90 Gel SPF 50+ 34 ingredients

Altruist Dermatologist Sunscreen SPF 50 29 ingredients

Water • Octocrylene • Homosalate • Peg/Ppg-20/6 Dimethicone • Hexylene Glycol • Cyclopentasiloxane • Glycerin • Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane • Zinc Oxide • Ethylhexyl Triazone • Polyacrylamide • Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer • Polypodium Leucotomos Leaf Extract • Phenoxyethanol • Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate • Tris-Biphenyl Triazine • C13-14 Isoparaffin • Titanium Dioxide • Camellia Sinensis Extract • Cetyl Dimethicone • Laureth-7 • Tocopheryl Acetate • Dichlorobenzyl Alcohol • Plankton Extract • Parfum • Alumina • Phytosphingosine Hcl • BHT • Simethicone • Lecithin • Linalool • Triethoxycaprylylsilane • Lactic Acid • Limonene

Water • C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate • Ethylhexyl Stearate • Octocrylene • Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane • Glycerin • Ethylhexyl Salicylate • Potassium Cetyl Phosphate • Cetearyl Alcohol • Titanium Dioxide • Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid • Glyceryl Stearate • Tris-Biphenyl Triazine • Ethylhexyl Triazone • Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine • Aminomethyl Propanol • Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer • Phenoxyethanol • Alumina • Piroctone Olamine • Decyl Glucoside • Disodium Phosphate • Simethicone • Diethylhexyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate • Xanthan Gum • Butylene Glycol • Caprylyl Glycol • Propylene Glycol • Silver Chloride

Ingredients Side-by-side

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

Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are

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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.

Water

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

HELIOCARE Ultra 90 Gel SPF 50+ contains this as ingredient number 1.

Altruist Dermatologist Sunscreen SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 1.

Octocrylene

What it does: UV Absorber, UV Filter

Community Rating: Very Disliked

Octocrylene protects skin from sun damage. It absorbs UV-B with peak absorption of 304 nm. It is a common sunscreen ingredient and often paired with avobenzone, a UVA filter. This is because octocrylene stabilizes other sunscreen ingredients by protecting them from degradation when exposed to sunlight. Octocrylene is a photostable ingredient and loses about 10% of SPF in 95 minutes.

Octocrylene also acts as an emollient, meaning it helps skin retain moisture and softens skin. It is oil-soluble and hydrophobic, enhancing water-resistant properties in a product.

Those who are using ketoprofen, a topical anti-inflammatory drug, may experience an allergic reaction when using octocrylene. It is best to speak with a healthcare professional about using sunscreens with octocrylene.

The EU allows a maximum of these concentrations:

Learn more about Octocrylene

HELIOCARE Ultra 90 Gel SPF 50+ contains this as ingredient number 2.

Altruist Dermatologist Sunscreen SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 4.

Glycerin

What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent

Community Rating: Loved

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin

HELIOCARE Ultra 90 Gel SPF 50+ contains this as ingredient number 7.

Altruist Dermatologist Sunscreen SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 6.

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane

What it does: UV Absorber, UV Filter

Community Rating: Very Disliked

Also known as Avobenzone, this ingredient is a chemical sunscreen filter that provides protection in the UV-A range.

Avobenzone is globally approved and is the most commonly used UV-A filter in the world.

Studies have found that avobenzone becomes ineffective when exposed to UV light (it is not photostable; meaning that it breaks down in sunlight). Because of this, formulations that include avobenzone will usually contain stabilizers such as octocrylene.

However, some modern formulations (looking at you, EU!) are able to stabilize avobenzone by coating the molecules.

Avobenzone does not protect against the UV-B range, so it's important to check that the sunscreen you're using contains other UV filters that do!

The highest concentration of avobenzone permitted is 3% in the US, and 5% in the EU.

Learn more about Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane

HELIOCARE Ultra 90 Gel SPF 50+ contains this as ingredient number 8.

Altruist Dermatologist Sunscreen SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 5.

Ethylhexyl Triazone

What it does: UV Absorber, UV Filter

Community Rating: Liked

Ethylhexyl Triazone is a modern chemical sunscreen that protects from UV-B radiation.

It is the most effective of existing UV-B filters, as it provides the highest level of photo-stable absorption. It protects from the entire UV-B range (280 to 320nm), with it's highest level of protection at 314nm.

Ethylhexyl Triazone is oil soluble, oderless and colorless, which mean it is able to be incorporated into a variety of different formulations.

It is not currently available within the United States due to slow changing FDA regulations. Outside of the US, it is used in formulations at concentrations up to 5%.

Learn more about Ethylhexyl Triazone

HELIOCARE Ultra 90 Gel SPF 50+ contains this as ingredient number 10.

Altruist Dermatologist Sunscreen SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 14.

Phenoxyethanol

What it does: Preservative

Community Rating: Very Disliked

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.

It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.

HELIOCARE Ultra 90 Gel SPF 50+ contains this as ingredient number 14.

Altruist Dermatologist Sunscreen SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 18.

Tris-Biphenyl Triazine

What it does: UV Absorber

Community Rating: Liked

Tinosorb A2B is a UV-B and UV-A sunscreen filter (290 - 340 nm). This ingredient is photo-stable and water-soluble.

According to studies done by the manufacturer, it is the most effective UVB and UV-A 2 sunscreen filter to date.

It is mostly effective at protecting in the UV-A 2 (315-340 nm) range but has a boosting effect in the UV-A 1 (340 - 400 nm) range.

This ingredient is currently available in the EU and Asia, but is awaiting approval in the US and Canada.

Learn more about Tris-Biphenyl Triazine

HELIOCARE Ultra 90 Gel SPF 50+ contains this as ingredient number 16.

Altruist Dermatologist Sunscreen SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 13.

Titanium Dioxide

What it does: Cosmetic Colorant, UV Absorber, UV Filter

Community Rating: Mixed

Titanium dioxide is known for its UVA and UVB protection properties. It is non-comedogenic and non-irritating. Titanium Dioxide is a physical sunscreen. Physical sunscreens reflect light and prevent it from reaching your skin.

Protecting your skin against UV radiation can prevent the signs of aging. Sun damage is associated with fine-lines, wrinkles, loss of firmness, and hyperpigmentation. Titanium dioxide can help prevent premature aging.

With modern production, nano-scale or fine-grade titanium dioxide can be easily produced for cosmetics. In sunscreen, titanium dioxide absorbs UV light. Our skin is not able to absorb Titanium dioxide, even nanoparticles.

Titanium itself is the 9th most common element in the Earth's crust. Titanium dioxide is formed when oxygen is introduced and can be found in ores, dust, sand, and soil.

Pure titanium dioxide is a white powder that is used in many products to add or change color.

Learn more about Titanium Dioxide

HELIOCARE Ultra 90 Gel SPF 50+ contains this as ingredient number 18.

Altruist Dermatologist Sunscreen SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 10.

Alumina

What it does: Abrasive, Absorbent

Community Rating: Very Disliked

Alumina is another name for the compound aluminum oxide. It is used as a thickener, absorbent, and abrasive.

As an absorbent, alumina can give a mattifying effect. It is used in mineral sunscreens to help coat nano-sized filters, such as titanium dioxide. By increasing the size of the UV filters, these ingredients stay on the skin for a longer time. By coating small sized ingredients, alumina helps thicken a product.

Alumina may be used as an abrasive, or exfoliant.

Alumina is naturally occurring in the mineral corundum. Certain varieties of corundum create rubies and sapphires. Corundum is also the crystalline form of alumina.

Learn more about Alumina

HELIOCARE Ultra 90 Gel SPF 50+ contains this as ingredient number 26.

Altruist Dermatologist Sunscreen SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 19.

Simethicone

What it does: Emollient, Skin Conditioning

Simethicone is a silicone. It is an emollient and used to reduce foaming in a product. It is also often used to coat sunscreen ingredients for better spreadability.

This ingredient is created by mixing dimethylpolysiloxane and hydrated silica.

HELIOCARE Ultra 90 Gel SPF 50+ contains this as ingredient number 29.

Altruist Dermatologist Sunscreen SPF 50 contains this as ingredient number 24.

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