What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Octocrylene 9%
UV AbsorberHomosalate 7%
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV AbsorberButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV AbsorberPolyisobutene
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingSilica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientButyloctyl Salicylate
Skin ConditioningSqualane
EmollientDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientOctyldodecanol
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Behenate
EmollientParfum
MaskingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantTocopherol
AntioxidantOryza Sativa Extract
AbsorbentOryza Sativa Germ Extract
EmollientSynthetic Wax
AbrasiveStearalkonium Bentonite
Gel FormingPhysalis Angulata Extract
Skin Protecting1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningBisabolol
AntioxidantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientPropylene Carbonate
SolventPolyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
EmulsifyingTrihydroxystearin
Skin ConditioningGlucomannan
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialOctocrylene 9%, Homosalate 7%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Polyisobutene, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Squalane, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Octyldodecanol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Behenate, Parfum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Oryza Sativa Extract, Oryza Sativa Germ Extract, Synthetic Wax, Stearalkonium Bentonite, Physalis Angulata Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Bisabolol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glycine Soja Oil, Propylene Carbonate, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Trihydroxystearin, Glucomannan, Benzyl Benzoate
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV AbsorberHomosalate 10%
Skin ConditioningOctocrylene 10%
UV AbsorberEthylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV AbsorberHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientPolyisobutene
Butyloctyl Salicylate
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Nut Extract
EmollientC18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate
EmollientOzokerite
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientDiethylhexyl 2,6-Naphthalate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-10 Decaoleate
Skin ConditioningCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
MaskingSesamum Indicum Seed Oil
EmollientTrihydroxystearin
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientStevioside
Masking2-Methylbutyric Acid
PerfumingBarosma Betulina Leaf Oil
PerfumingBenzaldehyde
MaskingDimethylhydroxy Furanone
MaskingTrans-2-Hexenal
PerfumingTocopherol
AntioxidantGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientEuterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Ethyl Acetate
PerfumingGamma-Undecalactone
PerfumingVanillin
MaskingButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 10%, Octocrylene 10%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Polyisobutene, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Butyrospermum Parkii Nut Extract, C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate, Ozokerite, Cetyl Alcohol, Diethylhexyl 2,6-Naphthalate, Glyceryl Stearate, Polyglyceryl-10 Decaoleate, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Trihydroxystearin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Stevioside, 2-Methylbutyric Acid, Barosma Betulina Leaf Oil, Benzaldehyde, Dimethylhydroxy Furanone, Trans-2-Hexenal, Tocopherol, Glycine Soja Oil, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Ethyl Acetate, Gamma-Undecalactone, Vanillin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Also known as Avobenzone, this ingredient is an oil-soluble used to absorb the full spectrum of UVA rays (peak 357 nm).
It's one of the most effective UVA filters available but has a major caveat of photostability: avobenzone is susceptible to photodegradation.
This means it can lose efficacy when exposed to sunlight without the help of a stabilizing agent.
Studies show antioxidants (like vitamin E or vitamin C) and some UV filters (like octocrylene and Tinosorb S) can meaningfully improve its stability in a formulation.
The maximum allowable concentration according to regulation is 3% in the US + Canada, and 5% in the EU, Australia, China, Korea, and ASEAN countries.
It has a well-support safety profile: a comprehensive 2025 review found minimal toxicity with no evidence of carcinogenicity.
Overall, avobenzone is a safe and regulated ingredient used in sunscreen for over 40 years.
Learn more about Butyl MethoxydibenzoylmethaneButyloctyl Salicylate is a chemical UV filter structurally similar to octisalate. It is a photostabilizer, SPF booster, emollient and solvent. This ingredient helps evenly spread out ingredients.
According to a manufacturer, it is suitable for pairing with micro Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, and pigments.
Photostabilizers help stabilize UV-filters and prevents them from degrading quickly.
Learn more about Butyloctyl SalicylateEthylhexyl Salicylate (also called Octisalate or Octyl Salicylate) is an oil-soluble organic UV filter that's been used in sunscreen since the 1950's.
It absorbs UVB light in the 280-320 nm range with a peak absorbance around 306 nm.
You'll often see it paired with other UV filters to boost overall SPF because octisalate is a fairly week filter on its own.
The reason you'll see it so often is because it can help solubilize and stabilize the trickier filters like oxybenzone and avobenzone.
Unlike these filters, octisalate has pretty good photostability and doesn't create skin-damaging free radicals when exposed to sunlight.
The fatty-alcohol part of the molecule also gives it a light, emollient feel so it doubles as a nice texture enhancer.
Usage levels vary around the world:
Safety-wise, this ingredient has a pretty reassuring track record. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) found very low skin penetration in human skin tests and negative results for irritation, phototoxicity, and photoallergy.
The real-world allergy risk is pretty low too; a 2012 European study of 1,031 people recorded only 2 reactions to it (a rate of 0.19%).
You might have seen scary headlines about sunscreen getting into your blood.
In 2019, the FDA found that several chemical filters can absorb through the skin and show up in the bloodstream at small but measurable levels.
Here's the important part: these tiny levels are just a cutoff the FDA uses to decide which ingredients need more testing and doesn't mean anything harmful was found.
The researchers were clear that the results are no reason to stop wearing sunscreen.
Learn more about Ethylhexyl SalicylateGlycine Soja Oil is a plant-derived oil from soybean seeds. Like other oils, it is rich in essential fatty acids (mostly linoleic and oleic) that support skin hydration and barrier function.
The fatty acids are able to integrate into the lipid matrix of the stratum corneum to help soften skin and reduce water loss.
On top of that, soybean oil is rich in vitamins like vitamin E, a potent antioxidant.
Research on soybean's active components also point to anti-inflammatory, collagen-stimulating, antioxidant activity, and protection against UV-induced oxidative damage.
Most of this research applies to the broader soybean plant and not just the oil fraction alone.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe due to the oleic acid content.
Learn more about Glycine Soja OilHomosalate is an oil-soluble organic UVB filter that has been a sunscreen staple for decades. Its job is to absorb UVB rays (~295-315 nm) and protect your skin against sunburn,
This is one of the more photostable organic UV filters; it holds up pretty well under UV and a 2022 quantum-chemistry study found it stays stable in sunlight.
It's actually so reliable that formulators often pair it with shakier ingredients like oxybenzone and avobenzone. Formulators also use it to help dissolve the other UV filters into the oil phase.
One thing to keep in mind: "stable" isn't the same as "strong". On its own, homosalate is actually a pretty weak UV filter so it's better off as a helpful team player that helps boost overall SPF protection.
The safety picture is a bit nuanced but not scary.
This ingredient has a long track record of being gentle and regulators agree it isn't an irritant; EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety found that homosalate is not considered a skin irritant and doesn't raise eye-irritation flags either.
There's talk about homosalate because your skin absorbs a little bit of it into your bloodstream. A 2020 FDA-backed study found homosalate showed up in people's blood levels at the level where the FDA decides to double check.
The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) also found small amounts in blood and breast milk. They estimated that about 5% of what you apply gets absorbed through the skin.
Due to the debate about whether it might mess with hormones, the SCCS recommended a maximum limit of 0.5% in most products of 7.3% in face creams/pump sprays.
One important thing to keep in mind: in the US, Homosalate is currently labeled "non-GRASE" by the FDA. This sounds alarming but really just means the FDA wants more data to confirm it's safe. It's not confidently saying this ingredient is harmful.
As of now, homosalate is still completely legal and widely used while that research gets done.
The current maximum limits are:
Learn more about HomosalateOctocrylene is an oil-soluble organic UV filter that mainly absorbs UVB and short wave UVA II light.
Its real superpower is teamwork: octocrylene is remarkably photostable and is most famous for stabilizing avobenzone (the workhorse UVA filter).
This ingredient is commonly used to enhance both UVB and UVA protection due to its unique property in stabilizing avobenzone. It also pulls double duty by boosting water resistance and giving formulas a smooth, spreadable feel.
The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has deemed octocrylene to be safe as a UV-filter at concentrations up to 10% (capped at 9% in propellant sprays). The US also permits it up to 10%.
Two things worth knowing:
You'll usually see this ingredient used in concentrations between 2-10% (higher amounts when used as a stabilizer for avobenzone).
Learn more about OctocrylenePolyisobutene is a synthetic polymer made from isobutene.
It is a film-forming agent and helps bind ingredients together.
Polyisobutene is not absorbed by the skin.
Learn more about PolyisobuteneTocopherol 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 TocopherolTrihydroxystearin is what you get when you fully hydrogenate castor oil into a waxy, fine powder.
It's mostly a behind-the-scenes texture enhancer that's especially good at "thixotropic" thing where the product stays thick but applies nicely.
Because of its structure, it also acts as a mild skin conditioning emollient that helps soften skin while preventing moisture loss.
Safety studies show it to be safe and non-irritation in clinical tests. It's typically used in concentrations up to 5%.
Since its an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it falls into the C11-24 range that Malassezia can potentially feed on. This makes it not fungal-acne safe.
Learn more about Trihydroxystearin