Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Higher Education Skincare Spring Break Oil-Free Sunscreen SPF 30 versus Curology The Sunscreen .
Last updated on September 13, 2023. Published on November 20, 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 SPF and Vitamin E
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin, brightening skin and sensitive skin
Free From
They both do not contain any 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.
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.
Ingredient Info
Higher Education Skincare Spring Break Oil-Free Sunscreen SPF 30 28 ingredients
Curology The Sunscreen 32 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Not Reef Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not reef safe:
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Not Reef Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not reef safe:
Contains EU Allergens
Ingredients in this product that are EU allergens:
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Higher Education Skincare Spring Break Oil-Free Sunscreen SPF 30 28 ingredients
Curology The Sunscreen 32 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Higher Education Skincare Spring Break Oil-Free Sunscreen SPF 30 28 ingredients
Curology The Sunscreen 32 ingredients
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 6.9% • Ethylhexyl Salicylate 3% • Zinc Oxide 4% • Water • Glycerin • Propylene Glycol • Isopropyl Palmitate • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Cyclopentasiloxane • Vp/Eicosene Copolymer • Cetearyl Alcohol • Ceteareth-20 • Phenoxyethanol • Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer • Cyclotetrasiloxane • Squalane • Tocopheryl Acetate • Polysorbate 60 • Disodium EDTA • Triethoxycaprylylsilane • Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract • Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract • Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract • Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract • Glycereth-2 Cocoate • Citric Acid • Sodium Hyaluronate • Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Zinc Oxide 9.4% • Water • Dimethicone • Propylene Glycol • C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate • Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer • Cetearyl Alcohol • Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil • Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer • Tocopheryl Acetate • Glycerin • Squalane • Butyrospermum Parkii Nut Extract • Polyester-5 • Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside • Coco-Glucoside • C14-22 Alcohols • Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer • Triethoxycaprylylsilane • Ethyl Ferulate • C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside • Bisabolol • Sodium Chloride • Phospholipids • Gluconolactone • Benzyl Alcohol • Sodium Benzoate • Chlorphenesin • Sorbic Acid • Urea • Phenoxyethanol • Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Zinc Oxide is a mineral broad-spectrum UV filter; it is the broadest UVA and UVB reflector approved by the FDA. While it is most commonly man-made for cosmetics, it can naturally occur in zincite, a rare mineral.
Today, traditional and nano-sized zinc oxide can be found in beauty products. Nano-sized zinc oxide can enhance a product's UV protection. While it is not believed to have a negative effect on skin, nano-zinc oxide can be harmful to coral reefs.
More about harmful reef ingredients here.
Zinc Oxide also has antibacterial and calming properties. It is not water soluble.
Zinc has been used throughout history as an ingredient in paint and medicine. An Indian text from 500BC is believed to list zinc oxide as a salve for open wound. The Ancient Greek physician Dioscorides has also mentioned the use of zinc as an ointment in 1AD.
Learn more about Zinc OxideHigher Education Skincare Spring Break Oil-Free Sunscreen SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 3.
Curology The Sunscreen contains this as ingredient number 1.
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 WaterHigher Education Skincare Spring Break Oil-Free Sunscreen SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 4.
Curology The Sunscreen contains this as ingredient number 2.
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 GlycerinHigher Education Skincare Spring Break Oil-Free Sunscreen SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 6.
Curology The Sunscreen contains this as ingredient number 11.
Propylene Glycol is an odorless, colorless liquid. As a humectant, it helps skin retain moisture. It also aids in delivering active ingredients.
Another role of this ingredient is preventing a product from melting or freezing. Propylene glycol also adds antimicrobrial properties to a product, elongating product lifespan.
This ingredient is considered an organic alcohol and commonly added into both cosmetics and foods.
Those with sensitive skin or conditions may deliver a rash when using this ingredient.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolHigher Education Skincare Spring Break Oil-Free Sunscreen SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 8.
Curology The Sunscreen contains this as ingredient number 4.
Cetearyl alcohol is a mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is mainly used as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help prevent the separation of oils and products. Due to its composition, it can also be used to thicken a product or help create foam.
Cetearyl alcohol is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Studies show Cetearyl alcohol is non-toxic and non-irritating. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient is usually derived from plant oils such as palm, vegetable, or coconut oils. There is debate on whether this ingredient will cause acne.
Due to the fatty acid base, this ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholHigher Education Skincare Spring Break Oil-Free Sunscreen SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 14.
Curology The Sunscreen contains this as ingredient number 7.
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.
Higher Education Skincare Spring Break Oil-Free Sunscreen SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 16.
Curology The Sunscreen contains this as ingredient number 31.
This is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.
It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.
Higher Education Skincare Spring Break Oil-Free Sunscreen SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 17.
Curology The Sunscreen contains this as ingredient number 18.
Squalane is an emollient that helps the skin hold onto moisture. It's an oily liquid that occurs naturally in certain types of fish and plant oils.
Because squalane boosts hydration in the skin, it also comes with plenty of benefits: it is an antioxidant and can help fight free radicals and skin damage. Squalane is also found to have a detoxifying effect when applied.
Squalane comes from squalene, which occurs naturally within the sebum of our skin. It is one of the oils our skin produces to keep itself hydrated. Squalane is the hydrogenated version of squalene and has a longer shelf life.
Research shows that squalane is non-irritating (even at 100% concentration).
In general, it's a fantastic ingredient. It does a great job at hydrating the skin, and it's suitable for those with sensitive skin.
The source of squalane may impact malassezia / fungal acne. This is because olive oil derived squalane can contain impurities such as fatty acids and plant waxes. Sugarcane derived squalane is recommended for anyone with malassezia concerns.
Is squalane vegan? This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Learn more about SqualaneHigher Education Skincare Spring Break Oil-Free Sunscreen SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 19.
Curology The Sunscreen contains this as ingredient number 12.
Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateHigher Education Skincare Spring Break Oil-Free Sunscreen SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 20.
Curology The Sunscreen contains this as ingredient number 10.
Triethoxycaprylylsilane is a silicone used to bind and stabilize ingredients.
As an emulsifier, it helps prevent ingredients from separating. This can help elongate the shelf life of products.
Triethoxycaprylylsilane is often used to coat mineral sunscreens ingredients to help give a better feel. It also helps reduce oxidative stress in sunscreens.
Learn more about TriethoxycaprylylsilaneHigher Education Skincare Spring Break Oil-Free Sunscreen SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 23.
Curology The Sunscreen contains this as ingredient number 19.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Higher Education Skincare Spring Break Oil-Free Sunscreen SPF 30 28 ingredients
Curology The Sunscreen 32 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Higher Education Skincare Spring Break Oil-Free Sunscreen SPF 30 28 ingredients
Curology The Sunscreen 32 ingredients
Alternatives
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