What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDibutyl Adipate
EmollientCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Emulsifying
Nylon-12
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dimethicone
Emollient
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingSilica
Abrasive
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Dimethiconol
Emollient
PEG-8
HumectantTocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Dibutyl Adipate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Octocrylene, Alcohol Denat., Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Butylene Glycol, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Nylon-12, Titanium Dioxide, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Silica, Allantoin, Glyceryl Stearate, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dimethiconol, PEG-8, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningHomosalate
Skin Conditioning
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Tapioca Starch
Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Cyclomethicone
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Methylpropanediol
SolventSilica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Carnitine
Cleansing
Glycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingTrisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Homosalate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Octocrylene, Alcohol Denat., Tapioca Starch, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Cyclomethicone, Behenyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Methylpropanediol, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Glycerin, Carnitine, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Chloride, Trisodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
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.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 MethoxydibenzoylmethaneEthylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinOctocrylene 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 OctocrylenePhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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
