What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Dibutyl Adipate
EmollientTalc
Abrasive
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Tromethamine
BufferingCyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Cellulose
Absorbent
Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV Filter
Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Polyacrylamide
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingBHT
Antioxidant
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
SurfactantLinalool
Perfuming
Lysine
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Magnesium Chloride
Water, Alcohol Denat., Octocrylene, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Dibutyl Adipate, Talc, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Cyclopentasiloxane, Tromethamine, Cyclohexasiloxane, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Cellulose, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Polyacrylamide, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Carbomer, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Parfum, Decyl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Laureth-7, BHT, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Linalool, Lysine, Propylene Glycol, Magnesium Chloride
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Homosalate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Benzophenone-3
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialButylene Glycol
Humectant
Vp/Eicosene Copolymer
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Emollient
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Picea Abies Wood Extract
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Bentonite
Absorbent
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Octocrylene, Benzophenone-3, Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Butylene Glycol, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Picea Abies Wood Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Titanium Dioxide, Bentonite, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Polyacrylate, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.
As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.
It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.
A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.
Learn more about Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate CrosspolymerAlso 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 MethoxydibenzoylmethaneC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is a lightweight emollient made by combinig benzoic acid with fatty alcohols that are 12-15 carbons long.
In cosmetics, it plays several roles:
The Cosmetic Review Expert Panel has concluded the alkyl benzoate group to be safe as used in cosmetics; it wasn't found to be a skin irritant and unlikely to be absorbed due to its low water solubility.
This report recorded almost 1000 reported uses with concentrations up to 59% in leave-on products but your cosmetics will typically use 0.5-15% depending on the product.
It's often called a "SPF booster": this is because it keeps UV filters properly dissolved and evenly distributed to support a sunscreen's performance. It doesn't actually raise SPF on its own.
Overall, this ingredient is well tolerated.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because it is an ester of benzoic acid.
Think of this ingredient as two parts stuck together: an oily part and an acid part. Malassezia only gets a meal when it can snip off a fatty acid to eat. With C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, the acid part is benzoic acid, which isn't a fatty acid and which the yeast can't use as food.
Benzoic acid is actually used as a preservative to stop yeast from growing.
The oily part is a blend of C12-15 fatty alcohols but fatty alcohols in this size range can support only a little Malassezia growth (mostly for one species of Malassezia as well).
In the ingredient, those alcohols stay locked inside the molecule. The yeast can only reach them by snipping the benzoate bond, and that type of bond is harder for it to cut than a normal fatty bond.
So not much gets released. And whatever does get snipped comes packaged with benzoic acid, which discourages yeast growth.
Learn more about C12-15 Alkyl BenzoateDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAOctocrylene 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 OctocryleneTocopheryl 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 AcetateWater. 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
