Julep No Excuses Invisible Sunscreen Gel SPF 40 Versus ISEHAN Kiss Me Sunkiller Perfect Water Essence SPF 50+ PA++++
This chemical sunscreen covers most of the UV range, lighter on the deep UVA that drives aging.
This hybrid sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Homosalate 8%
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV Absorber
Octocrylene 2.6%
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantButyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
Dextrin Palmitate
Emulsifying
Undecane
EmollientHydrolyzed Wheat Protein/Pvp Crosspolymer
Tridecane
Perfuming
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCamellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide
Skin ConditioningDibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide
Skin ConditioningAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingGlycerin
Humectant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
ChelatingMica
Cosmetic ColorantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid
Skin ConditioningIron Oxides
Oxalis Triangularis Extract
Skin ConditioningCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCucumis Melo Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 8%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Octocrylene 2.6%, Water, Caprylyl Methicone, Dipropylene Glycol, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Dextrin Palmitate, Undecane, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/Pvp Crosspolymer, Tridecane, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Carbomer, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide, Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide, Aminomethyl Propanol, Glycerin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Mica, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Iron Oxides, Oxalis Triangularis Extract, CI 77891, Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tin Oxide, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningMethoxycinnamic Acid
StabilisingDiethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Saxifraga Sarmentosa Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Royal Jelly Extract
Skin Conditioning
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
UV Absorber
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Isohexadecane
EmollientSuccinic Acid
BufferingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine
HumectantAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientStearic Acid
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
BHT
Antioxidant
Water, Methoxycinnamic Acid, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Saxifraga Sarmentosa Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Royal Jelly Extract, Isononyl Isononanoate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Titanium Dioxide, Isohexadecane, Succinic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, Aluminum Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Sorbitan Oleate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, BHT
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating it.
Learn more about Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp CopolymerButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
