What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Homosalate 13%
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV Absorber
Octocrylene 10%
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer
Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate
Emulsion StabilisingPolymethylsilsesquioxane
Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Silica
Abrasive
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin ProtectingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Inulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingP-Anisic Acid
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
PEG-8 Laurate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingSodium Dodecylbenzenesulfonate
CleansingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Triethanolamine
BufferingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 13%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Water, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer, Niacinamide, Silica, Caprylyl Methicone, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Glyceryl Stearate, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, P-Anisic Acid, Panthenol, PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-8 Laurate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Sodium Dodecylbenzenesulfonate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Triethanolamine, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Xanthan Gum
Water
Skin ConditioningDiethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Butyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialDibutyl Adipate
EmollientPhenoxyethyl Caprylate
Canola Oil
Emollient
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Silica
Abrasive
Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV Filter
Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate
EmollientTris-Biphenyl Triazine
UV Absorber
Vp/Acrylates/Lauryl Methacrylate Copolymer
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
EDTA
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Xylitol
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Water, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dibutyl Adipate, Phenoxyethyl Caprylate, Canola Oil, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Glycerin, Silica, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate, Tris-Biphenyl Triazine, Vp/Acrylates/Lauryl Methacrylate Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Decyl Glucoside, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Xylitylglucoside, Caprylyl Glycol, Anhydroxylitol, EDTA, Benzoic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Disodium Phosphate, Pentylene Glycol, Xylitol, Glucose, Dehydroacetic Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolEthylhexyl 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 SalicylateGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolPotassium Cetyl Phosphate is the potassium salt of a mixture. This mixture consists of the esters from phosphoricacid and cetyl alcohol.
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate is an emulsifier and cleansing agent. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.
As a cleansing agent, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate helps gather oils, dirts, and pollutants from your skin. This makes it easier to rinse them away with water.
Learn more about Potassium Cetyl PhosphateSilica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.
Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.
The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.
It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.
In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.
Learn more about SilicaWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
