La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra Comfort Cream SPF 50+ Versus Abib Quick Sunstick Protection Bar SPF 50+
This chemical sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50.
This chemical sunscreen covers most of the UV range, lighter on the deep UVA that drives aging.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDiisopropyl Sebacate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
UV Absorber
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Propanediol
Solvent
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
C12-22 Alkyl Acrylate/Hydroxyethylacrylate Copolymer
StabilisingDrometrizole Trisiloxane
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Silica
Abrasive
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Acrylates Copolymer
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
ChelatingScutellaria Baicalensis Extract
AntimicrobialScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Triethanolamine
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Glycerin, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Alcohol Denat., Propanediol, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, C12-22 Alkyl Acrylate/Hydroxyethylacrylate Copolymer, Drometrizole Trisiloxane, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Silica, Tocopherol, Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Ammonium Acrylates Copolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Scutellaria Baicalensis Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, T-Butyl Alcohol, Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid, Triethanolamine, Xanthan Gum
Homosalate 9.5%
Skin Conditioning
Octocrylene 5%
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 4.5%
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientDibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide
Skin ConditioningDiisostearyl Malate
EmollientDibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide
Skin ConditioningButyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialDextrin Palmitate
Emulsifying
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil
Antimicrobial
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment
AntimicrobialCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Homosalate 9.5%, Octocrylene 5%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 4.5%, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Octyldodecanol, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide, Diisostearyl Malate, Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide, Butyloctyl Salicylate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dextrin Palmitate, Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Squalane, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Maltodextrin, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Centella Asiatica Extract, Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment, Ceramide NP, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopherol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Copper Tripeptide-1
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 MethoxydibenzoylmethaneCaprylyl 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 GlycerinPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
