Laboratoire ACM Medisun Cream SPF 50+ Versus Vichy Capital Soleil Cell Protect Water Fluid Spray SPF 50+
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Glycerin
Humectant
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingDiethylhexyl Butamido Triazone
UV Absorber
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentPhenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Decylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPiroctone Olamine
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDiethylhexyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate
CleansingSilver Chloride
Preservative
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Water, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Ether, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cellulose Gum, Titanium Dioxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Decylene Glycol, Piroctone Olamine, Xanthan Gum, Diethylhexyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate, Silver Chloride, Propylene Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Diisopropyl Adipate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingC12-22 Alkyl Acrylate/Hydroxyethylacrylate Copolymer
StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Drometrizole Trisiloxane
UV Absorber
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Vitreoscilla Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Water, Alcohol Denat., Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Diisopropyl Adipate, Glycerin, Propanediol, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Dicaprylyl Ether, Triethanolamine, C12-22 Alkyl Acrylate/Hydroxyethylacrylate Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Drometrizole Trisiloxane, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Tocopherol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Vitreoscilla Ferment, Parfum
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 GlycolDicaprylyl Ether is created from caprylic acid. It is a texture-enhancer and emollient.
As an emollient, Dicaprylyl Ether is non-comedogenic. It helps soften and smooth the skin by creating a barrier on top. This barrier helps trap moisture in, helping to hydrate the skin.
Dicaprylyl Ether gives a non-greasy feel and better spreadability to products.
Learn more about Dicaprylyl EtherEthylhexyl 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 SalicylateEthylhexyl Triazone (aka Octyl Triazone) is an oil-soluble organic UVB filter. It has peak absorption around 314 nm, right in the middle of the UVB range.
This ingredient is described as one of the most effective UVB filters available and small concentrations are enough to deliver a high SPF thanks to its strong UV absorbing power.
Formulators love it for its stability; its ability to filter UV stays practically unchanged even under intense radiation and it can also help boost the photostability of less stable filters like avobenzone.
It's also a great pick for water resistant products because it's insoluble in water and has a good affinity for keratin.
Because it's a big, heavy molecule, the European Scientific Committee has found to to have very low dermal penetration and negative results for allergenicity.
In vitro testing also showed a low absorption rate and clean results on irritation.
Typical use levels are 1-5% with 5% being the maximum in the EU, Japan, and other markets that allow it. However, this ingredient is not approved yet in the US or Canada.
Learn more about Ethylhexyl TriazoneGlycerin (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 GlycerinThis ingredient is more commonly known as Ensulizole, a chemical sunscreen ingredient.
Ensulizole mainly protects UV-B (290-340 nm) but offers a little UV-A (320-400 nm) protection. It is often paired with less photo-stable sunscreen ingredients due to its photo-stability.
Due to it being water-soluble, Ensulizole helps give sunscreens a light and non-oily texture.
Ensulizole is approved worldwide:
Learn more about Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic AcidWater. 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
