What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Zinc Oxide 12%
Cosmetic Colorant
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialButyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
Isododecane
EmollientLauryl PEG-8 Dimethicone
Surfactant
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Propanediol
Solvent
Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientC15-19 Alkane
SolventCaprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Lauryl PEG-10 Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Trilaureth-4 Phosphate
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
PEG-10
HumectantZinc Oxide 12%, Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Isododecane, Lauryl PEG-8 Dimethicone, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Propanediol, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, C15-19 Alkane, Caprylyl Methicone, Niacinamide, Lauryl PEG-10 Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone, Dimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Trilaureth-4 Phosphate, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Tocopherol, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, PEG-10
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Homosalate
Skin Conditioning
Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV Filter
Silica
Abrasive
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Steareth-21
CleansingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingStearalkonium Hectorite
Gel FormingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPolyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Farnesol
Perfuming
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialLinalool
Perfuming
Hydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract
Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Homosalate, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Silica, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Steareth-21, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Decyl Glucoside, Palmitic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Stearic Acid, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Farnesol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Propylene Glycol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Linalool, Hydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
C12-15 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 BenzoatePhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Water. 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
