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 ConditioningDibutyl Adipate
EmollientNiacinamide
SmoothingDiethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV FilterButyloctyl Salicylate
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Triazone
UV AbsorberPolysilicone-15
UV FilterBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
UV AbsorberPolyglyceryl-6 Stearate
EmollientTerephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid
UV AbsorberGlycerin
HumectantPanthenol
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningC20-22 Alkyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingTromethamine
BufferingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingC20-22 Alcohols
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantSodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Poly(C6-20 Olefin)
AbrasiveSodium Polyglutamate
HumectantPolyglyceryl-6 Behenate
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialButylene Glycol
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeWater, Dibutyl Adipate, Niacinamide, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Polysilicone-15, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid, Glycerin, Panthenol, 1,2-Hexanediol, C20-22 Alkyl Phosphate, Tromethamine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C20-22 Alcohols, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-20 Olefin), Sodium Polyglutamate, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV AbsorberEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV AbsorberButylene Glycol
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingGlycerin
HumectantOctocrylene
UV AbsorberTriethanolamine
BufferingPolymethyl Methacrylate
Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV AbsorberCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMel Extract
MoisturisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingLecithin
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeDisodium EDTA
Propylene Glycol
HumectantCitric Acid
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingWater, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Octocrylene, Triethanolamine, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Mel Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Lecithin, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Propylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene 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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamidePhenoxyethanol 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