Lysca Hydrasmooth Sunscreen Gel SPF 45+ Versus Wardah UV Shield Physical Sunscreen Serum SPF 50+ PA++++
This chemical sunscreen covers most of the UV range, lighter on the deep UVA that drives aging.
This mineral sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Silica
Abrasive
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Glycerin
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
AntimicrobialTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLecithin
Emollient
Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Silica, Butylene Glycol, Octocrylene, Glycerin, 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, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Lecithin
Water
Skin ConditioningZinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPropanediol
Solvent
Maleated Soybean Oil Glyceryl/Octyldodecanol Esters
Trisiloxane
Skin Conditioning
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Dibutyl Adipate
EmollientHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingBisabolol
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Artemisia Capillaris Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningHouttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Haberlea Rhodopensis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingPolyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingWater, Zinc Oxide, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Propanediol, Maleated Soybean Oil Glyceryl/Octyldodecanol Esters, Trisiloxane, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Dibutyl Adipate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Bisabolol, Glycerin, Allantoin, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Artemisia Capillaris Flower Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Haberlea Rhodopensis Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Arachidyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Behenyl Alcohol, Chlorphenesin, Arachidyl Glucoside
Reviews
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 GlycolCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (tea extract) is one of the most well-researched plant extracts in skincare with an impressive resume.
Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant.
Studies show green tea extract and its catechins (like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) help your skin cells product energy more efficiently and reducing the number of free-radicals that can damage your skin from the inside.
In lab-grown skin models, this translated to younger, healthier, and stronger skin.
There's also good sun protection data; researchers saw less DNA damage and redness on human skin when green tea was applied before UVB exposure. And the more they applied, the better the protection.
Needless to say, this ingredient shouldn't replace your sunscreen. But it is a great supportive ingredient that you can already find in many sunscreens and antioxidant serums.
A 2009 study found a 2% green tea lotion was effective for mild-to-moderate acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity.
The quality of the extract matters a lot here:
Good extracts contain 50-90% catechins while lower quality ones are mostly there for marketing. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the quality or source of their ingredients.
Human Repeated Insult Patch Testing showed no irritation or sensitization at use concentrations (0.86% in leave-on products and up to 30% as leaf water).
Learn more about Camellia Sinensis Leaf ExtractGlycerin (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 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
