What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHomosalate
Skin Conditioning
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV Filter
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Glycerin
Humectant
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Sodium Potassium Aluminum Silicate
Diisopropyl Adipate
EmollientPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Triacontanyl Pvp
HumectantCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Silica
Abrasive
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
PEG-75 Stearate
Surfactant
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCeteth-20
CleansingParfum
Masking
Steareth-20
CleansingAcrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Homosalate, Octocrylene, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Glycerin, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Sodium Potassium Aluminum Silicate, Diisopropyl Adipate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Phenoxyethanol, Triacontanyl Pvp, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Silica, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, PEG-75 Stearate, Titanium Dioxide, Dimethicone, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ceteth-20, Parfum, Steareth-20, Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Jojoba Esters, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlycerin
Humectant
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV Filter
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Lecithin
Emollient
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Cellulose
Absorbent
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Glucose
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Trehalose
Humectant
Fructose
Humectant
Maltose
MaskingSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium PCA
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Algae
Skin Conditioning
Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Water, Propanediol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Lecithin, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Cellulose, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Citric Acid, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Glucose, Sodium Lactate, Trehalose, Fructose, Maltose, Sodium Chloride, Sodium PCA, Urea, Algae, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is better known as bemotrizinol or Tinosorb S and is one of the best broad-spectrum UV filters in modern sunscreen.
It works by absorbing UV light across a whole range (280-400 nm) with peaks around 310 nm (UVB) and 340-345 nm (UVA). This means it covers UVB plus the deeper UVA wavelengths that drive photoaging and pigmentation.
Another pro?
It's exceptionally photostable, barely degrades in sunlight, and acts as a "bodyguard" for less stable filters.
That's why you'll see it paired with avobenzone or octinoxate; this team up ensures they keep working through sun exposure.
Safety reviews have been reassuring across the board. This ingredient shows low absorption through the skin, rarely irritates, and lab studies found it doesn't act like a hormone in the body (a concern that's been raised about some older sunscreen filters).
On maximum concentrations:
In 2026, the US F.D.A finally added it as an OTC sunscreen ingredient at concentrations up to 6% for adults / children 6 months and older
Learn more about Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl TriazineGlycerin (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 also known as Tinosorb M or Bisoctrizole and is a bit of an overachiever in the sunscreen world.
It's a hybrid broad-spectrum filter that covers UVA and UVB (~280-400nm) with peak absorption around 305nm for UVB or 360nm for UVA (and a tiny bit in blue-light territory as well).
One of its best party tricks is photostability; it doesn't break down with repeated sun exposure and doesn't generate free radicals in the process either. You'll also see it paired with wobbly filters like avobenzone because it helps stabilize them.
The safety profile is assuring as well. Because it's a large molecule, it doesn't easily absorb into skin and rarely causes irritation.
It's approved in the EU, Asia, and Australia up to 10% and most formulas land somewhere in the 2-10% range.
You won't find it as a sunscreen active in the US, but it can make an appearance as a formula-protecting UV-absorber.
Learn more about Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl TetramethylbutylphenolPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
