Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Fluid Facial Sunscreen SPF 50 Versus bondi sands SPF 50+ Fragrance Free Hydrating Tinted Face Lotion
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Homosalate
Skin Conditioning
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer
Skin Conditioning
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialBisabolol
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cetyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Silica
Abrasive
Dibutyl Adipate
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Glucomannan
Skin ConditioningNeopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientEthylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyester-7
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Steareth-100
Gel FormingSteareth-2
EmulsifyingTrideceth-6
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Homosalate, Octocrylene, Butylene Glycol, Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Bisabolol, BHT, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetyl Dimethicone, Chlorphenesin, Silica, Dibutyl Adipate, Dimethicone, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Glucomannan, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Polyester-7, Polysorbate 20, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Water, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Polyacrylate, Steareth-100, Steareth-2, Trideceth-6, Xanthan Gum
4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Caprylic Acid
CleansingWater
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCera Alba
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
PEG-15 Cocamine
EmulsifyingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Glycerin
Humectant
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Octocrylene, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylic Acid, Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cera Alba, Silica, PEG-15 Cocamine, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, PEG-40 Stearate, Saccharide Isomerate, CI 77491, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Glycerin, CI 77492, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, CI 77499, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Tocopheryl Acetate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Also known as Avobenzone, this ingredient is an oil-soluble used to absorb the full spectrum of UVA rays (peak 357 nm).
It's one of the most effective UVA filters available but has a major caveat of photostability: avobenzone is susceptible to photodegradation.
This means it can lose efficacy when exposed to sunlight without the help of a stabilizing agent.
Studies show antioxidants (like vitamin E or vitamin C) and some UV filters (like octocrylene and Tinosorb S) can meaningfully improve its stability in a formulation.
The maximum allowable concentration according to regulation is 3% in the US + Canada, and 5% in the EU, Australia, China, Korea, and ASEAN countries.
It has a well-support safety profile: a comprehensive 2025 review found minimal toxicity with no evidence of carcinogenicity.
Overall, avobenzone is a safe and regulated ingredient used in sunscreen for over 40 years.
Learn more about Butyl MethoxydibenzoylmethaneC12-15 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 BenzoateCaprylyl 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 GlycolEthylhexyl 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 TriazoneOctocrylene is an oil-soluble organic UV filter that mainly absorbs UVB and short wave UVA II light.
Its real superpower is teamwork: octocrylene is remarkably photostable and is most famous for stabilizing avobenzone (the workhorse UVA filter).
This ingredient is commonly used to enhance both UVB and UVA protection due to its unique property in stabilizing avobenzone. It also pulls double duty by boosting water resistance and giving formulas a smooth, spreadable feel.
The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has deemed octocrylene to be safe as a UV-filter at concentrations up to 10% (capped at 9% in propellant sprays). The US also permits it up to 10%.
Two things worth knowing:
You'll usually see this ingredient used in concentrations between 2-10% (higher amounts when used as a stabilizer for avobenzone).
Learn more about OctocryleneSilica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.
Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.
The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.
It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.
In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.
Learn more about SilicaTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
