What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Cera
Emollient
Hydrogenated Rapeseed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate
Emulsifying
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Aroma
Water
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Pantolactone
Humectant
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantOctyldodecanol, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Cera, Hydrogenated Rapeseed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate, Panthenol, Glycerin, Aroma, Water, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Pantolactone, CI 77492
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Petrolatum
Emollient
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientHydrogenated Polybutene
Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate
EmulsifyingCeresin
Emulsion StabilisingPhytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningPhytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Polyethylene
Abrasive
Phytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningMicrocrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Euphorbia Cerifera Cera
Astringent
Trehalose
Humectant
Honey
Humectant
Royal Jelly Extract
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
BHT
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantTocopheryl Acetate, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Petrolatum, Diisostearyl Malate, Hydrogenated Polybutene, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate, Ceresin, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate, Polyethylene, Phytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Microcrystalline Wax, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera, Trehalose, Honey, Royal Jelly Extract, Dimethicone, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, BHT, Water, Tocopherol, Alcohol, CI 19140
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 MethoxydibenzoylmethaneGlycerin (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 GlycerinTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolTocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.
Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.
It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.
One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.
Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.
Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.
The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.
Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.
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
