Nivea Sensitive Sun Serum Protect & Light Feel SPF 50+ Versus Amaterasun UV Sunscreen Cream SPF 50+ PA++++
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHomosalate
Skin Conditioning
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Dimethicone
Emollient
Tapioca Starch
Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Glycerin
Humectant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Methylpropanediol
SolventSilica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Carnitine
Cleansing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Isoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingSilica
Abrasive
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTrisodium EDTA
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Homosalate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Octocrylene, Alcohol Denat., Dimethicone, Tapioca Starch, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Glycerin, Behenyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Methylpropanediol, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Carnitine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Isoamyl Laurate, Xanthan Gum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Silica, Ethylhexylglycerin, Trisodium EDTA, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77891
Water
Skin ConditioningButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyacrylic Acid
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingGlycerin
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Hedychium Coronarium Root Extract
MaskingSodium Polyglutamate
HumectantEthyl Ferulate
Antioxidant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Water, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyacrylic Acid, Triethanolamine, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hedychium Coronarium Root Extract, Sodium Polyglutamate, Ethyl Ferulate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
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 MethoxydibenzoylmethaneEthylhexyl Salicylate (also called Octisalate or Octyl Salicylate) is an oil-soluble organic UV filter that's been used in sunscreen since the 1950's.
It absorbs UVB light in the 280-320 nm range with a peak absorbance around 306 nm.
You'll often see it paired with other UV filters to boost overall SPF because octisalate is a fairly week filter on its own.
The reason you'll see it so often is because it can help solubilize and stabilize the trickier filters like oxybenzone and avobenzone.
Unlike these filters, octisalate has pretty good photostability and doesn't create skin-damaging free radicals when exposed to sunlight.
The fatty-alcohol part of the molecule also gives it a light, emollient feel so it doubles as a nice texture enhancer.
Usage levels vary around the world:
Safety-wise, this ingredient has a pretty reassuring track record. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) found very low skin penetration in human skin tests and negative results for irritation, phototoxicity, and photoallergy.
The real-world allergy risk is pretty low too; a 2012 European study of 1,031 people recorded only 2 reactions to it (a rate of 0.19%).
You might have seen scary headlines about sunscreen getting into your blood.
In 2019, the FDA found that several chemical filters can absorb through the skin and show up in the bloodstream at small but measurable levels.
Here's the important part: these tiny levels are just a cutoff the FDA uses to decide which ingredients need more testing and doesn't mean anything harmful was found.
The researchers were clear that the results are no reason to stop wearing sunscreen.
Learn more about Ethylhexyl SalicylateEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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
