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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Nivea UV Deep Protect & Care Essence SPF 50+ PA++++ versus Nivea Sun Super Water Gel SPF 50 PA+++ .

Published on March 07, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both sunscreens. They have a total of 9 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid and SPF

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for brightening skin

Free From

They both do not contain any common allergens, oils or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain harsh alcohols, parabens and silicones

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Sunscreen German Brand Germany
Sunscreen German Brand Germany

Sunscreen

Sunscreens help absorb or reflect UV radiation and protect skin against skin damage. Sunscreens may come in the form of lotion, gel, foam, spray, or solid-stick.

Sunscreen

Sunscreens help absorb or reflect UV radiation and protect skin against skin damage. Sunscreens may come in the form of lotion, gel, foam, spray, or solid-stick.

Price

Shop

Buy UV Deep Protect & Care Essence SPF 50+ PA++++

Starts at $8.39
Shop

Buy Sun Super Water Gel SPF 50 PA+++

Starts at $9.29

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
spf rating
50
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
spf rating
50

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Chemical UV Filter (4)
Mineral UV Filter
Exfoliators (2)
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Skin Texture
Anti-Aging
Scar Healing
Brightening

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Acne Trigger
Irritating (3)
Rosacea (3)
Eczema (4)

Notable Ingredients

Chemical UV Filter (3)
Vitamin E
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Brightening

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating (2)
Rosacea
Eczema (3)
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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Water. 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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Nivea UV Deep Protect & Care Essence SPF 50+ PA++++ contains this as ingredient number 1.

Nivea Sun Super Water Gel SPF 50 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: UV Absorber, UV Filter
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate is an organic compound that provides UVB protection. It often goes by the more common name of octinoxate. It is created from methoxycinnamic acid and 2-ethylhexanol.

Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate absorbs UVB rays with wavelengths between 280-320 nm. UV absorbers protect your skin by using chemical reactions to convert UV rays into heat and energy.

UVB (290-320 nm) rays emit more energy than UVA rays. They are capable of damaging DNA, causing sunburns and are thought to be linked to skin cancer.

The state of Hawaii has banned sunscreens containing octinoxate due to its potential impact on coral reefs. More research is needed to bridge gaps in this research. The European Union allows higher levels of octinoxate in sunscreens than the US and Australia.

Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate is oil soluble. It is not stable and may lose efficacy when exposed to sunlight.

Learn more about Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate

Nivea UV Deep Protect & Care Essence SPF 50+ PA++++ contains this as ingredient number 2.

Nivea Sun Super Water Gel SPF 50 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
What it does: Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

  • It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
  • It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
  • It helps improve product application.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.

Nivea UV Deep Protect & Care Essence SPF 50+ PA++++ contains this as ingredient number 4.

Nivea Sun Super Water Gel SPF 50 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 8.

4
What it does: UV Filter
Community Rating: Liked

Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate (DHHB) is a chemical UVA absorber. It is formulated for high UVA protection (320-400 nm) and photostability.

DHHB has been approved by the EU, Japan, Taiwan, and South America for use up to 10%.

UV absorbers are an agent that absorbs UV rays. They protect your skin by using chemical reactions to convert UV rays into heat and energy.

UV rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation from the sun. Other sources include tanning beds and welding torches. Radiation is the emission of energy. UV Rays are divided into 3 groups. UVA (320-400 nm) contains the least amount of energy. They are linked to long term skin damage such as wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. UVB (290-320 nm) rays emit more energy than UVA rays. They are capable of damaging DNA in skin cells. UVB causes sunburns and are thought to be linked to skin cancer. UVC (200-280 nm) contains the highest amount of energy. Our ozone blocks UVC. UVC can also originate from welding torches, mercury lamps, and sanitizing bulbs.

Learn more about Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate

Nivea UV Deep Protect & Care Essence SPF 50+ PA++++ contains this as ingredient number 6.

Nivea Sun Super Water Gel SPF 50 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 7.

5
What it does: UV Absorber, UV Filter
Community Rating: Liked

Ethylhexyl Triazone is a modern chemical sunscreen that protects from UV-B radiation.

It is the most effective of existing UV-B filters, as it provides the highest level of photo-stable absorption. It protects from the entire UV-B range (280 to 320nm), with it's highest level of protection at 314nm.

Ethylhexyl Triazone is oil soluble, oderless and colorless, which mean it is able to be incorporated into a variety of different formulations.

It is not currently available within the United States due to slow changing FDA regulations. Outside of the US, it is used in formulations at concentrations up to 5%.

Learn more about Ethylhexyl Triazone

Nivea UV Deep Protect & Care Essence SPF 50+ PA++++ contains this as ingredient number 11.

Nivea Sun Super Water Gel SPF 50 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 6.

6
What it does: Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming
Community Rating: Disliked

Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create gel consistency within products.

Carbomer is commonly found in many types of cosmetics products. It is found to be safe in concentrations up to 15%. However, a high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Most products contain 1% of less of carbomer.

Nivea UV Deep Protect & Care Essence SPF 50+ PA++++ contains this as ingredient number 28.

Nivea Sun Super Water Gel SPF 50 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 15.

7
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Mixed

Sodium 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 Hydroxide

Nivea UV Deep Protect & Care Essence SPF 50+ PA++++ contains this as ingredient number 30.

Nivea Sun Super Water Gel SPF 50 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 17.

8
What it does: Antioxidant, Masking
Community Rating: Liked

This BHA stands for butylated hydroxyanisole. If you are looking for the beta-hydroxy acid, aka as Salicylic Acid, click here.

In cosmetics, butylated hydroxyanisole is used as a perservative. It also has antioxidant properties. The concentrations usually used in skincare are low and do not penetrate through skin.

However, it is considered a carcinogen when ingested.

Butylated Hydroxyanisole is a synthetic and waxy petrochemical. It is used as a preservative in foods and cosmetics.

Learn more about BHA

Nivea UV Deep Protect & Care Essence SPF 50+ PA++++ contains this as ingredient number 31.

Nivea Sun Super Water Gel SPF 50 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 18.

9
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Methylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben. It is used to prevent the growth of fungus, mold, and other harmful bacteria. Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in both cosmetics and food.

Methylparaben can be synthetically created. It can also be found naturally in some fruits, such as blueberries.

Oftentimes, Methylparaben is combined with other parabens to help increase the shelf life.

The safety of Methylparaben is currently being studied. While ongoing studies are looking into the safety of parabens, the results have been very mixed. Some studies have not found Methylparaben to be harmful.

Learn more about Methylparaben

Nivea UV Deep Protect & Care Essence SPF 50+ PA++++ contains this as ingredient number 32.

Nivea Sun Super Water Gel SPF 50 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 19.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

24% are loved or liked
9% have mixed ratings
36% are disliked or very disliked
30% have no rating yet
32% are loved or liked
11% have mixed ratings
37% are disliked or very disliked
21% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Nivea UV Deep Protect & Care Essence SPF 50+ PA++++ 33 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 review

Nivea Sun Super Water Gel SPF 50 PA+++ 19 ingredients

2.7 /5
from 3 reviews

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