This mineral sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~97% of UVB at SPF 30.
This hybrid sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 40.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
PEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingTrihydroxystearin
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Resveratrol
Antioxidant
Quercetin
Antioxidant
Epigallocatechin Gallate
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Salix Nigra Bark Extract
Skin ProtectingPunica Granatum Extract
AstringentHaematococcus Pluvialis Extract
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Corn Starch
HumectantPolysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Hydrated Silica
Abrasive
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialIsopropyl Titanium Triisostearate
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningIron Oxides
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Zinc Oxide, PEG-12 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Lauroyl Lysine, Sodium Chloride, Trihydroxystearin, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Resveratrol, Quercetin, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Adenosine, Bisabolol, Salix Nigra Bark Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Polysorbate 80, Hydrated Silica, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Iron Oxides, Phenoxyethanol
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV Absorber
Octocrylene 10%
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Butyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPolymethylsilsesquioxane
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
CI 77163
Cosmetic Colorant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Lauryl Lactate
EmollientIsododecane
EmollientIsodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Diisopropyl Sebacate
EmollientCetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Iron Oxides
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
ChelatingPhospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Limonium Gerberi Extract
Skin ProtectingLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract
Antioxidant
Pantothenic Acid
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Water, Propanediol, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Niacinamide, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, CI 77163, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Lauryl Lactate, Isododecane, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Glyceryl Stearate, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Cetyl Phosphate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coco-Caprylate, Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate, Butylene Glycol, Arginine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Iron Oxides, Sodium Hyaluronate, Chlorphenesin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Phospholipids, Limonium Gerberi Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Pantothenic Acid, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Ferulic Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
C12-15 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 GlycolWater. 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 WaterThis ingredient is a combination of red, black, and yellow iron oxide pigments. This combination of colors is usually found in foundation, because it results in a "skin" color.
The EU typically uses CI numbers for colorants when applicable, such as CI 77489. In the US, iron oxides are regulated as color additives and "iron oxides" is the most commonly used name in US cosmetic practice.
A 2021 paper looked at skincare formulations containing iron oxides and found that they reduced transmission of blue light when measured optically. In simple terms, the pigment particles helped block or scatter part of the visible light spectrum in lab testing and the authors suggest this could translate into better protection against blue-light-related skin effects.
There is also clinical and experimental research showing that tinted products containing iron oxides can reduce visible light-induced pigmentation:
Please note, whether a product reduces visible or blue light depends on things like:
In the EU's CosIng database, iron oxides are only listed as a colorant. CosIng groups ingredients by their main cosmetic role, such as colorant, preservative, or UV filter.
Though studies say iron oxides can "attenuate blue light", they're describing an optical property and not an officially recognized cosmetic function.
So CosIng isn’t contradicting the research. It’s just classifying iron oxides by what they officially are: pigments that add color.
Learn more about Iron Oxides
