Plum Goodness Green Tea Oil-Free Moisturizer Versus Conscious Chemist Berry Bright Niacinamide Sunscreen SPF 50
This oil-control moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract to balance excess oil and calm redness.
This hybrid sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningBetaine
HumectantIsodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientNiacinamide
SmoothingSalix Alba Bark Extract
AstringentCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
AntioxidantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantSodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingSqualane
EmollientCyclodextrin
AbsorbentGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantSorbitol
HumectantSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Betaine, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Niacinamide, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Benzyl Alcohol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylyl Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Squalane, Cyclodextrin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Sorbitol, Sodium Gluconate
Water
Skin ConditioningTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic ColorantZinc Oxide
Cosmetic ColorantEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV AbsorberButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV AbsorberOctocrylene
UV AbsorberButylene Glycol
HumectantLecithin
EmollientCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningPhospholipids
Skin ConditioningAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientThioctic Acid
AntioxidantSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentXylitol
HumectantHectorite
AbsorbentHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingNiacinamide
SmoothingCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCaprylic Acid
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningMilk Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantSqualane
EmollientSorbitol
HumectantResveratrol
AntioxidantRubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract
AstringentPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeParfum
MaskingWater, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Octocrylene, Butylene Glycol, Lecithin, Ceramide NP, Phospholipids, Aluminum Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Thioctic Acid, Sodium Polyacrylate, Xylitol, Hectorite, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Niacinamide, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Cholesterol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Caprylic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phytosphingosine, Milk Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Squalane, Sorbitol, Resveratrol, Rubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamideSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSorbitol is a sugar alcohol. It is a hydrating and moisturizing agent created from the reduction process of glucose.
Most sorbitol is usually made from potato starch. It is also found in fruits such as apples and pears.
As a humectant, Sorbitol helps draw water to the skin. This helps keep the skin hydrated. Sorbitol also helps create a thicker texture in products. You might find sorbitol in your toothpaste and other gels.
It is a non-irritating ingredient that is great for those with dry skin.
Sorbitol is a prebiotic. It helps promote the growth of healthy bacteria on your skin. The bacteria on your skin form a microbiome. This microbiome helps protect your skin from infection and harmful bacteria.
Learn more about SorbitolSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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