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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Pond's UV Protect Sun Serum SPF35 PA+++ versus Daiso CICA UV Watery Gel Cream SPF 50+ PA++++ .

Last updated on September 08, 2023. Published on March 07, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both sunscreens. They have a total of 8 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain SPF

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for oily skin

Free From

They both do not contain any common allergens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain fragrances and parabens

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

Sunscreen American Brand United States
Sunscreen Japanese Brand Japan

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

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
35
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
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Exfoliators
Niacinamide

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (2)
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging
Dark Spots (2)
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening (4)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating
Rosacea (5)
Eczema (4)

Notable Ingredients

Chemical UV Filter (4)

Benefits

Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation

Concerns

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

Pond's UV Protect Sun Serum SPF35 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 1.

Daiso CICA UV Watery Gel Cream SPF 50+ PA++++ contains this as ingredient number 1.

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

Also known as Avobenzone, this ingredient is a chemical sunscreen filter that provides protection in the UV-A range.

Avobenzone is globally approved and is the most commonly used UV-A filter in the world.

Studies have found that avobenzone becomes ineffective when exposed to UV light (it is not photostable; meaning that it breaks down in sunlight). Because of this, formulations that include avobenzone will usually contain stabilizers such as octocrylene.

However, some modern formulations (looking at you, EU!) are able to stabilize avobenzone by coating the molecules.

Avobenzone does not protect against the UV-B range, so it's important to check that the sunscreen you're using contains other UV filters that do!

The highest concentration of avobenzone permitted is 3% in the US, and 5% in the EU.

Learn more about Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane

Pond's UV Protect Sun Serum SPF35 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 6.

Daiso CICA UV Watery Gel Cream SPF 50+ PA++++ contains this as ingredient number 6.

3
What it does: UV Absorber, UV Filter
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Octocrylene protects skin from sun damage. It absorbs UV-B with peak absorption of 304 nm. It is a common sunscreen ingredient and often paired with avobenzone, a UVA filter. This is because octocrylene stabilizes other sunscreen ingredients by protecting them from degradation when exposed to sunlight. Octocrylene is a photostable ingredient and loses about 10% of SPF in 95 minutes.

Octocrylene also acts as an emollient, meaning it helps skin retain moisture and softens skin. It is oil-soluble and hydrophobic, enhancing water-resistant properties in a product.

Those who are using ketoprofen, a topical anti-inflammatory drug, may experience an allergic reaction when using octocrylene. It is best to speak with a healthcare professional about using sunscreens with octocrylene.

The EU allows a maximum of these concentrations:

Learn more about Octocrylene

Pond's UV Protect Sun Serum SPF35 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 7.

Daiso CICA UV Watery Gel Cream SPF 50+ PA++++ contains this as ingredient number 4.

4
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.

Pond's UV Protect Sun Serum SPF35 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 14.

Daiso CICA UV Watery Gel Cream SPF 50+ PA++++ contains this as ingredient number 11.

5
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

Pond's UV Protect Sun Serum SPF35 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 28.

Daiso CICA UV Watery Gel Cream SPF 50+ PA++++ contains this as ingredient number 16.

6
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.

It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.

Pond's UV Protect Sun Serum SPF35 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 29.

Daiso CICA UV Watery Gel Cream SPF 50+ PA++++ contains this as ingredient number 9.

7
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

Pond's UV Protect Sun Serum SPF35 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 30.

Daiso CICA UV Watery Gel Cream SPF 50+ PA++++ contains this as ingredient number 12.

8
What it does: Antioxidant, Masking
Community Rating: Very Disliked

BHT is a synthetic antioxidant. As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.

BHT also helps stabilize products and prevent them from degrading. Many products are sensitive to air and light. BHT prevents them from breaking down when exposed.

Pond's UV Protect Sun Serum SPF35 PA+++ contains this as ingredient number 36.

Daiso CICA UV Watery Gel Cream SPF 50+ PA++++ contains this as ingredient number 19.

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

17% are loved or liked
7% have mixed ratings
64% are disliked or very disliked
12% have no rating yet
23% are loved or liked
12% have mixed ratings
50% are disliked or very disliked
15% 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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Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Pond's UV Protect Sun Serum SPF35 PA+++.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 44 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Daiso CICA UV Watery Gel Cream SPF 50+ PA++++.

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