What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Cocoglycerides
Emollient
Cera Alba
Emollient
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Rhus Verniciflua Peel Cera
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Cera
Emollient
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Vanillin
Masking
Silica
Abrasive
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Cocoglycerides, Cera Alba, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Rhus Verniciflua Peel Cera, Helianthus Annuus Seed Cera, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Titanium Dioxide, Vanillin, Silica, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Lecithin, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Oleate, Citric Acid
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Polyethylene
Abrasive
Butylene Glycol Cocoate
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Microcrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingMethyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Oxothiazolidine
Skin ProtectingSaccharin
MaskingSodium Benzoate
Masking
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantTocopheryl Glucoside
EmollientOctyldodecanol, Polyethylene, Butylene Glycol Cocoate, Hydrogenated Microcrystalline Wax, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Beeswax, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Water, Aluminum Hydroxide, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Oxothiazolidine, Saccharin, Sodium Benzoate, CI 77891, Tocopheryl Glucoside
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is better known as bemotrizinol or Tinosorb S and is one of the best broad-spectrum UV filters in modern sunscreen.
It works by absorbing UV light across a whole range (280-400 nm) with peaks around 310 nm (UVB) and 340-345 nm (UVA). This means it covers UVB plus the deeper UVA wavelengths that drive photoaging and pigmentation.
Another pro?
It's exceptionally photostable, barely degrades in sunlight, and acts as a "bodyguard" for less stable filters.
That's why you'll see it paired with avobenzone or octinoxate; this team up ensures they keep working through sun exposure.
Safety reviews have been reassuring across the board. This ingredient shows low absorption through the skin, rarely irritates, and lab studies found it doesn't act like a hormone in the body (a concern that's been raised about some older sunscreen filters).
On maximum concentrations:
In 2026, the US F.D.A finally added it as an OTC sunscreen ingredient at concentrations up to 6% for adults / children 6 months and older
Learn more about Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl TriazineAlso 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 MethoxydibenzoylmethaneCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideEthylhexyl 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 Salicylate
