What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Diethylhexyl Succinate
EmollientPolymethylsilsesquioxane
Hydrated Silica
Abrasive
Glycerin
Humectant
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Acrylates Copolymer
Hydrogen Dimethicone
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Triethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Methylparaben
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Bis-Ethylhexyl Hydroxydimethoxy Benzylmalonate
Antioxidant
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Zinc Oxide, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butylene Glycol, Diethylhexyl Succinate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Hydrated Silica, Glycerin, Lauroyl Lysine, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Acrylates Copolymer, Hydrogen Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Triethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Methylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Arginine, Bis-Ethylhexyl Hydroxydimethoxy Benzylmalonate
Butane
Propane
Isobutane
Isododecane
EmollientWater
Skin ConditioningDisiloxane
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Silica
Abrasive
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientMethicone
Emollient
Hamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Methylparaben
Preservative
Aroma
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Piper Methysticum Leaf/Root/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Diethoxydiglycol
Solvent1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Disodium EDTA
BHT
Antioxidant
Butane, Propane, Isobutane, Isododecane, Water, Disiloxane, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Menthyl Lactate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Silica, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Methicone, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Methylparaben, Aroma, Ethylhexylglycerin, Propanediol, Piper Methysticum Leaf/Root/Stem Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide NP, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Pentylene Glycol, Diethoxydiglycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pvp, Chlorphenesin, Disodium EDTA, BHT
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate (DHHB) is a chemical UV-A absorber. It is formulated for high UVA protection (320-400 nm).
DHHB is well-liked for:
DHHB has been approved by the EU, Japan, Taiwan, and South America for use up to 10%. Unfortunately, it has not been approved for use in the US or Canada due to slow regulatory processes.
This ingredient is soluble in oils, fats, and lipids.
Learn more about Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl BenzoateDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAThis ingredient is also known as Octinoxate and is one of the oldest and most widely used chemical UV filters in skincare.
It has a simple job: soap up UVB radiation (290-320 nm), the wavelengths responsible for sunburn and a big chunk of long-term sun damage.
In formulas, it's always paired with a separate UVA filter because octinoxate solely protects skin from UVB.
Because it's an oil-soluble liquid, it's easy to blend into the oil phase of lotions/creams and gives a cosmetically elegant feel.
The one quirk about formulating this ingredient is photostability; the molecule slowly changes shape into a less effective version when sunlight hits it. So the longer you're in the sun, the weaker its protection gets. The drop can be more than 30% in some formulas.
It also doesn't play nice with Avobenzone (the common UVA filter) since avobenzone destabilizes octinoxate and the two degrade each other. But don't worry: brands have solved this issue by adding photostabilizers like Tinosorb S to prevent degradation and keep SPF stable under heavy UV exposure.
The maximum allowed level is 10% in the EU and Australia, 7.5% in the US and Canada, and 20% in Japan.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics up to 10%.
One last thing worth knowing for context:
Octinoxate has been the subject of ongoing review in Europe where the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety's (SCCS) 2025 final opinion is that this ingredient is an endocrine-active substance.
Lab and animal studies suggest it can act a bit like a hormone in the body (mildly mimicking estrogen and slightly blocking male hormones). It's important to know this hasn't really been shown to happen in everyday human use.
This ingredient is also banned in Hawaii over coral reef concerns.
Learn more about Ethylhexyl MethoxycinnamateMethylparaben is a synthetic preservative and one of the most widely used in the world. It has a simple, but important job: prevent your products from going bad by stopping bacteria, yeast, and mold from growing.
Typical use levels are low, often 0.1-0.3%.
This is also one of the most heavily studied preservatives out there and major regulatory bodies have repeatedly given it the green light.
In 2023, the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) confirmed that this ingredient is safe up to 0.4% on its own, of up to 0.8% when mixed with other paraben esters.
Here's the science behind the noise behind parabens/hormones as well:
Methylparaben shows very weak estrogen-like activity in vitro tests (more than 1,000x weaker than your body's own estradiol). In vivo (live-organism) studies don't support a meaningful endocrine-disrupting effect either.
You get a stronger estrogenic effect from eating tofu, actually.
It's also a low sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon; they usually happen on damage or broken skin.
There is a caveat: France has proposed to formally re-examine its endocrine classification in 2025 so the regulatory conversation isn't fully closed as of yet.
But as it stands today, this ingredient is considered safe at permitted levels.
Learn more about MethylparabenPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
