What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Zinc Oxide 19.6%
Cosmetic Colorant
Water
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Butyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
Diheptyl Succinate
EmollientMethyl Dihydroabietate
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningLavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Salvia Officinalis Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Withania Somnifera Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentCellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingArachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Zinc Oxide 19.6%, Water, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Diheptyl Succinate, Methyl Dihydroabietate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Sodium Hyaluronate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Glycerin, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Withania Somnifera Root Extract, Tocopherol, Bisabolol, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Gluconate, Citric Acid, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Cellulose Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Behenyl Alcohol, Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientDibutyl Adipate
EmollientDiethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Silica
Abrasive
Cetearyl Olivate
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Emollient
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Dibutyl Adipate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Silica, Cetearyl Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Tocopherol, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Sorbitan Stearate, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Disodium EDTA, Adenosine, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl 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 or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinLavandula Angustifolia Oil is more commonly known as lavender essential oil. It is considered a fragrancing ingredient.
Lavender imparts a famous scent. While the smell is lovely, this ingredient and may sensitize skin in topical products. This is because about 85% of the oil is made up of linalool and linalyl acetate.
When exposed to air, these two compounds become strong allergens. This ingredient exhibits cytotoxicity at low concentrations; amounts of 0.25% have been shown to damage skin cells.
A study from Japan found this ingredient caused lavender sensitivity after widespread exposure.
Lavender essential oil has some antimicrobial, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the cons of this ingredient may outweight the pros.
More research is needed to confirm lavender essential oil's effects when used in aromatherapy.
Lavandula Angustifolia is known as the English Lavender and famous for creating purple fields in Provence, France.
Learn more about Lavandula Angustifolia OilTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
