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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion SPF 50+ Sunscreen versus EltaMD, Inc UV Sheer Broad-Spectrum SPF50+ Serum .

Published on December 01, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both sunscreens. They have a total of 3 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain SPF

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin and brightening skin

Free From

They both do not contain any common allergens, oils or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain silicones

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

Sunscreen Japanese Brand Japan
Sunscreen American Brand United States

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

Shop

Buy Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion SPF 50+ Sunscreen

Starts at $12.49
Shop

Buy UV Sheer Broad-Spectrum SPF50+ Serum

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
50
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)
Vitamin E
Exfoliators (2)

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging (2)
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying (2)
May Worsen Oily Skin (3)
Acne Trigger (2)
Irritating (3)
Rosacea (6)
Eczema (5)

Notable Ingredients

Chemical UV Filter
Mineral UV Filter
Vitamin C
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating
Redness Reducing
Skin Texture
Anti-Aging
Dark Spots
Acne Fighting
Brightening

Concerns

Eczema
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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: 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

Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion SPF 50+ Sunscreen contains this as ingredient number 4.

EltaMD, Inc UV Sheer Broad-Spectrum SPF50+ Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Emollient, Solvent
Community Rating: Disliked

Isododecane is a fragrance, emollient, and solvent.

As an emollient, it helps your skin stay soft and hydrated. Emollients help trap moisture into your skin.

Isododecane's role as a solvent makes it a great texture enhancer. It spreads smoothly on skin and does not leave a sticky feeling behind. Isododecane also helps prevent color transfer in makeup products.

Isododecane is not absorbed into skin.

Learn more about Isododecane

Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion SPF 50+ Sunscreen contains this as ingredient number 17.

EltaMD, Inc UV Sheer Broad-Spectrum SPF50+ Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.

3
What it does: Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

  • It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
  • It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
  • It helps improve product application.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.

Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion SPF 50+ Sunscreen contains this as ingredient number 38.

EltaMD, Inc UV Sheer Broad-Spectrum SPF50+ Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.

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

9% are loved or liked
9% have mixed ratings
53% are disliked or very disliked
29% have no rating yet
18% are loved or liked
18% have mixed ratings
64% are disliked or very disliked
0% 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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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion SPF 50+ Sunscreen 45 ingredients

1.0 /5
from 1 review
littleblue03's Avatar'
Oct 12, 2023

Greasy
Feels super greasy and gross on my face.

Greasy
Feels super greasy and gross on my face.

EltaMD, Inc UV Sheer Broad-Spectrum SPF50+ Serum 22 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 review
BrodyTosi's Avatar'
Jan 17, 2024

I quite like this sunscreen by EltaMD. One of my favorite talking points about this sunscreen is the vitamin C derivative it contains, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (THD), which is oil-soluble. THD is able to much more readily penetrate the...

I quite like this sunscreen by EltaMD. One of my favorite talking points about this sunscreen is the vitamin C derivative it contains, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (THD), which is oil-soluble. THD is able to much more readily penetrate the compacted hydrophobic (water repellent) lipid matrix of the stratum corneum versus other vitamin C derivatives used in skincare. This product also contains squalane, which is an excellent low comedogenicity ranked skin emollient. Personally, I also tend to like how EltaMD formulates UV Sheer with dual physical/chemical filters. This sunscreen applies pretty light with a mild-moderate shine left on the face and it does leave a mild white cast (the least noticeable cast but most noticeable shine compared to my usage of UV Luminous/UV Shield/UV Restore). One consideration with this product is it does contain sodium hyaluronate (hyaluronic acid salt), which as a humectant can be irritating for many individuals including myself. I found that consistent use of UV Sheer didn't irritate my skin, but I would be cautious if you find yourself in a similar position nonetheless.

Expensive
Hydrating
Light
Absorbs Well
Light Scent
Works Well

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 41 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion SPF 50+ Sunscreen.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 3 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to EltaMD, Inc UV Sheer Broad-Spectrum SPF50+ Serum.

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