Versus

Updated on December 21, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both sunscreens. They have a total of 9 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain exfoliants, SPF and Vitamin E

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin and sensitive skin

Free From

They both do not contain any oils, parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain harsh alcohols, fragrances and silicones

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

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

What's inside

What's inside

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Urban Environment Oil-Free UV Protector Broad Spectrum Face Sunscreen SPF 42
All Around Safe Block Soft Finish Sun Milk SPF50+ PA+++

Hydrolyzed Chestnut Extract

Skin Protecting

Cyclopentasiloxane

Emollient
Silicon Icon

Silica

Abrasive
Exfoliant IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Zinc Oxide

Cosmetic Colorant
1 / 0 Mineral UV Filter IconHelps fight Acne IconNon-Reef-Safe Icon

Dipropylene Glycol

Humectant

Lauryl PEG-10 Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone

Emulsifying
Silicon Icon

Isopropyl Palmitate

Emollient
3-4 / 1 May worsen Oily Skin IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Ethylhexyl Salicylate

UV Absorber
0 / 0 Chemical UV Filter IconNon-Reef-Safe IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate

UV Absorber
0 / 0 Chemical UV Filter IconMay cause irritation IconNon-Reef-Safe Icon

Caprylyl Methicone

Skin Conditioning
Silicon Icon

Titanium Dioxide

Cosmetic Colorant
0 / 0 Mineral UV Filter IconNon-Reef-Safe Icon

Alcohol Denat.

Antimicrobial
Alcohol IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconMay cause irritation IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Antimicrobial

Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer

Skin Conditioning

Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer

Limonia Acidissima Extract

Skin Conditioning

Opuntia Ficus-Indica Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Verbena Officinalis Leaf Extract

Masking

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract

Masking
May worsen Eczema Icon

Psidium Guajava Leaf Extract

Astringent

Rosa Rugosa Flower Extract

Skin Conditioning

Biosaccharide Gum-4

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine

Skin Conditioning
Chemical UV Filter Icon

Magnesium Sulfate

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Skin Conditioning
Silicon Icon

Dimethicone

Emollient
1 / 0 Silicon Icon

Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate

UV Filter
Chemical UV Filter Icon

Quaternium-18 Bentonite

Aluminum Hydroxide

Emollient

Stearic Acid

Cleansing
2-3 / 0 May worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Hydrogen Dimethicone

Silicon Icon

Water

Skin Conditioning

Silica Dimethyl Silylate

Emollient

Sodium Benzoate

Masking
Preservative Icon

Tocopheryl Acetate

Antioxidant
0 / 0 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant Icon

Potassium Sorbate

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Polyhydroxystearic Acid

Emulsifying
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Isopropyl Myristate

Emollient
3-5 / 3 May worsen Oily Skin IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Isostearic Acid

Cleansing
Bad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Lecithin

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Emollient
2-3 / 0 May worsen Oily Skin IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate

Emulsifying
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Disodium EDTA

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

CI 77491

Cosmetic Colorant

CI 77492

Cosmetic Colorant

Hexyl Cinnamal

Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen Icon

Benzyl Salicylate

Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen Icon

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz.

What it does:

Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:

Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.

Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.

This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.

Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.

Learn more about Dimethicone

This ingredient is a silicone used to improve the texture of products and absorb oil. It does not get absorbed into the skin.

Like other silicones, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer helps condition the skin by creating a barrier. In this sense, it can act as an emollient and trap moisture in.

Humectant, Masking, Solvent

Dipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.

This ingredient helps:

Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.

As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.

Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.

Learn more about Dipropylene Glycol

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA

Ethylhexyl Palmitate is created from 2-ethylhexyl alcohol and palmitic acid. It is a fatty acid ester.

The fatty acid content of Ethylhexyl Palmitate makes it an emollient. Emollients help soften and hydrate your skin by trapping moisture within.

Ethylhexyl Palmitate is also used to help improve the texture of cosmetics. It helps other ingredient dissolve in products and help disperse ingredients more evenly.

You'll likely find this ingredient in sunscreen, as it is often used to mix UV-blocking ingredients such as avobenzone and ethylhexyl triazone.

It can also help stabilize the fragrances in a product as a fragrance fixative.

Ethylhexyl Palmitate can be used to substitute mineral oil.

Due to its high fatty acid content, it may not be fungal-acne safe.

Learn more about Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Hydrogen Dimethicone is a type of silicone.

Preservative

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent 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.

Cosmetic Colorant, UV Absorber, UV Filter

Titanium dioxide is a mineral UV filter widely used in sunscreens and cosmetics.

It is one of only two UV filters officially classified as “mineral” by regulatory agencies, the other being zinc oxide.

Titanium dioxide provides broad-spectrum protection mostly in the UVB and UVAII range, with some protection in the UVAI range.

While its UVA protection isn’t as strong as zinc oxide’s, the difference is minor.

A common myth is that mineral UV filters reflect UV light. However, modern research shows titanium dioxide absorbs UV radiation like chemical filters (~95% absorption & 5% reflection).

Thanks to its non-irritating nature, titanium dioxide is suitable for sensitive, acne-prone, or redness-prone skin. It is unlikely to cause "eye sting" like other sunscreen ingredients.

A major drawback of this ingredient is its white cast and thick texture. This is why mineral sunscreens often leave a white cast and are less cosmetically elegant than chemical/hybrid sunscreens.

To improve white cast and spreadability, micronized or nano-sized titanium dioxide is often used.

There are ongoing concerns surrounding nano-titanium oxide's impact on marine ecosystems.

There is no conclusive evidence that any form of titanium oxide (or any other sunscreen ingredients) will cause harm to marine ecosystems or coral reefs. The science is still developing but many consumers are keeping a close eye on this issue.

Please note, many destinations have reef-safety sunscreen rules. For instance, the U.S. Virgin Islands advises all visitors to use non-nano mineral sunscreens.

Nano mineral sunscreens once raised safety concerns about absorption into skin.

Extensive research has shown that they do not penetrate healthy or damaged skin; they remain safely on the surface and the top layer of dead skin (stratum corneum).

You'll likely find titanium dioxide bundled with alumina, silica, or dimethicone. These ingredients help make titanium dioxide highly photostable; this prevents it from interacting with other formula components under UV light.

Learn more about Titanium Dioxide
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

When to use

19 Routines
100% use in am
0% use in pm
100% use every day
55 Routines
100% use in am
0% use in pm
91% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

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