Skin Rocks Cream Cleanser Fragrance Free Versus Garnier Ambre Solaire Sensitive Advanced Serum SPF 50+
This mild cream cleanser is made to cleanse without leaving your skin tight or dry.
This chemical sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
ChelatingSqualene
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Lactate
Buffering
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
PCA
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Serine
Masking
Alanine
Masking
Phytosteryl Macadamiate
Skin Conditioning
Glycine
Buffering
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialGlycine Hcl
BufferingThreonine
Arginine
Masking
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium EDTA
ChelatingWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Squalane, Propanediol, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Betaine, Carbomer, Hydroxyacetophenone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium PCA, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Squalene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Lactate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, PCA, Citric Acid, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Serine, Alanine, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Glycine Hcl, Threonine, Arginine, Phytosterols, Tocopherol, Proline, Trisodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingDiisopropyl Sebacate
EmollientOryza Sativa Cera
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Bran Wax
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Triethanolamine
BufferingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
ChelatingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Pentylene Glycol, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Alcohol Denat., Ethylhexyl Triazone, Zea Mays Starch, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Oryza Sativa Cera, Oryza Sativa Bran Wax, Tocopherol, Sodium Benzoate, Stearic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate, Triethanolamine, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Palmitic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Myristic Acid, Ceramide NP, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Glyceryl Stearate
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, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.
However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearatePeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Tocopherol 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
