This chemical sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50.
This chemical sunscreen covers most of the UV range, lighter on the deep UVA that drives aging.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Isododecane
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Homosalate
Skin Conditioning
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV Filter
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingOctyldodecyl Xyloside
EmulsifyingPEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Emulsifying
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Polyisobutene
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Xylose
HumectantEctoin
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin Conditioning
Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Isododecane, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Homosalate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Octyldodecanol, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Octyldodecyl Xyloside, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Phenoxyethanol, Decyl Glucoside, Hydroxyacetophenone, Polyisobutene, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether, Disodium EDTA, Sorbitan Isostearate, Xanthan Gum, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propylene Glycol, Xylose, Ectoin, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Homosalate 15%
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV Absorber
Octocrylene 10%
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningStyrene/Acrylates Copolymer
Butyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
Diethylhexyl 2,6-Naphthalate
EmollientPolyester-7
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
PPG-15 Stearyl Ether
EmollientSilica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientTapioca Starch
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingDiethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin Protecting
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlycereth-26
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 15%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Water, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Diethylhexyl 2,6-Naphthalate, Polyester-7, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Silica, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, PPG-15 Stearyl Ether, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Tapioca Starch, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Tocopherol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Xanthan Gum, Glycereth-26, Glycerin, Disodium EDTA, Bisabolol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium 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 EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinHomosalate is an oil-soluble organic UVB filter that has been a sunscreen staple for decades. Its job is to absorb UVB rays (~295-315 nm) and protect your skin against sunburn,
This is one of the more photostable organic UV filters; it holds up pretty well under UV and a 2022 quantum-chemistry study found it stays stable in sunlight.
It's actually so reliable that formulators often pair it with shakier ingredients like oxybenzone and avobenzone. Formulators also use it to help dissolve the other UV filters into the oil phase.
One thing to keep in mind: "stable" isn't the same as "strong". On its own, homosalate is actually a pretty weak UV filter so it's better off as a helpful team player that helps boost overall SPF protection.
The safety picture is a bit nuanced but not scary.
This ingredient has a long track record of being gentle and regulators agree it isn't an irritant; EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety found that homosalate is not considered a skin irritant and doesn't raise eye-irritation flags either.
There's talk about homosalate because your skin absorbs a little bit of it into your bloodstream. A 2020 FDA-backed study found homosalate showed up in people's blood levels at the level where the FDA decides to double check.
The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) also found small amounts in blood and breast milk. They estimated that about 5% of what you apply gets absorbed through the skin.
Due to the debate about whether it might mess with hormones, the SCCS recommended a maximum limit of 0.5% in most products of 7.3% in face creams/pump sprays.
One important thing to keep in mind: in the US, Homosalate is currently labeled "non-GRASE" by the FDA. This sounds alarming but really just means the FDA wants more data to confirm it's safe. It's not confidently saying this ingredient is harmful.
As of now, homosalate is still completely legal and widely used while that research gets done.
The current maximum limits are:
Learn more about HomosalateHydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.
As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.
Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.
This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.
You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.
Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.
An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.
So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneTocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.
Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.
It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.
One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.
Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.
Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.
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.
Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.
The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.
Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
