What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Homosalate 10%
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV Absorber
Octocrylene 10%
UV Absorber
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPolyester-8
Skin Conditioning
Polyamide-3
Lauryl Lactate
EmollientIsodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientDiisopropyl Sebacate
EmollientDiethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin ProtectingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Raphanus Sativus Seed Oil
Emollient
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Alaria Esculenta Extract
Skin ProtectingT-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Denatonium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 10%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Alcohol, Octyldodecanol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Polyester-8, Polyamide-3, Lauryl Lactate, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Tocopherol, Glycine Soja Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Raphanus Sativus Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Alaria Esculenta Extract, T-Butyl Alcohol, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Denatonium Benzoate, Citric Acid
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Homosalate 5%
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV Absorber
Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientOctyldodecanol
Emollient
C15-19 Alkane
SolventCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Silica Silylate
Emollient
Butyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
Polyester-8
Skin Conditioning
Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningDibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide
Skin ConditioningVp/Eicosene Copolymer
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Behenate
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Crithmum Maritimum Extract
Skin ConditioningButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 5%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Octyldodecanol, C15-19 Alkane, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Silica Silylate, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Polyester-8, Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide, Squalane, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil, Parfum, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Glyceryl Behenate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Niacinamide, Crithmum Maritimum Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Also known as Avobenzone, this ingredient is an oil-soluble used to absorb the full spectrum of UVA rays (peak 357 nm).
It's one of the most effective UVA filters available but has a major caveat of photostability: avobenzone is susceptible to photodegradation.
This means it can lose efficacy when exposed to sunlight without the help of a stabilizing agent.
Studies show antioxidants (like vitamin E or vitamin C) and some UV filters (like octocrylene and Tinosorb S) can meaningfully improve its stability in a formulation.
The maximum allowable concentration according to regulation is 3% in the US + Canada, and 5% in the EU, Australia, China, Korea, and ASEAN countries.
It has a well-support safety profile: a comprehensive 2025 review found minimal toxicity with no evidence of carcinogenicity.
Overall, avobenzone is a safe and regulated ingredient used in sunscreen for over 40 years.
Learn more about Butyl MethoxydibenzoylmethaneCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideEthylhexyl Salicylate (also called Octisalate or Octyl Salicylate) is an oil-soluble organic UV filter that's been used in sunscreen since the 1950's.
It absorbs UVB light in the 280-320 nm range with a peak absorbance around 306 nm.
You'll often see it paired with other UV filters to boost overall SPF because octisalate is a fairly week filter on its own.
The reason you'll see it so often is because it can help solubilize and stabilize the trickier filters like oxybenzone and avobenzone.
Unlike these filters, octisalate has pretty good photostability and doesn't create skin-damaging free radicals when exposed to sunlight.
The fatty-alcohol part of the molecule also gives it a light, emollient feel so it doubles as a nice texture enhancer.
Usage levels vary around the world:
Safety-wise, this ingredient has a pretty reassuring track record. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) found very low skin penetration in human skin tests and negative results for irritation, phototoxicity, and photoallergy.
The real-world allergy risk is pretty low too; a 2012 European study of 1,031 people recorded only 2 reactions to it (a rate of 0.19%).
You might have seen scary headlines about sunscreen getting into your blood.
In 2019, the FDA found that several chemical filters can absorb through the skin and show up in the bloodstream at small but measurable levels.
Here's the important part: these tiny levels are just a cutoff the FDA uses to decide which ingredients need more testing and doesn't mean anything harmful was found.
The researchers were clear that the results are no reason to stop wearing sunscreen.
Learn more about Ethylhexyl SalicylateHomosalate 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 HomosalateLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil is from the seeds of the meadowfoam plant. It is a skin conditioning agent and emollient that sits on top of skin to soften and hydrate it.
Over 98% of the oil is made up of long-chain fatty acids, mostly aachidic acid (61%), docosenoic acid (~16%), and docosadienoic acid (~18%).
This combination is not really found in any other plant oil and is the reason this is one of the most stable botanical oils available.
Some studies show it to be more stable than jojoba oil, helps a product resist going rancid, and can help extend the shelf life of a formula.
It also naturally contains vitamin E and phytosterols that give it a mild antioxidant benefit.
This ingredient is typically used from around 1% to fairly high levels since it's gentle; it's well-tolerated and low on the irritation scale.
Learn more about Limnanthes Alba Seed OilOctyldodecanol is a fatty alcohol sourced from plant oils like coconut or palm (or made synthetically).
It is:
You'll likely see this in many BHA products because this is the go-to solvent for salicylic acid.
This ingredient is typically used at levels between 2-20%.
Regarding fungal acne:
In 2019, this ingredient was tested against multiple Malassezia species (the yeast that causes fungal acne) and showed no growth.
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate (long name, huh?) is a synthetic antioxidant.
It is used to help stabilize other antioxidants or prevent the color from changing in a product.
As an antioxidant, it helps fight free-radical molecules. Free-radical molecules are capable of damaging our cells and other genetic material. Thus, antioxidants may reduce the signs of aging.
This ingredient is oil-soluble.
Learn more about Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl HydroxyhydrocinnamateThis ingredient is also known as Polycrylene. It is a UV photostabilizer and often used in sunscreens as an alternative to octocrylene.
Polycrylene is used to stabilize other UV filters, especially avobenzone, which is known to degrade rapidly without stabilizers. It also absorbs UVB light, but is only about 1/3 as effective as octocrylene.
At its maximum recommended strength of 4%, this ingredient is not likely to make a significant contribution to SPF factor. Polycrylene has a large molecular weight so it's unlikely to penetrate skin.
Although rare, this ingredient can cause contact dermatitis.
Due to regulatory loopholes, you'll be able to find this chemical UV filter in "100% mineral" sunscreens.
Learn more about Polyester-8
