What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 4.7%
UV Absorber
Zinc Oxide 15%
Cosmetic Colorant
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingDiisostearyl Malate
EmollientSynthetic Wax
Abrasive
Polybutene
Glyceryl Diisostearate
Emollient
Euphorbia Cerifera Cera
Astringent
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glyceryl Diisostearate/Hydrogenated Rosinate
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Silica
Abrasive
CI 73360
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantEthylhexyl Salicylate 4.7%, Zinc Oxide 15%, Triethylhexanoin, Diisostearyl Malate, Synthetic Wax, Polybutene, Glyceryl Diisostearate, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Glyceryl Diisostearate/Hydrogenated Rosinate, Hydrolyzed Silk, Tocopherol, Silica, CI 73360, CI 19140, CI 77499, CI 77891
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Homosalate 10%
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV Absorber
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientC18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Oil
Emollient
Butyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer
Ozokerite
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Vanillin
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningMethyl Dihydroabietate
Trihydroxystearin
Skin Conditioning
Erythritol
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningChondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 10%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Oil, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Ozokerite, Cetyl Alcohol, Vanillin, Glyceryl Stearate, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Methyl Dihydroabietate, Trihydroxystearin, Erythritol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Chondrus Crispus Extract
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexyl 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 Salicylate
