What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Vinyldimethicone
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPEG-12 Dimethicone/PPG-20 Crosspolymer
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone
UV Absorber
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Alumina
Abrasive
Simethicone
Emollient
Polysilicone-11
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin ProtectingCaprylic/Capric/Lauric Triglyceride
Skin ConditioningVinyldimethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, PEG-12 Dimethicone/PPG-20 Crosspolymer, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Alumina, Simethicone, Polysilicone-11, Caprylyl Methicone, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Caprylic/Capric/Lauric Triglyceride
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Homosalate
Skin Conditioning
Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV Filter
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Acrylates Copolymer
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialAlumina
Abrasive
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Silica
Abrasive
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Decylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
CI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingTapioca Starch
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Homosalate, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Octocrylene, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Acrylates Copolymer, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Alumina, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Silica, Decyl Glucoside, Decylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxyacetophenone, CI 77499, CI 77491, CI 77492, Phenoxyethanol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Propylene Glycol, Water, Saccharide Isomerate, Sodium Citrate, Tapioca Starch, Titanium Dioxide, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alumina is another name for the compound aluminum oxide. It is a white powder used as a thickener, absorbent, and abrasive.
As an absorbent, alumina can give a mattifying effect. It is used in mineral sunscreens to help coat nano-sized filters, such as titanium dioxide. By increasing the size of the UV filters, these ingredients stay on the skin for a longer time. By coating small sized ingredients, alumina helps thicken a product.
Alumina may be used as an abrasive, or exfoliant.
Alumina is naturally occurring in the mineral corundum. Certain varieties of corundum create rubies and sapphires. Corundum is also the crystalline form of alumina.
Learn more about AluminaThis ingredient is better known as bemotrizinol or Tinosorb S and is one of the best broad-spectrum UV filters in modern sunscreen.
It works by absorbing UV light across a whole range (280-400 nm) with peaks around 310 nm (UVB) and 340-345 nm (UVA). This means it covers UVB plus the deeper UVA wavelengths that drive photoaging and pigmentation.
Another pro?
It's exceptionally photostable, barely degrades in sunlight, and acts as a "bodyguard" for less stable filters.
That's why you'll see it paired with avobenzone or octinoxate; this team up ensures they keep working through sun exposure.
Safety reviews have been reassuring across the board. This ingredient shows low absorption through the skin, rarely irritates, and lab studies found it doesn't act like a hormone in the body (a concern that's been raised about some older sunscreen filters).
On maximum concentrations:
In 2026, the US F.D.A finally added it as an OTC sunscreen ingredient at concentrations up to 6% for adults / children 6 months and older
Learn more about Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl TriazineC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is a lightweight emollient made by combinig benzoic acid with fatty alcohols that are 12-15 carbons long.
In cosmetics, it plays several roles:
The Cosmetic Review Expert Panel has concluded the alkyl benzoate group to be safe as used in cosmetics; it wasn't found to be a skin irritant and unlikely to be absorbed due to its low water solubility.
This report recorded almost 1000 reported uses with concentrations up to 59% in leave-on products but your cosmetics will typically use 0.5-15% depending on the product.
It's often called a "SPF booster": this is because it keeps UV filters properly dissolved and evenly distributed to support a sunscreen's performance. It doesn't actually raise SPF on its own.
Overall, this ingredient is well tolerated.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because it is an ester of benzoic acid.
Think of this ingredient as two parts stuck together: an oily part and an acid part. Malassezia only gets a meal when it can snip off a fatty acid to eat. With C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, the acid part is benzoic acid, which isn't a fatty acid and which the yeast can't use as food.
Benzoic acid is actually used as a preservative to stop yeast from growing.
The oily part is a blend of C12-15 fatty alcohols but fatty alcohols in this size range can support only a little Malassezia growth (mostly for one species of Malassezia as well).
In the ingredient, those alcohols stay locked inside the molecule. The yeast can only reach them by snipping the benzoate bond, and that type of bond is harder for it to cut than a normal fatty bond.
So not much gets released. And whatever does get snipped comes packaged with benzoic acid, which discourages yeast growth.
Learn more about C12-15 Alkyl BenzoateDiethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate (DHHB) is a chemical UV-A absorber. It is formulated for high UVA protection (320-400 nm).
DHHB is well-liked for:
DHHB has been approved by the EU, Japan, Taiwan, and South America for use up to 10%. Unfortunately, it has not been approved for use in the US or Canada due to slow regulatory processes.
This ingredient is soluble in oils, fats, and lipids.
Learn more about Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl BenzoateTitanium 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
