What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Isostearyl Neopentanoate
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Lauryl PEG/PPG-18/18 Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV Filter
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Cetyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantParfum
Masking
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
MaskingGeraniol
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Glycerin, Lauryl PEG/PPG-18/18 Methicone, Silica, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Cetyl Dimethicone, Hydroxyacetophenone, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Saccharide Isomerate, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Mica, Parfum, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Aminomethyl Propanol, Titanium Dioxide, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Propylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Geraniol, Citronellol, Linalool, Eugenol, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Homosalate 10%
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV Absorber
Octocrylene 7%
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Silica
Abrasive
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer
PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Nylon-12
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientDiethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin ProtectingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Lauryl PEG/PPG-18/18 Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
PEG-8 Laurate
Emulsifying
Isostearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate
Emulsion StabilisingDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingP-Anisic Acid
Masking
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Cassia Alata Leaf Extract
AstringentPropylene Carbonate
SolventSodium Dodecylbenzenesulfonate
CleansingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 10%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Octocrylene 7%, Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Alcohol Denat., Silica, Dicaprylyl Ether, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Dimethicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Nylon-12, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Phenoxyethanol, Lauryl PEG/PPG-18/18 Methicone, Sodium Chloride, Caprylyl Glycol, PEG-8 Laurate, Isostearyl Alcohol, Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, P-Anisic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Disodium EDTA, Cassia Alata Leaf Extract, Propylene Carbonate, Sodium Dodecylbenzenesulfonate, Tocopherol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cyclohexasiloxane is a type of silicone more commonly known as D6. It is an emollient and solvent.
Cyclohexasiloxane is used to evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product. When applied to the skin, Cyclohexasiloxane evaporates and leaves behind a silky feel.
As an emollient, it can help the skin feel soft and hydrated. It is also used to reduce frizz in hair products.
Learn more about CyclohexasiloxaneCyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.
Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.
The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics
There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.
Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.
The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneEthylhexyl 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 SalicylateLauryl PEG/PPG-18/18 Methicone is a type of silicone.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Silica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.
Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.
The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.
It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.
In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.
Learn more about SilicaChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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 Water
