Undefined Beauty R&R Sun Serum SPF 50 PA++++ Versus Neutrogena Purescreen+ Mineral UV Tint Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 30
This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.
This mineral sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~97% of UVB at SPF 30.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPropanediol
Solvent
Tridecyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate
Emulsifying
Methylheptyl Isostearate
Skin ConditioningJojoba Esters
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Nylon-12
Methylpropanediol
SolventSilica
Abrasive
Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTocopherol
Antioxidant
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Lecithin
Emollient
Phenylpropanol
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
ChelatingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingIron Oxides
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Propanediol, Tridecyl Salicylate, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate, Methylheptyl Isostearate, Jojoba Esters, Niacinamide, Nylon-12, Methylpropanediol, Silica, Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Coco-Caprylate, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Lecithin, Phenylpropanol, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Iron Oxides
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Water
Skin ConditioningIsohexadecane
EmollientDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientCetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialSodium Chloride
MaskingPolyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Sorbitan Sesquioleate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDimethiconol
Emollient
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingIron Oxides
Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Water, Isohexadecane, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Dimethicone, Isopropyl Palmitate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dimethiconol, Aluminum Hydroxide, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Stearic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Iron Oxides
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
C12-15 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 BenzoateChances 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 WaterThis ingredient is a combination of red, black, and yellow iron oxide pigments. This combination of colors is usually found in foundation, because it results in a "skin" color.
The EU typically uses CI numbers for colorants when applicable, such as CI 77489. In the US, iron oxides are regulated as color additives and "iron oxides" is the most commonly used name in US cosmetic practice.
A 2021 paper looked at skincare formulations containing iron oxides and found that they reduced transmission of blue light when measured optically. In simple terms, the pigment particles helped block or scatter part of the visible light spectrum in lab testing and the authors suggest this could translate into better protection against blue-light-related skin effects.
There is also clinical and experimental research showing that tinted products containing iron oxides can reduce visible light-induced pigmentation:
Please note, whether a product reduces visible or blue light depends on things like:
In the EU's CosIng database, iron oxides are only listed as a colorant. CosIng groups ingredients by their main cosmetic role, such as colorant, preservative, or UV filter.
Though studies say iron oxides can "attenuate blue light", they're describing an optical property and not an officially recognized cosmetic function.
So CosIng isn’t contradicting the research. It’s just classifying iron oxides by what they officially are: pigments that add color.
Learn more about Iron Oxides
