What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientCI 52015
Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV Filter
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Diisopropyl Sebacate
EmollientPropylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientSilica
Abrasive
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Triacontanyl Pvp
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
C20-22 Alkyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingC20-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Decylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningGlucose
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Coco-Glucoside Tartrate
Cleansing
Coconut Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Trehalose
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Spirulina Platensis Extract
Skin ProtectingPolyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, CI 52015, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Silica, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Triacontanyl Pvp, Glycerin, C20-22 Alkyl Phosphate, C20-22 Alcohols, Decylene Glycol, Glucose, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Coco-Glucoside Tartrate, Coconut Alcohol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Tocopheryl Acetate, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Trehalose, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Tocopherol, Spirulina Platensis Extract, Polyquaternium-51
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Drometrizole Trisiloxane
UV Absorber
Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer
Dimethicone
Emollient
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone
UV Absorber
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientAmmonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCitric Acid
Buffering
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingMyristic Acid
Cleansing
2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol
Skin ConditioningPalmitic Acid
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
PEG-8 Laurate
Emulsifying
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Dodecylbenzenesulfonate
CleansingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Triethanolamine
BufferingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Alcohol Denat., Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Titanium Dioxide, CI 77891, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Drometrizole Trisiloxane, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Dimethicone, CI 77492, Iron Oxides, Zea Mays Starch, Propylene Glycol, Synthetic Wax, Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Niacinamide, Tocopherol, Aluminum Hydroxide, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylyl Glycol, CI 77491, CI 77499, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Myristic Acid, 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol, Palmitic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-8 Laurate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Dodecylbenzenesulfonate, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This 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 TriazineAlso 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 MethoxydibenzoylmethaneC12-15 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 BenzoateCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
