What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Melanin
Skin ProtectingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Caprylic Acid
CleansingTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientXylitol
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Thermus Thermophillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Octocrylene, Butylene Glycol, Lecithin, Titanium Dioxide, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Melanin, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hyaluronic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Caprylic Acid, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Sodium Levulinate, Dimethicone, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Xylitol, Sodium Benzoate, Phospholipids, Allantoin, Thermus Thermophillus Ferment, Tocopheryl Acetate
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 2.7%
UV Absorber
Homosalate 4%
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 4.5%
UV Absorber
Octocrylene 6%
UV Absorber
Benzophenone-3 4.5%
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningSilica
Abrasive
Cetyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialSteareth-100
Gel FormingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Dimethicone
Emollient
Steareth-2
EmulsifyingPolyester-7
Skin ConditioningChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientBisabolol
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer
Skin Conditioning
Diethylhexyl 2,6-Naphthalate
EmollientMannan
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBHT
Antioxidant
Capryloyl Glycine
CleansingTrideceth-6
EmulsifyingSarcosine
Skin Conditioning
Cedrus Atlantica Bark Extract
Perfuming
Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract
Antimicrobial
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 2.7%, Homosalate 4%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 4.5%, Octocrylene 6%, Benzophenone-3 4.5%, Water, Silica, Cetyl Dimethicone, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Steareth-100, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Dimethicone, Steareth-2, Polyester-7, Chlorphenesin, Propylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Bisabolol, Disodium EDTA, Butylene Glycol, Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer, Diethylhexyl 2,6-Naphthalate, Mannan, Xanthan Gum, BHT, Capryloyl Glycine, Trideceth-6, Sarcosine, Cedrus Atlantica Bark Extract, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Also 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 MethoxydibenzoylmethaneButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolC12-15 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 BenzoateDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeOctocrylene is an oil-soluble organic UV filter that mainly absorbs UVB and short wave UVA II light.
Its real superpower is teamwork: octocrylene is remarkably photostable and is most famous for stabilizing avobenzone (the workhorse UVA filter).
This ingredient is commonly used to enhance both UVB and UVA protection due to its unique property in stabilizing avobenzone. It also pulls double duty by boosting water resistance and giving formulas a smooth, spreadable feel.
The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has deemed octocrylene to be safe as a UV-filter at concentrations up to 10% (capped at 9% in propellant sprays). The US also permits it up to 10%.
Two things worth knowing:
You'll usually see this ingredient used in concentrations between 2-10% (higher amounts when used as a stabilizer for avobenzone).
Learn more about OctocrylenePhenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium Polyacrylate is the sodium salt of polyacrylic acid. It is used as an absorber, emollient, and stabilizer.
This ingredient is a super-absorbent polymer - meaning it can absorb 100 to 1000 times its mass in water. As an emollient, Sodium Polyacrylate helps soften and soothe skin. Emollients work by creating a barrier to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
