What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Homosalate 7.3%
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV Absorber
Octocrylene 9%
UV Absorber
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Butyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Cereus Grandiflorus Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Dimethicone/Bis-Isobutyl PPG-20 Crosspolymer
Emollient
Ethyl Ferulate
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Isododecane
EmollientPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Polyamide-3
Propanediol
Solvent
Squalane
Emollient
Trimethylpentanediol/Adipic Acid/Glycerin Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningVp/Hexadecene Copolymer
Water
Skin ConditioningButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 7.3%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Octocrylene 9%, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Bisabolol, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Ceramide NP, Cereus Grandiflorus Flower Extract, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/Bis-Isobutyl PPG-20 Crosspolymer, Ethyl Ferulate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hyaluronic Acid, Isododecane, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Polyamide-3, Propanediol, Squalane, Trimethylpentanediol/Adipic Acid/Glycerin Crosspolymer, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Water
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Homosalate
Skin Conditioning
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Butyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Vp/Eicosene Copolymer
Silica
Abrasive
Trisiloxane
Skin Conditioning
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingPolyacrylate-13
Polyisobutene
Parfum
Masking
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Dextrin
AbsorbentTheobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningGossypium Herbaceum Extract
Skin ConditioningGlucose
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Propanediol, Homosalate, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Dimethicone, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Silica, Trisiloxane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, C14-22 Alcohols, Cetyl Alcohol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Parfum, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Butylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan Isostearate, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Gossypium Herbaceum Extract, Glucose, 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.
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 MethoxydibenzoylmethaneButyloctyl Salicylate is a chemical UV filter structurally similar to octisalate. It is a photostabilizer, SPF booster, emollient and solvent. This ingredient helps evenly spread out ingredients.
According to a manufacturer, it is suitable for pairing with micro Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, and pigments.
Photostabilizers help stabilize UV-filters and prevents them from degrading quickly.
Learn more about Butyloctyl SalicylateEthylhexyl 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 SalicylateHomosalate is an oil-soluble organic UVB filter that has been a sunscreen staple for decades. Its job is to absorb UVB rays (~295-315 nm) and protect your skin against sunburn,
This is one of the more photostable organic UV filters; it holds up pretty well under UV and a 2022 quantum-chemistry study found it stays stable in sunlight.
It's actually so reliable that formulators often pair it with shakier ingredients like oxybenzone and avobenzone. Formulators also use it to help dissolve the other UV filters into the oil phase.
One thing to keep in mind: "stable" isn't the same as "strong". On its own, homosalate is actually a pretty weak UV filter so it's better off as a helpful team player that helps boost overall SPF protection.
The safety picture is a bit nuanced but not scary.
This ingredient has a long track record of being gentle and regulators agree it isn't an irritant; EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety found that homosalate is not considered a skin irritant and doesn't raise eye-irritation flags either.
There's talk about homosalate because your skin absorbs a little bit of it into your bloodstream. A 2020 FDA-backed study found homosalate showed up in people's blood levels at the level where the FDA decides to double check.
The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) also found small amounts in blood and breast milk. They estimated that about 5% of what you apply gets absorbed through the skin.
Due to the debate about whether it might mess with hormones, the SCCS recommended a maximum limit of 0.5% in most products of 7.3% in face creams/pump sprays.
One important thing to keep in mind: in the US, Homosalate is currently labeled "non-GRASE" by the FDA. This sounds alarming but really just means the FDA wants more data to confirm it's safe. It's not confidently saying this ingredient is harmful.
As of now, homosalate is still completely legal and widely used while that research gets done.
The current maximum limits are:
Learn more about HomosalateOctocrylene 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 OctocrylenePropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolWater. 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
