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
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantBetaine
Humectant
Shorea Stenoptera Seed Butter
Emollient
Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Alanine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Threonine
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Valine
MaskingHistidine
Humectant
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningPhenylalanine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Spirodela Polyrhiza Extract
Skin ConditioningPCA
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide
Skin ConditioningDibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide
Skin ConditioningGlycolipids
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Tromethamine
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 7.3%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene, Dipropylene Glycol, Betaine, Shorea Stenoptera Seed Butter, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Ceramide NP, Arginine, Serine, Alanine, Glycine, Threonine, Proline, Valine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, Aspartic Acid, Spirodela Polyrhiza Extract, PCA, Sodium PCA, Bisabolol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide, Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide, Glycolipids, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Lactate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Carbomer, Pentylene Glycol, Tromethamine, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Propanediol
Solvent
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingDiisopropyl Sebacate
EmollientOryza Sativa Cera
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Bran Wax
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Cholesterol
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Benzoic Acid
Masking
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Water, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Propanediol, Zea Mays Starch, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Oryza Sativa Cera, Oryza Sativa Bran Wax, Stearic Acid, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Triethanolamine, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Triethyl Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Myristic Acid, Cholesterol, Palmitic Acid, Tocopherol, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Xanthan Gum, Phytosphingosine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Benzoic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate
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 MethoxydibenzoylmethaneCarbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPEthylhexyl 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 SalicylatePentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolWater. 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
