This chemical sunscreen covers most of the UV range, lighter on the deep UVA that drives aging.
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV AbsorberHomosalate 7.3%
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV AbsorberWater
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingButyloctyl Salicylate
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Methoxycrylene
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantBetaine
HumectantShorea Stenoptera Seed Butter
EmollientVp/Hexadecene Copolymer
Ceramide NP
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingSerine
MaskingAlanine
MaskingGlycine
BufferingThreonine
Proline
Skin ConditioningValine
MaskingHistidine
HumectantIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningPhenylalanine
MaskingAspartic Acid
MaskingSpirodela Polyrhiza Extract
Skin ConditioningPCA
HumectantSodium PCA
HumectantBisabolol
AntioxidantHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantDibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide
Skin ConditioningDibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide
Skin ConditioningGlycolipids
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantSodium Lactate
BufferingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningTromethamine
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeButyl 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 ConditioningHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantSqualane
EmollientPalmaria Palmata Extract
Skin ProtectingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
ChelatingWater, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Squalane, Palmaria Palmata Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Cetyl Alcohol, 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.
Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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