What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Talc
Abrasive
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingDiisopropyl Sebacate
EmollientSynthetic Wax
Abrasive
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Triethanolamine
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Alcohol Denat., Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Titanium Dioxide, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Talc, Stearic Acid, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Synthetic Wax, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Glyceryl Stearate, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid, Tocopherol, Triethanolamine, Xanthan Gum
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 2%
UV Absorber
Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid 2%
UV Absorber
Octocrylene 10%
UV Absorber
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCyclomethicone
Emollient
Simethicone
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingIsopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Methylparaben
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Propylparaben
Preservative
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Stearoyl Macrogolglycerides
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 2%, Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid 2%, Octocrylene 10%, Carbomer, Cyclomethicone, Simethicone, Disodium EDTA, Glycerin, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Isopropyl Palmitate, Methylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, Propylene Glycol, Propylparaben, Water, Stearic Acid, Stearoyl Macrogolglycerides, Stearyl Alcohol
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 a chemical sunscreen filter that provides protection in the UV-A range.
Avobenzone is globally approved and is the most commonly used UV-A filter in the world.
Studies have found that avobenzone becomes ineffective when exposed to UV light (it is not photostable; meaning that it breaks down in sunlight). Because of this, formulations that include avobenzone will usually contain stabilizers such as octocrylene.
However, some modern formulations (looking at you, EU!) are able to stabilize avobenzone by coating the molecules.
Avobenzone does not protect against the UV-B range, so it's important to check that the sunscreen you're using contains other UV filters that do!
The highest concentration of avobenzone permitted is 3% in the US, and 5% in the EU.
Learn more about Butyl MethoxydibenzoylmethaneDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinIsopropyl Palmitate is a texture enhancer and emollient. It is an ester of isopropyl alcohol and palmitic acid.
Palmitates are emollients. Emollients help keep your skin soft and smooth by creating a barrier that traps moisture in.
When added to cosmetics, Isopropyl Palmitate creates a silky texture and improves spreadability.
Isopropyl Palmitate may not be fungal acne safe. It can worsen acne prone skin.
Learn more about Isopropyl PalmitateOctocrylene protects skin from sun damage. It absorbs UV-B with peak absorption of 304 nm. It is a common sunscreen ingredient and often paired with avobenzone, a UVA filter. This is because octocrylene stabilizes other sunscreen ingredients by protecting them from degradation when exposed to sunlight. Octocrylene is a photostable ingredient and loses about 10% of SPF in 95 minutes.
Octocrylene also acts as an emollient, meaning it helps skin retain moisture and softens skin. It is oil-soluble and hydrophobic, enhancing water-resistant properties in a product.
Those who are using ketoprofen, a topical anti-inflammatory drug, may experience an allergic reaction when using octocrylene. It is best to speak with a healthcare professional about using sunscreens with octocrylene.
The EU allows a maximum of these concentrations:
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.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidEcamsule is a UV-A absorber (290–400 nm) patented by L'Oreal. It is derived from benzylidene camphor, making it highly photostable.
Ecamsule is able to prevent UV from reaching the skin. It absorbs UV and releases it as thermal energy.
It does this by:
The pH of ecamsule needs to be neutralized due to it being an acid. Triethanolamine is a pH adjusting ingredient often used with ecamsule.
This sunscreen ingredient is approved for use in the EU, Canada, and Asia. In the US, you will only find this ingredient in select L'Oreal products.
Learn more about Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic AcidWater. 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
