Arbonne RE9 Advanced Lifting and Contouring Cream SPF 15 Sunscreen Versus First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer

Arbonne RE9 Advanced Lifting and Contouring Cream SPF 15 Sunscreen Versus First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer

This mineral sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~93% of UVB at SPF 15, below the SPF 30 recommended for daily use.

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Avena Sativa Kernel Flour and Squalane to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Zinc Oxide 4.45%

Water

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Glycerin

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate

Cetyl Alcohol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Cetyl Dimethicone

Cetyl Palmitate

Dimethicone

Behenyl Alcohol

Cetearyl Alcohol

Glyceryl Stearate

Squalane

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Isononyl Isononanoate

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Xanthan Gum

Caprylyl Glycol

Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate

Stearic Acid

Polysorbate 60

Sorbitan Isostearate

Olea Europaea Fruit Oil

Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Osmanthus Fragrans Flower Extract

Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract

Chondrus Crispus Extract

Laminaria Digitata Extract

Ganoderma Lucidum Stem Extract

Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract

Undaria Pinnatifida Extract

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Panthenol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Pantolactone

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2

Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer

Micrococcus Lysate

Biosaccharide Gum-1

Disodium Acetyl Glucosamine Phosphate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Citric Acid

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Phytic Acid

Sodium Citrate

Aminomethyl Propanediol

Propanediol

Triethoxycaprylylsilane

Chlorphenesin

Phenoxyethanol

Glyoxal

Sodium Nitrate

Zinc Oxide 4.45%, Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Dimethicone, Cetyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Behenyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Squalane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Isononyl Isononanoate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Stearic Acid, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Osmanthus Fragrans Flower Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Ganoderma Lucidum Stem Extract, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Pantolactone, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Micrococcus Lysate, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Disodium Acetyl Glucosamine Phosphate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Phytic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Propanediol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Glyoxal, Sodium Nitrate

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Urea

Avena Sativa Kernel Flour

Allantoin

Persea Gratissima Oil

N-Butyl Alcohol

Carbomer

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Sodium Hydroxide

Ceramide NP

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Tetrasodium EDTA

Water, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Urea, Cetyl Alcohol, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Squalane, Caprylyl Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Allantoin, Persea Gratissima Oil, N-Butyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Ceramide NP, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Phenoxyethanol, Tetrasodium EDTA

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Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.

Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).

In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).

Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.

Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.

While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.

Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.

Its main roles are:

Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.

The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.

Dimethicone 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.

Glycerin (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.

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.

Squalane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).

It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.

This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.

Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.

Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.

No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).

Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.

This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.

Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.

Read more about squalene with an "e".

Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.

The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.

Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.

A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.

The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.

Water. 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!

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