Skin science article
Beauty of Joseon Daily Relief Sunscreen SPF 40 Versus SKIN1004 Tone Brightening Tone-up Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++
Beauty of Joseon Daily Relief Sunscreen SPF 40 Versus SKIN1004 Tone Brightening Tone-up Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++ This chemical sunscreen covers most of the UV range, lighter on the deep UVA that drives aging. This hybrid sunscreen covers the full UV range and b
Beauty of Joseon Daily Relief Sunscreen SPF 40 Versus SKIN1004 Tone Brightening Tone-up Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++
This chemical sunscreen covers most of the UV range, lighter on the deep UVA that drives aging.
This hybrid sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Homosalate
Butyloctyl Salicylate
Octocrylene
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
Dipropylene Glycol
Diethylhexyl 2,6-Naphthalate
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
Glycerin
Caprylyl Methicone
1,2-Hexanediol
Silica
Vp/Eicosene Copolymer
Pentylene Glycol
Behenyl Alcohol
Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Cetearyl Alcohol
Glyceryl Stearate
Inulin Lauryl Carbamate
Tromethamine
Carbomer
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Oryza Sativa Extract
T-Butyl Alcohol
Tocopherol
Water, Homosalate, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Dipropylene Glycol, Diethylhexyl 2,6-Naphthalate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Glycerin, Caprylyl Methicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Silica, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Pentylene Glycol, Behenyl Alcohol, Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Oryza Sativa Extract, T-Butyl Alcohol, Tocopherol
Dibutyl Adipate
Titanium Dioxide
Propanediol
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Centella Asiatica Extract
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
Ethylhexyl Triazone
Niacinamide
Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone
Corchorus Olitorius Leaf Extract
Hordeum Vulgare Sprout Extract
Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract
Sodium Hyaluronate
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Dimethiconol
Trisiloxane
Stearic Acid
Alumina
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Stearoxy Ether
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
Xanthan Gum
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Adenosine
Sodium Polyacrylate
Madecassoside
Pvm/Ma Copolymer
Polyether-1
Tranexamic Acid
Sodium Palmitoyl Proline
Butylene Glycol
CI 77492
CI 77491
Water, Dibutyl Adipate, Titanium Dioxide, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Centella Asiatica Extract, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Niacinamide, Caprylyl Methicone, Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Corchorus Olitorius Leaf Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Sprout Extract, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Glycerin, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Dimethiconol, Trisiloxane, Stearic Acid, Alumina, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Stearoxy Ether, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Adenosine, Sodium Polyacrylate, Madecassoside, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Polyether-1, T-Butyl Alcohol, Tranexamic Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Palmitoyl Proline, Butylene Glycol, CI 77492, CI 77491
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
Emollient, helping to soften skin
Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Caprylyl Methicone is a synthetic and lightweight silicone fluid. It gives products a silky, dry-touch finish without the heaviness of pure oils.
Though the EU CosIng Database lists this ingredient as a skin conditioner, it is also used for sensory reasons. It spreads easily, cuts greasiness, and reduces tackiness.
This ingredient is volatile which means it will mostly evaporate (but it evaporates slower than older cyclomethicones, like Cyclotetrasiloxane).
Typical concentration ranges from 1-30% depending on if it's being used to tweak the feel of a product or acting as the main emollient.
Dipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.
This ingredient helps:
Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
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.
Pentylene 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%.
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6 is a texture enhancer and pH adjuster.
It is be used to thicken water-based products and create a gel-texture with a velvet feel.
One manufacturer claims this ingredient to have a pH range of 2-8 and to be biodegradable.
This ingredient is also known as Sepimax Zen.
T-Butyl Alcohol (aka tert-butanol) is a small, clear, camphor-smelling alcohol.
It has two main jobs:
On the safety side, it's well-studied and has a solid track record. Human repeat-insult patch testing showed no skin irritation or sensitization even at 100%.
Typical use levels are pretty tiny, usually less than 1%.
You might see some fear-mongering around this ingredient:
Studies in male rats showed kidney effects but that's because of a rat-specific protein that humans don't make. So this study isn't really relevant to humans.
Though it's not a typical fragrance like parfum, it does have a natural scent. That's why the official COSIng database lists it as 'perfuming' ingredient. It can be used to modify the scent of a formula.
We don't have a description for Vp/Eicosene Copolymer yet.
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!