BYOMA Moisturizing Gel-Cream SPF 30 Versus The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Dewy Sunscreen SPF 30

BYOMA Moisturizing Gel-Cream SPF 30 Versus The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Dewy Sunscreen SPF 30

This chemical sunscreen covers most of the UV range, lighter on the deep UVA that drives aging.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%

Homosalate 10%

Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%

Water

Glycerin

Butyloctyl Salicylate

Propanediol

Dimethicone

Beta-Glucan

Sodium Hyaluronate

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Ceramide NP

Cholesterol

Phytosphingosine

Caprylyl Glycol

Dextrin Palmitate

Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide

Stearic Acid

Oleic Acid

Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Eugenia Caryophyllus Bud Extract

Hydroxyacetophenone

Lactic Acid

Lecithin

Octyldodecanol

1,2-Hexanediol

Panthenol

Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate

Pullulan

Sclerotium Gum

Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Solidago Virgaurea Extract

Tocopherol

Xanthan Gum

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 10%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Water, Glycerin, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Propanediol, Dimethicone, Beta-Glucan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Caprylyl Glycol, Dextrin Palmitate, Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide, Stearic Acid, Oleic Acid, Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Eugenia Caryophyllus Bud Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, Lactic Acid, Lecithin, Octyldodecanol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate, Pullulan, Sclerotium Gum, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Solidago Virgaurea Extract, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum

Octocrylene

Ethylhexyl Salicylate

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane

Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid

Triheptanoin

Saccharomyces Ferment

Cetearyl Alcohol

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Tromethamine

Glyceryl Caprylate

C9-12 Alkane

Dilinoleic Acid/Butanediol Copolymer

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Squalane

Hectorite

Lauroyl Lysine

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Dimethiconol

Polysorbate 60

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Oryza Sativa Hull Extract

Castor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer

Phenoxyethanol

Polyglutamic Acid

Sorbitan Isostearate

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Ipomoea Batatas Root Extract

Sodium Benzoate

Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate

Saccharomyces Lysate

Water, Octocrylene, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Triheptanoin, Saccharomyces Ferment, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Tromethamine, Glyceryl Caprylate, Propanediol, C9-12 Alkane, Dilinoleic Acid/Butanediol Copolymer, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Dimethicone, Squalane, Hectorite, Lauroyl Lysine, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Dimethiconol, Polysorbate 60, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Oryza Sativa Hull Extract, Castor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Polyglutamic Acid, Sorbitan Isostearate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ipomoea Batatas Root Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Benzoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Saccharomyces Lysate

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

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.

Caprylhydroxamic Acid is a chelating agent that helps cosmetics stay fresh, stable, and consistent over time.

Chelating agents help prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps prevent unwanted reactions and effects from using the product. It also helps prevent the growth of unwanted microbes in products that contain water.

Caprylhydroxamic Acid is often used with natural antimicrobial products as an alternative to preservatives.

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).

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.

Ethylhexyl 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.

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.

Hydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.

As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.

Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.

This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.

You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.

Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.

An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.

So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.

Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.

It’s often used to:

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

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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