La Roche-Posay Uvidea Anthelios Tone-Up Rosy SPF50+ Versus Paula's Choice Resist Super-Light Wrinkle Defense SPF 30

La Roche-Posay Uvidea Anthelios Tone-Up Rosy SPF50+ Versus Paula's Choice Resist Super-Light Wrinkle Defense SPF 30

This hybrid sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50.

This mineral sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~97% of UVB at SPF 30.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate

Squalene

Titanium Dioxide

Glycerin

Drometrizole Trisiloxane

Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid

Propylene Glycol

Alcohol Denat.

Triethanolamine

Dipropylene Glycol

Mica

Stearic Acid

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Tocopherol

Nylon-12

Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer

Aluminum Hydroxide

CI 77120

BHT

Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine

Butylene Glycol

Butyrospermum Parkii Seedcake Extract

Caprylyl Glycol

Carbomer

Cetyl Alcohol

CI 77491

CI 77492

Iron Oxides

CI 77891

Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate

Ethylhexyl Triazone

Glyceryl Stearate

Isohexadecane

Myristic Acid

Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract

Palmitic Acid

PEG-100 Stearate

Phenoxyethanol

Polysorbate 80

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Chloride

Sodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate

Sorbitan Oleate

Thermus Thermophillus Ferment

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Tromethamine

Xanthan Gum

Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Squalene, Titanium Dioxide, Glycerin, Drometrizole Trisiloxane, Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Triethanolamine, Dipropylene Glycol, Mica, Stearic Acid, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Tocopherol, Nylon-12, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide, CI 77120, BHT, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Butylene Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii Seedcake Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Cetyl Alcohol, CI 77491, CI 77492, Iron Oxides, CI 77891, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Glyceryl Stearate, Isohexadecane, Myristic Acid, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Palmitic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 80, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate, Sorbitan Oleate, Thermus Thermophillus Ferment, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Tromethamine, Xanthan Gum

Cyclopentasiloxane

Zinc Oxide

PEG-12 Dimethicone

PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone

Lauroyl Lysine

Trihydroxystearin

Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Resveratrol

Quercetin

Epigallocatechin Gallate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Adenosine

Bisabolol

Salix Nigra Bark Extract

Punica Granatum Extract

Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract

Hydrolyzed Corn Starch

Hydrated Silica

Triethoxycaprylylsilane

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate

Hexylene Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Zinc Oxide, PEG-12 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Lauroyl Lysine, Sodium Chloride, Trihydroxystearin, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Resveratrol, Quercetin, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Adenosine, Bisabolol, Salix Nigra Bark Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Polysorbate 80, Hydrated Silica, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Iron Oxides, Phenoxyethanol

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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.

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).

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.

Polysorbate 80 is a synthetic surfactant and emulsifier derived from sorbitol and oleic acid.

It reduces the surface tension between oil and water phases to help them stay mixed and stable in a formulation. In other words, it prevents your formulas from separating into an oily mess.

The CIR Expert Panel has evaluated the scientific data and found this ingredient to be safe, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing at concentrations up to 5% (it's even approved by the FDA as an OTC eye drop ingredient).

Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.

You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.

You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.

You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.

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!

This ingredient is a combination of red, black, and yellow iron oxide pigments. This combination of colors is usually found in foundation, because it results in a "skin" color.

The EU typically uses CI numbers for colorants when applicable, such as CI 77489. In the US, iron oxides are regulated as color additives and "iron oxides" is the most commonly used name in US cosmetic practice.

A 2021 paper looked at skincare formulations containing iron oxides and found that they reduced transmission of blue light when measured optically. In simple terms, the pigment particles helped block or scatter part of the visible light spectrum in lab testing and the authors suggest this could translate into better protection against blue-light-related skin effects.

There is also clinical and experimental research showing that tinted products containing iron oxides can reduce visible light-induced pigmentation:

Please note, whether a product reduces visible or blue light depends on things like:

In the EU's CosIng database, iron oxides are only listed as a colorant. CosIng groups ingredients by their main cosmetic role, such as colorant, preservative, or UV filter.

Though studies say iron oxides can "attenuate blue light", they're describing an optical property and not an officially recognized cosmetic function.

So CosIng isn’t contradicting the research. It’s just classifying iron oxides by what they officially are: pigments that add color.

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