Naturium UV Reflect Antioxidant SPF 50 Versus Paula's Choice Resist Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50

Naturium UV Reflect Antioxidant SPF 50 Versus Paula's Choice Resist Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50

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

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%

Homosalate 10%

Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%

Water

Isododecane

Polymethyl Methacrylate

Butyloctyl Salicylate

Acrylates Copolymer

Saccharomyces Ferment

Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate

Butylene Glycol

Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate

C24-28 Alkyldimethylsiloxy Trimethylsiloxysilicate

Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate

Disteardimonium Hectorite

Sodium Chloride

Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Extract

Helianthus Annuus Sprout Extract

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Glycine Soja Oil

Squalane

Raspberry Ketone

Lauroyl Lysine

Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside

Triethyl Citrate

Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Octyldodecanol

Tocopherol

Sodium Phytate

Polysorbate 60

Disodium Phosphate

Sodium Phosphate

Sodium Benzoate

Caprylyl Glycol

Propylene Glycol

Citric Acid

Phenoxyethanol

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 10%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Water, Isododecane, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Acrylates Copolymer, Saccharomyces Ferment, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Butylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, C24-28 Alkyldimethylsiloxy Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Sodium Chloride, Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Extract, Helianthus Annuus Sprout Extract, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Glycine Soja Oil, Squalane, Raspberry Ketone, Lauroyl Lysine, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Triethyl Citrate, Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Octyldodecanol, Tocopherol, Sodium Phytate, Polysorbate 60, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 2%

Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7.5%

Octocrylene 2%

Glycerin

Silica

Dimethicone

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract

Peucedanum Graveolens Extract

Sambucus Nigra Fruit Extract

Avena Sativa Bran Extract

Punica Granatum Extract

Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Titanium Dioxide

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Xanthan Gum

Sodium Carbomer

Benzyl Alcohol

Potassium Sorbate

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 2%, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7.5%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Octocrylene 2%, Water, Glycerin, Silica, Dimethicone, Tocopherol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Peucedanum Graveolens Extract, Sambucus Nigra Fruit Extract, Avena Sativa Bran Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Titanium Dioxide, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Carbomer, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.

Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.

Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.

It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.

Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.

We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

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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