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Skin science article

Paula's Choice Extra Care Non-Greasy Sunscreen SPF 50 Versus Banobagi Milk Thistle Repair Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++

Paula's Choice Extra Care Non-Greasy Sunscreen SPF 50 Versus Banobagi Milk Thistle Repair Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++ This hybrid sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50. This chemical sunscreen covers most of the UV range, lighter on t

Paula's Choice Extra Care Non-Greasy Sunscreen SPF 50 Versus Banobagi Milk Thistle Repair Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++

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

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

Homosalate 10%

Benzophenone-3 6%

Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%

Octocrylene 2%

Water

Butylene Glycol

PEG-8

Polyethylene

Silica

Dimethicone

Picrasma Excelsa Wood Extract

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Retinyl Palmitate

Tocopherol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Titanium Dioxide

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Bentonite

Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Sodium Polyacrylate

Kaolin

Ethylhexylglycerin

Disodium EDTA

Sodium Hydroxide

Phenoxyethanol

Chlorphenesin

Homosalate 10%, Benzophenone-3 6%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Octocrylene 2%, Water, Butylene Glycol, PEG-8, Polyethylene, Silica, Dimethicone, Picrasma Excelsa Wood Extract, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Titanium Dioxide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Bentonite, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Polyacrylate, Kaolin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin

Arctium Lappa Root Extract

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Glycerin

Dibutyl Adipate

Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Dipropylene Glycol

1,2-Hexanediol

Niacinamide

Ethylhexyl Triazone

Silybum Marianum Seed Extract

Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract

Houttuynia Cordata Extract

Leontopodium Alpinum Extract

Jasminum Officinale Extract

Lilium Tigrinum Extract

Ethylhexyl Olivate

Cetearyl Olivate

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

Sorbitan Olivate

Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate

Adenosine

Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Dibutyl Adipate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Silybum Marianum Seed Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Leontopodium Alpinum Extract, Jasminum Officinale Extract, Lilium Tigrinum Extract, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Sorbitan Olivate, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate, Adenosine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Disodium 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.

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.

This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:

On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.

One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).

Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.

You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.

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.

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!

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

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Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 03Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
  4. 04This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
  5. 05Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
  6. 06While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl…
  7. 07Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
  8. 08Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
  9. 09Your 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.
  10. 10Aquaporin-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.
  11. 11This 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.
  12. 12Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
  13. 13Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
  14. 14Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
  15. 15It 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.
  16. 16On 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.
  17. 17Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
  18. 18You'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.
  19. 19Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
  20. 20Safety-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.
Source · skinsort.com
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Product index

Related product references

Product

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Paula's Choice Earth Sourced Toner Paula's Choice Earth Sourced Toner ingredients explained: Aqua, Glycerin (Hydration/Skin Replenishing), Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate (Preserva…

Source: incidecoder.comView reference →
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Comparison edit

Read side by side