Paula's Choice Extra Care Non-Greasy Sunscreen SPF 50 Versus Missha All Around Safe Block Essence Sun Milk SPF50+/PA+++

Paula's Choice Extra Care Non-Greasy Sunscreen SPF 50 Versus Missha All Around Safe Block Essence Sun Milk SPF50+/PA+++

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

This chemical 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

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

Alcohol Denat.

Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate

Octocrylene

Ethylhexyl Salicylate

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane

Helichrysum Arenarium Extract

Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer

Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine

Althaea Rosea Root Extract

Caprylyl Glycol

Glycerin

Nylon-12

Parfum

Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract

Portulaca Oleracea Extract

Limonia Acidissima Extract

1,2-Hexanediol

BHT

Rosa Davurica Bud Extract

Potassium Sorbate

Pentylene Glycol

Chrysanthemum Indicum Flower Extract

Camellia Japonica Flower Extract

Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer

Psidium Guajava Leaf Extract

Abronia Villosa Leaf Extract

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract

Cinchona Succirubra Bark Extract

Prunus Mume Flower Extract

Cyclopentasiloxane

Salvia Officinalis Water

Calendula Officinalis Flower Water

Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Water

Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Rhodiola Rosea Root Extract

Morus Alba Fruit Extract

Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract

Pueraria Lobata Root Extract

Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract

Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract

Methoxy PEG/PPG-25/4 Dimethicone

Bis-PEG/PPG-20/5 PEG/PPG-20/5 Dimethicone

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Caprylyl Methicone

Betaine

Water, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Helichrysum Arenarium Extract, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Silica, Althaea Rosea Root Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Glycerin, Nylon-12, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Limonia Acidissima Extract, Dimethicone, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Rosa Davurica Bud Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Pentylene Glycol, Chrysanthemum Indicum Flower Extract, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Psidium Guajava Leaf Extract, Abronia Villosa Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Cinchona Succirubra Bark Extract, Prunus Mume Flower Extract, Cyclopentasiloxane, Salvia Officinalis Water, Calendula Officinalis Flower Water, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Water, Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Rhodiola Rosea Root Extract, Morus Alba Fruit Extract, Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Methoxy PEG/PPG-25/4 Dimethicone, Bis-PEG/PPG-20/5 PEG/PPG-20/5 Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Methicone, Betaine

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.

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.

As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.

It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.

A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.

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.

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.

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.

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%.

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.

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.

Octocrylene is an oil-soluble organic UV filter that mainly absorbs UVB and short wave UVA II light.

Its real superpower is teamwork: octocrylene is remarkably photostable and is most famous for stabilizing avobenzone (the workhorse UVA filter).

This ingredient is commonly used to enhance both UVB and UVA protection due to its unique property in stabilizing avobenzone. It also pulls double duty by boosting water resistance and giving formulas a smooth, spreadable feel.

The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has deemed octocrylene to be safe as a UV-filter at concentrations up to 10% (capped at 9% in propellant sprays). The US also permits it up to 10%.

Two things worth knowing:

You'll usually see this ingredient used in concentrations between 2-10% (higher amounts when used as a stabilizer for avobenzone).

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.

Silica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.

Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.

The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.

It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.

In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

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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