Paula's Choice Resist Super-Light Wrinkle Defense SPF 30 Versus Supergoop! Superscreen Daily Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 40 PA+++

Paula's Choice Resist Super-Light Wrinkle Defense SPF 30 Versus Supergoop! Superscreen Daily Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 40 PA+++

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

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

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

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 2.5%

Homosalate 8%

Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%

Carthamus Tinctorius Oleosomes

Glycerin

Polyester-7

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate

Carthamus Tinctorius Seedcake Extract

Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae Extract

Inulin Lauryl Carbamate

Xanthan Gum

Biosaccharide Gum-4

Cerium Oxide

Platinum Powder

1,2-Hexanediol

Phenethyl Alcohol

Chlorphenesin

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 2.5%, Homosalate 8%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Water, Carthamus Tinctorius Oleosomes, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Polyester-7, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Carthamus Tinctorius Seedcake Extract, Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae Extract, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Xanthan Gum, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Cerium Oxide, Platinum Powder, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenethyl Alcohol, Chlorphenesin

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.

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is a lightweight emollient made by combinig benzoic acid with fatty alcohols that are 12-15 carbons long.

In cosmetics, it plays several roles:

The Cosmetic Review Expert Panel has concluded the alkyl benzoate group to be safe as used in cosmetics; it wasn't found to be a skin irritant and unlikely to be absorbed due to its low water solubility.

This report recorded almost 1000 reported uses with concentrations up to 59% in leave-on products but your cosmetics will typically use 0.5-15% depending on the product.

It's often called a "SPF booster": this is because it keeps UV filters properly dissolved and evenly distributed to support a sunscreen's performance. It doesn't actually raise SPF on its own.

Overall, this ingredient is well tolerated.

This ingredient is fungal acne safe because it is an ester of benzoic acid.

Think of this ingredient as two parts stuck together: an oily part and an acid part. Malassezia only gets a meal when it can snip off a fatty acid to eat. With C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, the acid part is benzoic acid, which isn't a fatty acid and which the yeast can't use as food.

Benzoic acid is actually used as a preservative to stop yeast from growing.

The oily part is a blend of C12-15 fatty alcohols but fatty alcohols in this size range can support only a little Malassezia growth (mostly for one species of Malassezia as well).

In the ingredient, those alcohols stay locked inside the molecule. The yeast can only reach them by snipping the benzoate bond, and that type of bond is harder for it to cut than a normal fatty bond.

So not much gets released. And whatever does get snipped comes packaged with benzoic acid, which discourages yeast growth.

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.

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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