Pixi Beauty Sun Mist SPF 30 Versus First Aid Beauty Weightless Liquid Mineral Sunscreen With Zinc Oxide SPF 30

Pixi Beauty Sun Mist SPF 30 Versus First Aid Beauty Weightless Liquid Mineral Sunscreen With Zinc Oxide SPF 30

This chemical sunscreen leans toward UVA, with lighter cover of burning UVB.

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

Disiloxane

Water

Alcohol

Cyclopentasiloxane

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate

Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone

Butylene Glycol

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Phenoxyethanol

Stearic Acid

Sodium Chloride

Aluminum Hydroxide

Polyhydroxystearic Acid

Aluminum Stearate

Dipropylene Glycol

Disodium EDTA

Jasminum Officinale Oil

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract

Portulaca Oleracea Extract

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract

Bambusa Vulgaris Extract

Tocopherol

Disiloxane, Water, Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Phenoxyethanol, Stearic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Aluminum Hydroxide, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Aluminum Stearate, Dipropylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Jasminum Officinale Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Bambusa Vulgaris Extract, Tocopherol

Zinc Oxide 22%

Ethylhexyl Olivate

Isododecane

Coconut Alkanes

Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Mica

Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate

Jojoba Esters

Cellulose

Stearalkonium Hectorite

Squalane

Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate

Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate

Iron Oxides

Tocopheryl Acetate

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Trihydroxystearin

Caprylyl Glycol

Glycerin

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Propanediol

Sorbic Acid

Titanium Dioxide

Silica

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Alumina

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Zinc Oxide 22%, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Isododecane, Coconut Alkanes, Water, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Mica, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Jojoba Esters, Cellulose, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Sodium Chloride, Squalane, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Iron Oxides, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Trihydroxystearin, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Glycerin, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Propanediol, Sorbic Acid, Titanium Dioxide, Silica, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Alumina, Tocopherol, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Reviews

Be the first to review

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.

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.

Polyhydroxystearic Acid is a vegetable-derived soft wax made from castor oil. It's an emulsion stabilizer, thickener, and film former.

You'll likely see it in sunscreens because it helps disperse pigments and UV-reflecting minerals like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide evenly.

Depending on the concentration, it can drastically change the texture of a product from pasty solid (like lipstick) to sprayable liquid.

The CIR Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics. The highest reported use concentration is 14.2% in lipsticks.

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.

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