Reef Safe Zinc Face Sunscreen SPF 50 Versus IMAGE skincare Prevention+ Daily Ultimate Protection Moisturizer SPF 50

Reef Safe Zinc Face Sunscreen SPF 50 Versus IMAGE skincare Prevention+ Daily Ultimate Protection Moisturizer SPF 50

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

This sunscreen offers SPF 50 protection with a matte finish that helps control shine.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Zinc Oxide 25%

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Water

Euphorbia Cerifera Wax

Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Isostearic Acid

Glycerin

Polyhydroxystearic Acid

Sodium Chloride

Maltodextrin

Xanthan Gum

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Calendula Officinalis Extract

Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil

Sodium Hyaluronate

Bisabolol

Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract

Sodium Ascorbate

Tocopherol

Coriandrum Sativum Oil

Ahnfeltia Plicata Extract

Citrus Grandis Seed Extract

CI 77491

CI 77492

CI 77499

Zinc Oxide 25%, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Water, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Isostearic Acid, Glycerin, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Maltodextrin, Xanthan Gum, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Calendula Officinalis Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Bisabolol, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Sodium Ascorbate, Tocopherol, Coriandrum Sativum Oil, Ahnfeltia Plicata Extract, Citrus Grandis Seed Extract, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Cyclopentasiloxane

Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone

Thermus Thermophillus Ferment

Polyacrylate-13

Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate

Phenoxyethanol

Polyisobutene

Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate

Lecithin

Cetearyl Dimethicone

Marrubium Vulgare Extract

Polyglyceryl-2 Isostearate

Disteardimonium Hectorite

Polysorbate 20

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil

Limonene

Sorbitan Isostearate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Panthenol

Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil

Disodium EDTA

Melanin

Erythritol

Citric Acid

Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract

Glucose

Potassium Sorbate

Hydrolyzed Pea Protein

PEG-8/Smdi Copolymer

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Barosma Betulina Leaf Oil

Sodium Benzoate

Homarine Hcl

Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

Sodium Succinate

Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract

Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract

Micrococcus Lysate

Plankton Extract

Ergothioneine

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Thermus Thermophillus Ferment, Polyacrylate-13, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyisobutene, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Lecithin, Isostearic Acid, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Cetearyl Dimethicone, Marrubium Vulgare Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Polyglyceryl-2 Isostearate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Polysorbate 20, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Limonene, Sorbitan Isostearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Panthenol, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Melanin, Erythritol, Citric Acid, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Glucose, Potassium Sorbate, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Tocopherol, PEG-8/Smdi Copolymer, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Barosma Betulina Leaf Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Homarine Hcl, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Succinate, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract, Micrococcus Lysate, Plankton Extract, Ergothioneine

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.

Topically, glycerin does several things at once:

Your 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.

Aquaporin-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.

This 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.

Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.

It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.

The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.

The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.

Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.

One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).

This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.

On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.

Isostearic Acid is a fatty acid and a structural cousin of stearic acid. It is an emulsifier.

The branched structure of this ingredient enhances fluidity and gives it a lighter, less greasy feel compared to other fatty acids. It helps improve texture and consistency because it prevents oil and water phases from separating.

This ingredient is sourced from plant-based oils like soybean or rapeseed.

Clinical studies found no signs of irritation from this ingredient.

Since Isostearic Acid is an 18-carbon fatty acid, it is in the range that Malassezia can feed on. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

You might have seen sources that this ingredient is comedogenic. The original comedogenic testing on rabbit ear actually tested the ester, Isopropyl Isostearate and not Isostearic acid itself. There has been no comedogenic testing done on this ingredient, but it may be worth patch testing if you have acne-prone skin.

Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate is a plant-derived emulsifier made by combining glycerin and ricinoleic acid.

It works well for giving buttery lip balms and low-viscosity water-in-oil emulsions a non-greasy and pleasant skin feel.

Typical concentrations range from 0.1-3%.

This ingredient is mild and non-irritating in nature.

Because it is derived from ricinoleic acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. Ricinoleic acid is an unsaturated fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.

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.

Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this 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!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Similar Comparisons