Sungboon Editor Silk Peptide Intensive Lifting Eye Cream Versus Sungboon Editor Silk Peptide EGF Intensive Eye Cream

Sungboon Editor Silk Peptide Intensive Lifting Eye Cream Versus Sungboon Editor Silk Peptide EGF Intensive Eye Cream

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 to soften the look of wrinkles.

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Adenosine to soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Cetearyl Alcohol

Niacinamide

Caprylyl Methicone

Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate

Cetearyl Glucoside

Sorbitan Olivate

Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate

Myrothamnus Flabellifolia Callus Culture Extract

Silk Extract

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Retinol

Panthenol

Gold

Benzyl Glycol

Butylene Glycol

Behenyl Alcohol

Palmitic Acid

Stearic Acid

Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Polyisobutene

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Stearyl Alcohol

Arachidyl Alcohol

Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil

Xanthan Gum

1,2-Hexanediol

Coptis Chinensis Root Extract

Ethylhexylglycerin

Adenosine

Sorbitan Oleate

Agar

Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside

Malt Extract

Calcium Alginate

Allantoin

Hydrolyzed Elastin

Hydrolyzed Silk

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract

Ethyl Hexanediol

Dioscorea Villosa Root Extract

Polysorbate 20

Hydrolyzed Collagen

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Mica

Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract

Abelmoschus Esculentus Fruit Extract

Hydrolyzed Soy Protein

Titanium Dioxide

Synthetic Fluorphlogopite

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Tromethamine

CI 77491

Corchorus Olitorius Leaf Extract

Nelumbo Nucifera Root Extract

Hydrolyzed Collagen Extract

Silk Amino Acids

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Polyglutamic Acid

Hyaluronic Acid

Potassium Hyaluronate

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate

Ceramide NP

Sodium Hyaluronate Dimethylsilanol

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Tin Oxide

Copper Tripeptide-1

Cholesterol

Phytosphingosine

Caffeoyl Hexapeptide-65

Ceramide Ng

Ceramide Ns

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Ceramide As

Ceramide AP

Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Glycine

Glutamic Acid

Leucine

Methionine

Valine

Serine

Aspartic Acid

Alanine

Arginine

Isoleucine

Phenylalanine

Proline

Histidine

Taurine

Ornithine

Collagen Extract

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Sh-Oligopeptide-1

Sh-Oligopeptide-2

Sh-Polypeptide-11

Ceramide EOP

Water, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Caprylyl Methicone, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sorbitan Olivate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Myrothamnus Flabellifolia Callus Culture Extract, Silk Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Retinol, Panthenol, Gold, Benzyl Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Behenyl Alcohol, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyisobutene, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Stearyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Alcohol, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, 1,2-Hexanediol, Coptis Chinensis Root Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Sorbitan Oleate, Agar, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Malt Extract, Calcium Alginate, Allantoin, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Hydrolyzed Silk, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Ethyl Hexanediol, Dioscorea Villosa Root Extract, Polysorbate 20, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Mica, Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract, Abelmoschus Esculentus Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Titanium Dioxide, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, CI 77491, Corchorus Olitorius Leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Root Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen Extract, Silk Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyglutamic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Potassium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate Dimethylsilanol, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Tin Oxide, Copper Tripeptide-1, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Caffeoyl Hexapeptide-65, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide Ns, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Leucine, Methionine, Valine, Serine, Aspartic Acid, Alanine, Arginine, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Histidine, Taurine, Ornithine, Collagen Extract, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Sh-Oligopeptide-2, Sh-Polypeptide-11, Ceramide EOP

Cyclohexasiloxane

Sorbitan Stearate

Glyceryl Stearate

Carbomer

Sodium Polyacrylate

Coptis Japonica Root Extract

Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Cyclohexasiloxane, Caprylyl Methicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sorbitan Olivate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Benzyl Glycol, Sorbitan Stearate, Palmitic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Arginine, Carbomer, Polyisobutene, Sodium Polyacrylate, Xanthan Gum, Panthenol, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Silk Extract, Adenosine, Malt Extract, Sorbitan Oleate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.

It is a:

Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin

Emollient, helping to soften skin

Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas

Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives

Adenosine is a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.

The way it works is fairly well mapped out:

Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down on their own as skin ages, so Adenosine helps give them a little nudge to keep going.

The clinical backing is pretty solid too.

A blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 126 women aged 45-65 tested a 0.1% cream twice daily and found real improvements in crow's feet and frown lines using a precise 3D skin-mapping technique; these changes showed up by week 3 and held at 2 months.

A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.

On concentrations, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has set 0.04% as the approved functional anti-wrinkle level. You'll typically see this ingredient used somewhere in the 0.04-0.1% range since it works at low doses.

This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.

Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.

Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.

It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.

Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.

A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.

Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.

One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.

Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.

We don't have a description for Benzyl Glycol yet.

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.

This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.

Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).

In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).

Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.

Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.

While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

Caprylyl Methicone is a synthetic and lightweight silicone fluid. It gives products a silky, dry-touch finish without the heaviness of pure oils.

Though the EU CosIng Database lists this ingredient as a skin conditioner, it is also used for sensory reasons. It spreads easily, cuts greasiness, and reduces tackiness.

This ingredient is volatile which means it will mostly evaporate (but it evaporates slower than older cyclomethicones, like Cyclotetrasiloxane).

Typical concentration ranges from 1-30% depending on if it's being used to tweak the feel of a product or acting as the main emollient.

This ingredient is a mild surfactant made by sticking glucose onto a blend of fatty acids.

It does two jobs because it has a sugar head that loves water and a fatty tail that loves oil:

Typical use levels range from 10-20% in cleansers and 15-30% in shower products.

Once on your skin, your skin's glucoside hydrolases breaks it down into glucose and the parent fatty alcohols.

This ingredient is considered fungal acne safe because its fatty alcohol portion sits outside the Malassezia yeast's metabolization range.

Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.

Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.

It plays several roles in a formula:

Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.

Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.

However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.

Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.

Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.

Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.

This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.

A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.

Cetearyl Glucoside is a sugar-based emulsifier. It is usually made by combining cetearyl alcohol and glucose.

Belonging to the aklyl polyglucoside (APG) family, Cetearyl Glucoside has a sugar "head" that loves water and a fatty "tail" that loves oil. This means it can shuffle oil and water into a stable and smooth emulsion.

Typical use levels are between 1-5% and this ingredient is considered to be non-irritating by the CIR Expert Panel Review.

Once applied, your skin's glucoside hydrolases breaks it down to the parent fatty alcohol and glucose. This is why this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

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.

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.

We don't have a description for Malt Extract yet.

Mica is a naturally occurring mineral used to add shimmer and color in cosmetics. It can also help improve the texture of a product or give it an opaque, white/silver color.

Serecite is the name for very fine but ragged grains of mica.

This ingredient is often coated with metal oxides like titanium dioxide. Trace amounts of heavy metals may be found in mica, but these metals are not harmful in our personal products.

Mica has been used since prehistoric times throughout the world. Ancient Egyptian, Indian, Greek, Roman, Aztec, and Chinese civilizations have used mica.

Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.

And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.

You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.

In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.

If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.

In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).

Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.

Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.

The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.

Palmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources.

In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.

Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.

The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.

The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.

In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.

It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):

Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate is a plant-derived emulsifier whose only job is to keep the oily and watery parts of a formula blended so it doesn't separate into layers.

It's compatible with a wide-range of active ingredients and especially good at making emulsions survive heat/freeze cycles.

Typical use concentrations range from 2-3% and it works across a pH of 4.5-8.5.

This ingredient has been found safe to use in cosmetics and has a low irritation profile.

Because it's build on stearic acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. Stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that falls within the range (C11-24) that Malassezia can feed on.

Polyisobutene is a synthetic polymer made from isobutene.

It is a film-forming agent and helps bind ingredients together.

Polyisobutene is not absorbed by the skin.

We don't have a description for Silk Extract yet.

This long ingredient is a copolymer of sodium acrylate and sodium acryloyldimethyl taurate monomers.

It is used to help stabilize other ingredients and create a thicker gel-like texture.

Emulsifiers prevent oils and waters from separating.

Sorbitan Oleate is a PEG-free emulsifier made by esterifying sorbitol with oleic acid.

You'll likely see it paired with Polysorbate 80 to create the right emulsification balance.

Typical use levels in formulas range from 2-10%.

The CIR Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as a cosmetic ingredient.

Since this ingredient is an ester of oleic acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. Oleic acid is a fatty acid that falls into the C11-24 range that Malassezia can metabolize.

Sorbitan Olivate is created from the fatty acids in olive oil and sorbitol.

This ingredient is an oil in water emulsifier. It helps stabilize a product by preventing oils and waters from separating. Sorbitan Olivate also helps hydrate the skin.

This ingredient is also known as part of Olivem 1000, with Cetearyl Olivate being the other part.

According to a manufacturer, this ingredient helps preserve the natural microbiome of skin. Having a healthy microbiome helps keep our skin healthy and protects against harmful bacteria.

Please note, having a healthy microbiome is different from fungal acne; a healthy microbiome includes small amounts of yeast that normally live on your skin without causing problems.

Fungal acne happens when one type of yeast (Malassezia) grows out of control. This is usually because it's feeding on certain oils or fatty acids. Due to the olive oil base, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.

In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:

Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.

Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

Titanium Dioxide (TD) is a mineral UV filter widely used in sunscreens and cosmetics.

It's one of only two UV filters officially classified as "mineral" by regulatory agencies (the other being Zinc Oxide).

A really common myth is that mineral filters work by reflecting UV light off your skin like tiny mirrors.

They don't only do that; modern research shows TD protects mostly by absorbing UV radiation, the same way chemical filters do.

When researchers measured this, reflection accounted for only about 4-5% of the protection (and less than SPF 2 on its own). The other ~95% comes from absorption: the UV photons hit the particle and their energy gets soaked up by its semiconductor band gap rather than bouncing off.

So "reflects vs. absorbs" was never really the right way to split mineral from chemical filters.

TD gives broad-spectrum protection that's strongest in the UVB and UVA-2 range and weaker in the UVA-1 range. Its UVA protection isn't quite as strong as Zinc Oxide's which is why you'll often see the two paired together.

Together, they make a solid broad-spectrum system.

TD is a great pick for sensitive, acne-prone, or redness-prone skin because it's non-irritating and chemically inert. Regulatory reviews classify it as a non-sensitizer and mild-to-non-irritant.

It's also unlikely to cause the "eye sting" some chemical filters are known for.

The main trade-off is cosmetic; TD can leave a white cast and has a thicker texture. This is why mineral sunscreens are often less cosmetically elegant than chemical or hybrid formulas (and harder to shade-match on deeper skin tones).

Formulators often use micronized or nano-sized TD to cut down on white case and improve spreadability. Smaller particles scatter less visible light so the formula looks less chalky while still filtering UV.

TD is almost always bundled with coatings like Alumina, Silica, Stearic Acid, or Dimethicone. These coatings do two important jobs:

TD can be used at up to 25% in a finished sunscreen; this is the regulatory ceiling in both the US and the EU.

In practice, the amount in any given product varies a lot depending on the target SPF and whether it's paired with other UV filters.

TD is one of the most heavily vetted sunscreen ingredients out there. It is approved as a UV filter in all major markets worldwide, including the US, EU, UK, Japan, Korea, China, Australia, and Canada.

The safety evidence is solid. There was an old worry that nano particles might absorb through skin into the body but multiple studies (including on damaged, sunburned, and UV-irradiated skin) have shown that TD stays on the surface and the layer of dead skin cells on top of everything else.

There's also no evidence of carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, or reproductive toxicity from dermal exposure of this ingredient.

For those who have seen the headline about a 2022 EU ban on TD, that was on TD as a food additive (a complete separate use from topical sunscreen).

There are ongoing questions about how nano-TD might affect marine ecosystems. As of now, there has been no conclusive evidence that any form of TD (or any other sunscreen filter) harms coral reefs or marine life.

The science is still developing and it's a space worth watching rather than packing over.

However, several destinations have reef-safety sunscreen rules that restrict certain chemical filters and steer visitors toward mineral, non-nano options. If you're traveling somewhere with these rules, a non-nano mineral sunscreen is the safe bet.

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.

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