Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Ingredient or product comparison

Kopari Sun Shield Soft Glow Daily Face SPF 30 Versus Paula's Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30

Kopari Sun Shield Soft Glow Daily Face SPF 30 Versus Paula's Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 Detailed comparison of Kopari Sun Shield Soft Glow Daily Face SPF 30 versus Paula's Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30. This hybrid suns

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Kopari Sun Shield Soft Glow Daily Face SPF 30 Versus Paula's Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 Detailed comparison of Kopari Sun Shield Soft Glow Daily Face SPF 30 versus Paula's Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30. This hybrid sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~97% of UVB at SPF 30. This brightening moisturizer is formulated around Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract and Tetrapeptide-30 to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots. Homosalate 10% Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5% Octocrylene 4% Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3% Isododecane Dimethicone Butyloctyl Salicylate C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate Caprylyl Methicone Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer Mica Titanium Dioxide Tocopheryl Acetate Silica Tin Oxide Tocopherol Homosalate 10%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Octocrylene 4%, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Isododecane, Dimethicone, Butyloctyl Salicylate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylyl Methicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Silica, Tin Oxide, Tocopherol Water Zinc Oxide Glycerin Isononyl Isononanoate Butylene Glycol Cetearyl Alcohol Potassium Cetyl Phosphate Glyceryl Stearate Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil Tetrapeptide-30 Linoleic Acid Resveratrol Ascorbyl Glucoside Niacinamide Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate Bisabolol Phospholipids Lecithin Glycine Soja Sterols Xanthophylls Pullulan Sodium Gluconate Xanthan Gum Sclerotium Gum Alumina Citric Acid Triethoxycaprylylsilane C13-14 Isoparaffin Acrylates Copolymer Polyhydroxystearic Acid Caprylyl Glycol Polyacrylamide Ceteareth-20 Aluminum Stearate Laureth-7 Ethylhexylglycerin Phenoxyethanol Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Glycerin, Isononyl Isononanoate, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Tetrapeptide-30, Linoleic Acid, Resveratrol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Niacinamide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Bisabolol, Tocopherol, Phospholipids, Lecithin, Glycine Soja Sterols, Xanthophylls, Pullulan, Sodium Gluconate, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Alumina, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Citric Acid, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Acrylates Copolymer, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyacrylamide, Ceteareth-20, Aluminum Stearate, Laureth-7, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol 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. 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 enou