Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Ingredient or product comparison

Paula's Choice Resist Super-Light Wrinkle Defense SPF 30 Versus Zitsticka MEGASHADE Breakout-Proof SPF 50 Serum

Paula's Choice Resist Super-Light Wrinkle Defense SPF 30 Versus Zitsticka MEGASHADE Breakout-Proof SPF 50 Serum Detailed comparison of Paula's Choice Resist Super-Light Wrinkle Defense SPF 30 versus Zitsticka MEGASHADE Breakout-Proof SPF 50 Serum. This mineral

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Paula's Choice Resist Super-Light Wrinkle Defense SPF 30 Versus Zitsticka MEGASHADE Breakout-Proof SPF 50 Serum Detailed comparison of Paula's Choice Resist Super-Light Wrinkle Defense SPF 30 versus Zitsticka MEGASHADE Breakout-Proof SPF 50 Serum. This mineral sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~97% of UVB at SPF 30. This hybrid sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50. 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 Homosalate Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate Ethylhexyl Salicylate Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Amodimethicone Butylene Glycol Butyloctyl Salicylate Camellia Sinensis Extract Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Carbomer Citric Acid Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract Ceramide Ng Cocamidopropyl Betaine Colloidal Oatmeal Cyclotetrasiloxane Daucus Carota Sativa Extract Ferulic Acid Glycerin Glyceryl Caprylate Glyceryl Stearate Glyceryl Undecylenate Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogenated Methyl Abietate Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil Niacinamide Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 Polysorbate 20 Terminalia Ferdinandiana Seed Oil Thymus Vulgaris Extract Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Zinc Oxide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Amodimethicone, Water, Butylene Glycol, Butyloctyl Salicylate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Carbomer, Citric Acid, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Ceramide Ng, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Colloidal Oatmeal, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclotetrasiloxane, Daucus Carota Sativa Extract, Ferulic Acid, Glycerin, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrogenated Methyl Abietate, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Niacinamide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Polysorbate 20, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Seed Oil, Thymus Vulgaris Extract 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. Cyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy. Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly. The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels. Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5. The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water. 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 pr