Educational guide
Drunk Elephant Umbra Tinte Physical Daily Defense SPF 30 Versus Summer Fridays Sheer Skin Tint
Drunk Elephant Umbra Tinte Physical Daily Defense SPF 30 Versus Summer Fridays Sheer Skin Tint 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 Water Zinc
This guide cannot diagnose a condition or recommend a personal treatment plan. Discuss medical questions with a qualified professional.
Drunk Elephant Umbra Tinte Physical Daily Defense SPF 30 Versus Summer Fridays Sheer Skin Tint
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
Water
Zinc Oxide
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
Glycerin
Pentylene Glycol
Steareth-2
Propanediol
Steareth-21
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Cetearyl Alcohol
Silica
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Caprylyl Glycol
Cetearyl Glucoside
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
Xanthan Gum
CI 77492
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Tocopheryl Acetate
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
CI 77491
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract
Raspberry Seed Oil/Tocopheryl Succinate Aminopropanediol Esters
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Tocopherol
Phenoxyethanol
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
CI 77499
Glycine
Sucrose
Acetyl Glucosamine
Helianthus Annuus Sprout Extract
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Lecithin
Sea Water
Chlorphenesin
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Vitis Vinifera Juice Extract
Water, Zinc Oxide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Steareth-2, Propanediol, Steareth-21, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Silica, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Xanthan Gum, CI 77492, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, CI 77491, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract, Raspberry Seed Oil/Tocopheryl Succinate Aminopropanediol Esters, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, CI 77499, Glycine, Sucrose, Acetyl Glucosamine, Helianthus Annuus Sprout Extract, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Lecithin, Sea Water, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Vitis Vinifera Juice Extract
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Isododecane
Diethylhexyl Carbonate
Isohexadecane
Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Sodium Chloride
C13-15 Alkane
Sodium Hyaluronate
Squalane
Niacinamide
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Persea Gratissima Oil
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Glycine Soja Oil
Ethylhexylglycerin
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Alumina
Disteardimonium Hectorite
Magnesium Oxide
Propylene Carbonate
Zinc Stearate
Boron Nitride
Sodium Benzoate
Potassium Sorbate
Titanium Dioxide
Iron Oxides
Water, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Isododecane, Diethylhexyl Carbonate, Isohexadecane, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Sodium Chloride, C13-15 Alkane, Sodium Hyaluronate, Squalane, Niacinamide, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Persea Gratissima Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Silica, Alumina, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Magnesium Oxide, Propylene Carbonate, Zinc Stearate, Boron Nitride, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides
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.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
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.
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.
Silica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.
Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.
The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.
It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.
In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.
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.
Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.
Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.
It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.
One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.
Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.
Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.
Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.
The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.
Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.
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!