Tula Skincare Protect + Glow Daily Sunscreen Gel Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Versus Biossance Squalane + Zinc Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 PA +++

Tula Skincare Protect + Glow Daily Sunscreen Gel Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Versus Biossance Squalane + Zinc Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 PA +++

This chemical sunscreen covers most of the UV range, lighter on the deep UVA that drives aging.

This hybrid sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~97% of UVB at SPF 30.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane

Homosalate

Ethylhexyl Salicylate

Water

Butyloctyl Salicylate

Pentylene Glycol

Lactococcus Ferment Lysate

1,2-Hexanediol

Silica

Ectoin

Glycerin

Arginine

Hydroxyectoin

Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract

Carica Papaya Fruit Extract

Lactic Acid

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Hedychium Coronarium Root Extract

Triethyl Citrate

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract

Citrus Limon Peel Extract

Pyrus Communis Fruit Extract

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract

Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract

Pimpinella Anisum Fruit Extract

Mica

Tocopherol

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Synthetic Fluorphlogopite

Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/Pvp Crosspolymer

Carbomer

Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide

Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide

Propanediol

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Sodium Chloride

Sodium Benzoate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Tin Oxide

Phenoxyethanol

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Water, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Pentylene Glycol, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Silica, Ectoin, Glycerin, Arginine, Hydroxyectoin, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Lactic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hedychium Coronarium Root Extract, Triethyl Citrate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract, Citrus Limon Peel Extract, Pyrus Communis Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Pimpinella Anisum Fruit Extract, Mica, Tocopherol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/Pvp Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide, Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide, Propanediol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tin Oxide, Phenoxyethanol

Zinc Oxide

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Squalane

Cetearyl Alcohol

Methyl Dihydroabietate

Sorbitan Olivate

Coco-Glucoside

Cetyl Palmitate

Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate

Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside

Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract

Acacia Senegal Gum

Ethyl Ferulate

Xanthan Gum

Sodium Gluconate

Lecithin

Sodium Palmitoyl Proline

Polyhydroxystearic Acid

Isostearic Acid

Zinc Oxide, Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Methyl Dihydroabietate, Sorbitan Olivate, Coco-Glucoside, Cetyl Palmitate, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Acacia Senegal Gum, Ethyl Ferulate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Gluconate, Lecithin, Sodium Palmitoyl Proline, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Isostearic Acid

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Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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.

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.

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!

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