Dear Me Beauty Skin Barrier Sunscreen Gel SPF50+ PA++++ Versus Hanasui Collagen Water Sunscreen SPF 50 PA++++

Dear Me Beauty Skin Barrier Sunscreen Gel SPF50+ PA++++ Versus Hanasui Collagen Water Sunscreen SPF 50 PA++++

This mineral sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50.

This chemical sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Zinc Oxide

Titanium Dioxide

Glycerin

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Aloe Ferox Leaf Juice Extract

Acrylates/Polytrimethylsiloxymethacrylate Copolymer

Polyquaternium-7

Propanediol

Isohexadecane

Sodium Hyaluronate

Ceramide NP

Chlorphenesin

Polysorbate 60

Acrylates Crosspolymer

Phenoxyethanol

Allantoin

Panthenol

Laureth-1 Phosphate

Ectoin

Potassium Hydroxide

Water, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Glycerin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Aloe Ferox Leaf Juice Extract, Acrylates/Polytrimethylsiloxymethacrylate Copolymer, Polyquaternium-7, Propanediol, Isohexadecane, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Chlorphenesin, Polysorbate 60, Acrylates Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Allantoin, Panthenol, Laureth-1 Phosphate, Ectoin, Potassium Hydroxide

Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate

Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate

Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate

Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine

Butyloctyl Salicylate

Tris-Biphenyl Triazine

Ethylhexyl Triazone

Polyester-7

Butylene Glycol

Dimethicone

Sodium Polyacrylate

Hydrogenated Polydecene

Decyl Glucoside

1,2-Hexanediol

Trideceth-6

Lactobacillus/Collagen Ferment Filtrate

Collagen

Tocopheryl Acetate

Biosaccharide Gum-4

Disodium Phosphate

Xanthan Gum

Artemisia Vulgaris Extract

Sodium Hydroxide

Water, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Tris-Biphenyl Triazine, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Polyester-7, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Phenoxyethanol, Decyl Glucoside, 1,2-Hexanediol, Trideceth-6, Lactobacillus/Collagen Ferment Filtrate, Collagen, Tocopheryl Acetate, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Disodium Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Sodium Hydroxide

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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.

Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.

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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