Pacifica Vegan Collagen Every Day Lotion SPF 30 Versus Nu Skin ageLOC® Radiant Day SPF 22

Pacifica Vegan Collagen Every Day Lotion SPF 30 Versus Nu Skin ageLOC® Radiant Day SPF 22

This anti-aging day moisturizer is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice and Sodium Hyaluronate to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%

Homosalate 15%

Octocrylene 10%

Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%

Water

Butyloctyl Salicylate

Coconut Alkanes

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Glycerin

Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters

Glyceryl Stearate

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate

Stearic Acid

Lysolecithin

Sclerotium Gum

Xanthan Gum

Pullulan

Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Sr-Hydrozoan Polypeptide-1

Sodium Hyaluronate

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Extract

Jasminum Officinale Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Arnica Montana Extract

Squalane

Oryza Sativa Starch

Biosaccharide Gum-1

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Parfum

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octocrylene 10%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Water, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Coconut Alkanes, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Stearic Acid, Lysolecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Pullulan, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sr-Hydrozoan Polypeptide-1, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Extract, Jasminum Officinale Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Arnica Montana Extract, Squalane, Oryza Sativa Starch, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum

Homosalate 5%

Ethylhexyl Salicylate 4%

Octocrylene 2%

Cyclopentasiloxane

Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer

PEG-100 Stearate

Dimethicone

Cyclohexasiloxane

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Cetyl Alcohol

Methyl Gluceth-10

Steareth-2

Steareth-21

Isohexadecane

Nylon-12

Jojoba Esters

Bambusa Vulgaris Leaf/Stem Extract

Glucosamine Hcl

Pisum Sativum Extract

Hexapeptide-2

Narcissus Tazetta Bulb Extract

Salicin

Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Polysorbate 80

Titanium Dioxide

Butylene Glycol

Citric Acid

Disodium EDTA

Chlorphenesin

Caprylyl Glycol

1,2-Hexanediol

Tropolone

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 5%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 4%, Octocrylene 2%, Water, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Dimethicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, Methyl Gluceth-10, Steareth-2, Steareth-21, Isohexadecane, Nylon-12, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Jojoba Esters, Bambusa Vulgaris Leaf/Stem Extract, Glucosamine Hcl, Pisum Sativum Extract, Hexapeptide-2, Narcissus Tazetta Bulb Extract, Salicin, Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Polysorbate 80, Titanium Dioxide, Butylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tropolone

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Also known as Avobenzone, this ingredient is an oil-soluble used to absorb the full spectrum of UVA rays (peak 357 nm).

It's one of the most effective UVA filters available but has a major caveat of photostability: avobenzone is susceptible to photodegradation.

This means it can lose efficacy when exposed to sunlight without the help of a stabilizing agent.

Studies show antioxidants (like vitamin E or vitamin C) and some UV filters (like octocrylene and Tinosorb S) can meaningfully improve its stability in a formulation.

The maximum allowable concentration according to regulation is 3% in the US + Canada, and 5% in the EU, Australia, China, Korea, and ASEAN countries.

It has a well-support safety profile: a comprehensive 2025 review found minimal toxicity with no evidence of carcinogenicity.

Overall, avobenzone is a safe and regulated ingredient used in sunscreen for over 40 years.

Ethylhexyl Salicylate (also called Octisalate or Octyl Salicylate) is an oil-soluble organic UV filter that's been used in sunscreen since the 1950's.

It absorbs UVB light in the 280-320 nm range with a peak absorbance around 306 nm.

You'll often see it paired with other UV filters to boost overall SPF because octisalate is a fairly week filter on its own.

The reason you'll see it so often is because it can help solubilize and stabilize the trickier filters like oxybenzone and avobenzone.

Unlike these filters, octisalate has pretty good photostability and doesn't create skin-damaging free radicals when exposed to sunlight.

The fatty-alcohol part of the molecule also gives it a light, emollient feel so it doubles as a nice texture enhancer.

Usage levels vary around the world:

Safety-wise, this ingredient has a pretty reassuring track record. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) found very low skin penetration in human skin tests and negative results for irritation, phototoxicity, and photoallergy.

The real-world allergy risk is pretty low too; a 2012 European study of 1,031 people recorded only 2 reactions to it (a rate of 0.19%).

You might have seen scary headlines about sunscreen getting into your blood.

In 2019, the FDA found that several chemical filters can absorb through the skin and show up in the bloodstream at small but measurable levels.

Here's the important part: these tiny levels are just a cutoff the FDA uses to decide which ingredients need more testing and doesn't mean anything harmful was found.

The researchers were clear that the results are no reason to stop wearing sunscreen.

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.

Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.

Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.

This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.

A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.

Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

Homosalate is an oil-soluble organic UVB filter that has been a sunscreen staple for decades. Its job is to absorb UVB rays (~295-315 nm) and protect your skin against sunburn,

This is one of the more photostable organic UV filters; it holds up pretty well under UV and a 2022 quantum-chemistry study found it stays stable in sunlight.

It's actually so reliable that formulators often pair it with shakier ingredients like oxybenzone and avobenzone. Formulators also use it to help dissolve the other UV filters into the oil phase.

One thing to keep in mind: "stable" isn't the same as "strong". On its own, homosalate is actually a pretty weak UV filter so it's better off as a helpful team player that helps boost overall SPF protection.

The safety picture is a bit nuanced but not scary.

This ingredient has a long track record of being gentle and regulators agree it isn't an irritant; EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety found that homosalate is not considered a skin irritant and doesn't raise eye-irritation flags either.

There's talk about homosalate because your skin absorbs a little bit of it into your bloodstream. A 2020 FDA-backed study found homosalate showed up in people's blood levels at the level where the FDA decides to double check.

The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) also found small amounts in blood and breast milk. They estimated that about 5% of what you apply gets absorbed through the skin.

Due to the debate about whether it might mess with hormones, the SCCS recommended a maximum limit of 0.5% in most products of 7.3% in face creams/pump sprays.

One important thing to keep in mind: in the US, Homosalate is currently labeled "non-GRASE" by the FDA. This sounds alarming but really just means the FDA wants more data to confirm it's safe. It's not confidently saying this ingredient is harmful.

As of now, homosalate is still completely legal and widely used while that research gets done.

The current maximum limits are:

Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters (HJE) are an emollient and skin-conditioning agent made by breaking down jojoba oil into a blend of fatty acids and fatty alcohols.

Jojoba is pretty cool because it's a liquid wax ester rather than a triglyceride like most plant oils. Its structure closely resembles the wax esters in human sebum so it slots nicely into the skin's own lipid layer.

In cosmetics, HJE works mainly to soften skin, reinforce the barrier, and lock in moisture by reducing water loss. This ingredient also holds onto the skin even after rinsing which is why you'll see it in cleansers or wipes.

There's a decent clinical backing for the moisturizing claims: a small controlled study found that pairing HJE with glycerin lowered transepidermal water loss significantly than glycerin alone (and this effect lasted up to 24 hours).

Follow-up work showed HJE appear to "trap" glycerin in the film they form on skin to boost its hydrating power.

Typical use levels are low: the glycering-synergy research used around 1.25% (a common pairing is roughly 1.25% HJE and 3.75% glycerin).

This ingredient has been found safe as used in cosmetics with low irritation risk.

As for fungal acne, the fatty acids and alcohols in jojoba fall in roughly the C18-24 range. This overlaps the C11-24 window that Malassezia yeast can feed on in lab studies, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

Octocrylene is an oil-soluble organic UV filter that mainly absorbs UVB and short wave UVA II light.

Its real superpower is teamwork: octocrylene is remarkably photostable and is most famous for stabilizing avobenzone (the workhorse UVA filter).

This ingredient is commonly used to enhance both UVB and UVA protection due to its unique property in stabilizing avobenzone. It also pulls double duty by boosting water resistance and giving formulas a smooth, spreadable feel.

The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has deemed octocrylene to be safe as a UV-filter at concentrations up to 10% (capped at 9% in propellant sprays). The US also permits it up to 10%.

Two things worth knowing:

You'll usually see this ingredient used in concentrations between 2-10% (higher amounts when used as a stabilizer for avobenzone).

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.

Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.

The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.

One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

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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