Sensitive Sunscreen SPF50+

The base most products are built on. It carries the other ingredients and has no safety concern.

A palm/coconut-derived fatty ester used to soften skin and help dissolve oil-soluble UV filters. It sits fairly high on lab comedogenicity scales, so some acne-prone users report clogged pores, though this does not translate into a broader safety concern for general use.

A solvent and emollient ester used in leave-on and rinse-off formulas. The CIR Expert Panel reviewed alkyl benzoates and found no irritation even at full strength, with typical use levels ranging from 0.0008 to 50 percent depending on product type.

A mineral UV filter that sits on the skin surface and reflects and scatters UV light. It is one of the best-studied sunscreen actives and is generally considered non-irritating and safe for use, including on sensitive skin.

A broad-spectrum organic UV filter used widely in European and international sunscreens. Approved by the EU and other regulators as safe at cosmetic levels.

A chelating agent that binds trace metal ions to keep formulas stable and preservatives working properly. It is not a functional skincare "active" and only a very small amount is used, with minimal skin penetration expected.

A broad-spectrum organic UV filter that absorbs both UVB and UVA and also stabilizes other sunscreen filters. The EU SCCS reviewed both the standard and nano particle-size forms and concluded it does not pose a risk to consumers on healthy, intact skin at up to 10 percent, citing negligible skin penetration due to particle size.

A glycol used very widely in Korean and Western skincare as a lightweight humectant, solvent, and gentle preservative-booster, often in place of traditional preservatives. It has a low reported irritation rate at use levels and is graded low concern in published assessments.

A widely used preservative, safe at the legal limit of 1% or less. Often the "paraben-free" replacement.

A plant-derived water or extract used mainly as a soothing humectant filler. Evidence for dramatic skin benefits beyond mild hydration and soothing is limited, but it is well tolerated by most people.

A more stable, esterified form of vitamin E used as an antioxidant and skin-conditioning ingredient. It is a different substance from the vitamin E acetate implicated in vaping-related lung injury, which involved inhaling the oil, not applying it topically to skin.

A small-dose synthetic antioxidant that prevents oils and fragrance in a formula from oxidizing. Not shown to pose a toxicological risk at the levels used in cosmetics.