Ingredients

What's inside Daily Defence.

Two hero ingredients. Three supporting. Plus the technical bits that hold the formula together. Fifteen things on the label, total — every one of them here on purpose. We list them all, not just the ones we want to talk about.

Two hero ingredients

Tallow. Grass-fed, slow-rendered from New Zealand. The closest natural match to the lipid profile of human skin. Deeply nourishing, fast-absorbing, biocompatible. Rich in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Non-nano Zinc Oxide. A natural mineral ingredient. Sits on the skin's surface rather than absorbing into the body — a barrier against wind, salt water and chlorine.

Three supporting ingredients

MCT Oil (Caprylic / Capric Triglyceride). Lightweight carrier oil derived from coconut. Helps the formula spread evenly and absorb fast.

Vitamin E (Tocopherol). Antioxidant. Supports stability of the formula and the skin barrier.

Olive Oil (Olea Europaea Fruit Oil). Softening and nourishing. Cold-pressed.

The technical bits

Every emulsion needs a way to stay an emulsion. Without these, the oil-soluble ingredients (tallow, MCT, olive) and the water-soluble ones (water itself) would separate within hours, and the zinc oxide wouldn't suspend evenly. None of them are filler — they're the chemistry that makes the formula work.

Water (Aqua). The water phase of the emulsion. Every cream has it.

Emulsifier system. Five plant-derived or naturally occurring ingredients work together to suspend the zinc oxide evenly and bind oil to water: Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Polyglyceryl-4 Olivate, Isostearic Acid, Lecithin, and Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate.

Glyceryl Heptanoate. A co-emulsifier that improves the skin-feel. Plant-derived.

Propanediol. A natural humectant from corn sugar. Helps the formula absorb without leaving a residue.

Caprylhydroxamic Acid. A natural preservative derived from coconut. Keeps the formula safe and stable on the shelf and in the bathroom.

Parfum. Fragrance, used at less than 1% to give each scent (Coconut & Lime, Strawberry) its character. Synthetic. The alternative is unscented tallow, and unscented tallow doesn't smell like something you'd want to wear. If you're sensitive to fragrance, a patch test is recommended.

What's not in it

  • No parabens.
  • No chemical UV filters — Daily Defence is not a sunscreen.
  • No SLS or SLES sulphates.
  • No silicones.
  • No greenwashing. We mean what we say.

Full INCI list

Aqua, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Zinc Oxide, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Tallow, Polyglyceryl-4 Olivate, Tocopherol, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Isostearic Acid, Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Glyceryl Heptanoate, Propanediol, Parfum.