APIS Professional Protective Face Cream SPF 50
61/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
APIS Professional Protective Face Cream SPF 50 is a chemical sunscreen using older filters: octocrylene, avobenzone, octinoxate, Ensulizole, and octisalate. It has a balanced, lightweight finish with low white cast and low breakout risk, though it may sting somewhat on sensitive skin. Moderate protection and a 61.3/100 score place it in the lower-middle of this group despite the SPF 50 label.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Moderate
46
- +16 Octocrylene at #2, UV filter
- +28.5 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #4, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- +17.1 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #7, UV filter
- +11.2 Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid at #8, UV filter
- +6.4 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #10, UV filter
- −14.7 UVB coverage saturated
- ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- ×0.75 Avobenzone + octinoxate degrade each other in sunlight
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
☢️
Health safety
Medium
50
- +100 Starting score
- −36 Octinoxate at #7 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −10.5 Octocrylene at #2, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #4, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
67
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −1 1 declared fragrance allergens
- −11 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- −3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
🔥
Eye sting
Medium
38
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Avobenzone at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −22 Octocrylene at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −11 Octinoxate at #7, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −3 Octisalate at #10, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −2 Ensulizole at #8, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Coconut Oil at #25, comedogenic oil/butter
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
59
- +100 Starting score
- −32 3 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Coconut Oil)
- −9 1 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Ceteareth-20)
👕
Fabric stains
High
30
- +100 Starting score
- −45 Avobenzone at #4, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −15 Octocrylene at #2, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
💧
Moisture
Hydrating
LightNourishing
- ← 5 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
- → 1 Glycerin at #16, the anchor humectant
- → 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #23, hyaluronic family
- → 7 2 strong humectants (Panthenol, Sorbitol)
- → 4 3 emollient lipids (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Coconut Oil)
- → 0.5 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetearyl Alcohol)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 6 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
- ← 1 1 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Coco-Caprylate/Caprate)
- → 5 3 emollient lipids (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Coconut Oil)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 3 1 soft-focus powders in moderation
- → 1 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 3.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Carbomer, PVP)
- ← 1 Humectant syrup tackiness (partly offset by the base)
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance →Full ingredient list (37)
What each ingredient does and how it moves each rating: green helps, red hurts, ↑ / ↓ give the direction, and ← / → shift a slider toward its ends (finish, moisture, makeup base). Auto-derived from our scoring rules and the ingredient's position.
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1 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 16 UV protection
- ↓ 10.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 22 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
-
3 Sorbitol
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 6 → nourishing humectant
-
Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone)
- ↑ 28.5 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↓ 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 45 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
-
5 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 6 sebum-absorbing powder
-
6 PVP
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
-
Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate)
- ↑ 17.1 UV protection
- ↑ 11 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Legacy UV filter (Ensulizole), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 11.2 UV protection
- ↑ 2 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 1 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 6.4 UV protection
- ↑ 3 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Botanical extract
- 2 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 3 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
13 Ceteareth-20
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Botanical extract
-
Plant oil, an emollient
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
16 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
17 Propanediol
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
20 Guar Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
21 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
22 Phytic Acid
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
-
24 Panthenol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
25 Coconut Oil
Plant oil, an emollient
- ↑ 1 heavy oil
- ↑ 2 comedogenic oil/butter
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Botanical extract
-
27 Carbomer
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Supporting ingredient
-
30 Sorbic Acid
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
34 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Botanical extract
-
pH adjuster
-
37 Fragrance
Fragrance
What SPF is APIS Professional Protective Face Cream?
It is SPF 50. However, its protection rates only as moderate and it scores 61.3/100, so it ranks in the lower-middle of this group despite the label.
Does the APIS Professional Protective Face Cream SPF 50 leave a white cast?
No, it shows low white cast and has a balanced, lightweight finish, so it generally blends in well.
Is it mineral or chemical?
It is a chemical sunscreen using older filters: octocrylene, avobenzone, octinoxate, Ensulizole, and octisalate, with no mineral filters.