ApotheCARE Essentials Phytodefend Protecting Day Lotion - SPF 30
65/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
ApotheCARE Essentials Phytodefend Protecting Day Lotion SPF 30 is a chemical day lotion combining avobenzone, homosalate, ethylhexyl salicylate and octocrylene. The finish is balanced, the texture is lightweight and white cast is low. It has a low breakout-trigger rating and a moderate sweat-sting score. With good measured protection and a score of 65/100, it is a dependable daily facial sunscreen.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Good
60
- +30 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #1, UV filter (UVA1 +16)
- +12 Homosalate at #2, UV filter
- +8 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #3, UV filter
- +15.2 Octocrylene at #4, UV filter
- ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- +1 Label claims (SPF 30)
☢️
Health safety
Medium
46
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Homosalate at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −10.5 Octocrylene at #4, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #1, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
67
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −9 2 declared fragrance allergens
- −3 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- −3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
🔥
Eye sting
Medium
33
- +100 Starting score
- −24 Avobenzone at #1, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −15 Octocrylene at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Homosalate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Octisalate at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
- −2 1 declared fragrance allergens
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Fungal acne
Low
91
- +100 Starting score
- −9 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil)
👕
Fabric stains
High
25
- +100 Starting score
- −50 Avobenzone at #1, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −15 Octocrylene at #4, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
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Moisture
Hydrating
LightNourishing
- → 4 Glycerin at #9, the anchor humectant
- → 1 Humectant polyols
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 2 1 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Caprylyl Methicone)
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 2 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 1 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Carbomer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer)
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance →Full ingredient list (31)
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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Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 30 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↓ 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 24 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 50 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
-
Legacy UV filter (Homosalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 12 UV protection
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 8 UV protection
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene)
- ↑ 15.2 UV protection
- ↓ 10.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 15 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
-
5 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 2 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant polyol
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
9 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 4 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
11 Undecane
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
12 Tridecane
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
16 Carbomer
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
pH adjuster
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Supporting ingredient
-
21 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
Botanical extract
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Botanical extract
-
28 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Botanical extract
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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30 Coumarin
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
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31 Isoeugenol
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
Does ApotheCARE Phytodefend Day Lotion leave a white cast?
No, white cast is low. It is a chemical day lotion that applies clear on most skin tones.
Is the ApotheCARE Essentials Phytodefend Protecting Day Lotion - SPF 30 mineral or chemical?
It is chemical, using avobenzone, homosalate, ethylhexyl salicylate and octocrylene.
Is the ApotheCARE Phytodefend lotion good?
It scores 65/100 with good measured protection, making it a dependable daily facial sunscreen. The balanced finish and low pore-clogging rating suit most skin types.