Australian Gold SPF 50 Bronzer
65/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Australian Gold SPF 50 Bronzer is a chemical sunscreen with a hybrid filter mix of Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Octocrylene and Polysilicone-15. It is lightweight with a balanced finish and low white cast, with low pore-clogging risk but a medium chance of stinging near the eyes. Protection is good, and the overall score of 64.5/100 makes it a middling everyday option with the added bronzer cosmetic effect.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Good
60
- +12 Homosalate at #2, UV filter
- +7.6 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #4, UV filter
- +28.5 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #5, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- +15.2 Octocrylene at #6, UV filter
- +7.2 Polysilicone-15 at #20, UV filter
- −6.2 UVB coverage saturated
- ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
☢️
Health safety
Medium
46
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Homosalate at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −10.5 Octocrylene at #6, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #5, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
67
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −5 3 declared fragrance allergens
- −7 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- −3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
🔥
Eye sting
Medium
40
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Avobenzone at #5, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −15 Octocrylene at #6, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Homosalate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −6 Octisalate at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
- −6 3 declared fragrance allergens
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
92
- +100 Starting score
- −6 Polyethylene at #9, wax film
- −2 Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter at #26, butter/occlusive fat
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
97
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter at #26, comedogenic oil/butter
- −1 Olea Europaea Fruit Oil at #34, moderate comedogenic signal
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
43
- +100 Starting score
- −30 2 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan Oleate)
- −27 3 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter)
👕
Fabric stains
High
30
- +100 Starting score
- −45 Avobenzone at #5, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −15 Octocrylene at #6, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- → 1 Glycerin at #27, the anchor humectant
- → 3 3 emollient lipids (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- → 6 4 emollient lipids (Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, …)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 1 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 1 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer)
- ← 2 Occlusives/waxes float the foundation
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +4 1 water-locking waxes
Full ingredient list (39)
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
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Legacy UV filter (Homosalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 12 UV protection
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Supporting ingredient
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Legacy UV filter (Octisalate)
- ↑ 7.6 UV protection
- ↑ 6 migrates into eyes with sweat
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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
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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
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 6 wax film
- ↑ 4 wax water lock
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 3 → dewy emollient lipid
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11 Caramel
Colorant or pigment
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 18 feeds malassezia
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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14 Fragrance
Fragrance
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15 Limonene
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
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Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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17 Carbomer
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Polysilicone-15), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 7.2 UV protection
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
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Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
pH adjuster
-
24 Allantoin
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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Botanical extract
- ↑ 2 butter/occlusive fat
- ↑ 2 comedogenic oil/butter
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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27 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing the anchor humectant
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Soothing, skin-conditioning active
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29 Coumarin
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
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30 Linalool
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
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Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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33 Tea Tree Oil
Plant oil, an emollient
-
Botanical extract
- ↑ 1 moderate comedogenic signal
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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Botanical extract
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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38 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
-
Botanical extract
Does Australian Gold SPF 50 Bronzer leave a white cast?
White cast is rated low, so it should not leave heavy residue. The finish is balanced and lightweight.
Is the Australian Gold SPF 50 Bronzer mineral or chemical?
It is chemical with a hybrid filter mix of Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, avobenzone, Octocrylene and Polysilicone-15.
Is Australian Gold SPF 50 Bronzer any good?
Protection is good, but the overall score is 64.5/100, a middling result. It is a reasonable everyday option with an added bronzer cosmetic effect, though it carries a medium chance of stinging near the eyes.