Australian Gold Spf 50 Sunscreen Lotion
57/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Australian Gold SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion is a hybrid chemical sunscreen using salicylates, octocrylene, avobenzone and the older filter benzophenone-3. It has a balanced, lightweight finish with low white cast and low breakout risk, but it stings noticeably, so it is not ideal near the eyes. It works okay under makeup. Protection is good, yet the score of 57.2 is held down by the dated filter mix and the sting, making it a middling everyday choice.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Good
65
- +12 Homosalate at #2, UV filter
- +7.6 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #4, UV filter
- +20.9 Benzophenone-3 at #5, UV filter
- +28.5 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #6, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- +15.2 Octocrylene at #7, UV filter
- +7.2 Polysilicone-15 at #20, UV filter
- −15.7 UVB coverage saturated
- −5.5 UVA2 coverage saturated
- ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
☢️
Health safety
Low
2
- +100 Starting score
- −70 Oxybenzone at #5 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −14 Homosalate at #2, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −10.5 Octocrylene at #7, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #6, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- +0 2 endocrine-scrutinized filters together
🤧
Allergens
Low
61
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −5 3 declared fragrance allergens
- −7 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- −9 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Benzophenone-3, Octocrylene)
🔥
Eye sting
High
29
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Avobenzone at #6, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −15 Octocrylene at #7, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −11 Oxybenzone at #5, 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 #10, 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
10
- +100 Starting score
- −45 Avobenzone at #6, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −20 Oxybenzone at #5, yellow stains on white cotton
- −15 Octocrylene at #7, 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 (38)
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
- ↓ 14 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
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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 (Oxybenzone)
- ↑ 20.9 UV protection
- ↑ 11 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 20 yellow stains on white cotton
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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
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Supporting ingredient
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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10 Polyethylene
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 6 wax film
- ↑ 4 wax water lock
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 3 → dewy emollient lipid
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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
-
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
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
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
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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38 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
Does Australian Gold SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion sting?
Yes, it tends to sting noticeably, so it is not ideal near the eyes. Keep it away from the eye area when applying.
Is the Australian Gold Spf 50 Sunscreen Lotion good?
Protection is good, but the score is 57.2, held down by a dated filter mix that includes benzophenone-3 and by the sting. It is a middling everyday choice.
Is it mineral or chemical?
It is a chemical sunscreen, using salicylates, octocrylene, avobenzone and the older filter benzophenone-3.