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Banana Boat Baby Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50

Banana Boat Baby Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50

49/100 overall score

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About this sunscreen

Banana Boat Baby Sunscreen Lotion is an SPF 50 lotion using a pure mineral filter system of Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide, a common choice for young skin. It has a matte finish, stays lightweight, shows low white cast, and is unlikely to sting. It is low on pore-clogging and works well under makeup. Despite the SPF 50 label its measured protection lands at the weak end, and it scores 49.0, the lowest tier in this group.

Ingredient & SPF scores

β˜€οΈ

UV protection

Weak 21
  • +19.8 Titanium Dioxide at #20, UV filter (UVA1 +3)
  • +12.3 Zinc Oxide at #21, UV filter (UVA1 +5.4)
  • Γ—0.6 Almost no UVA1, poor aging protection
  • +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
How we rate uv protection β†’
☒️

Health safety

High 100
  • +100 Starting score
How we rate health safety β†’
🀧

Allergens

Low 100
  • +100 Starting score
How we rate allergens β†’
πŸ‘»

White cast

Low 81
  • +100 Starting score
  • βˆ’5 Zinc Oxide at #21
  • βˆ’6 Titanium Dioxide at #20
  • βˆ’10 Zinc Oxide + Titanium Dioxide together
  • +1.5 Coated minerals (Alumina)
How we rate white cast β†’
πŸ”₯

Eye sting

Low 100
  • +100 Starting score
How we rate eye sting β†’
πŸͺ¨

Heavy feel

Low 96
  • +100 Starting score
  • βˆ’3 Zinc Oxide at #21
  • βˆ’2 Titanium Dioxide at #20
  • +0.8 Volatile hydrocarbon at #3, flashes off
How we rate heavy feel β†’
πŸ”΄

Comedogenic

Low 100
  • +100 Starting score
How we rate comedogenic β†’
πŸ„

Fungal acne

Safe 100
  • +100 Starting score
  • +0 Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride at #2, a safe base that does not feed Malassezia
How we rate fungal acne β†’
πŸ‘•

Fabric stains

Low 93
  • +100 Starting score
  • βˆ’2 Titanium Dioxide at #20, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
  • βˆ’5 Both minerals present, heavier deposit
How we rate fabric stains β†’
πŸ’§

Moisture

Balanced
LightNourishing
  • ← 7 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
  • β†’ 1 Glycerin at #15, the anchor humectant
  • β†’ 4 Light emollient/solvent (Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride)
How we rate moisture β†’
✨

Finish

Matte
MatteDewy
  • ← 7 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
How we rate finish β†’
πŸ’„

Makeup base

Good
PillsPrimer
  • β†’ 1 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
  • β†’ 4 Quick-setting carrier, fast, even canvas
How we rate makeup base β†’
🌊

Water resistance

Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant

Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.

How we rate water resistance β†’

Full ingredient list (21)

What each ingredient does and how it moves each rating: green helps, red hurts, ↑ / ↓ give the direction, and ← / β†’ shift a slider toward its ends (finish, moisture, makeup base). Auto-derived from our scoring rules and the ingredient's position.

  1. 1 Water

    Solvent base, the water phase

  2. Emollient, softens and smooths skin

    • 4 β†’ nourishing light emollient
  3. 3 Isohexadecane

    Volatile hydrocarbon, flashes off for a light finish

    • light ← 7 volatile carrier, flashes off
    • matte ← 7 volatile carrier, flashes off
  4. Emollient, softens and smooths skin

  5. Supporting ingredient

  6. Emollient, softens and smooths skin

  7. Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended

  8. Supporting ingredient

  9. 9 Sodium Chloride

    Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream

  10. Filter booster, photostabilizes the UV filters or lifts their SPF

  11. 11 Dimethicone

    Emollient, softens and smooths skin

  12. 12 Caprylyl Glycol

    Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling

  13. 13 PEG-8

    Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended

  14. 14 Alumina

    Supporting ingredient

  15. 15 Glycerin

    Humectant, pulls water into the skin

    • 1 β†’ nourishing the anchor humectant
  16. 16 Sodium Citrate

    pH adjuster

  17. 17 Tocopheryl Acetate

    Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin

  18. Soothing, skin-conditioning active

  19. 19 Phenoxyethanol

    Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling

  20. 20 Titanium Dioxide

    Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide), low in the list, likely a minor contributor

    • ↑ 19.8 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
    • ↑ 2 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
  21. 21 Zinc Oxide

    Mineral UV filter (Zinc Oxide), low in the list, likely a minor contributor

    • ↑ 12.3 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)

Is Banana Boat Baby Sunscreen mineral or chemical?

It is a pure mineral sunscreen, using Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide, a common choice for young skin. It contains no chemical UV filters.

Does the Banana Boat Baby Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 leave a white cast?

No, it is rated low for white cast and finishes matte while staying lightweight. It is also unlikely to sting.

Is it good for the SPF 50 claim?

It scores 49.0 out of 100, the lowest tier here. Despite the SPF 50 label its measured protection lands at the weak end.

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