Banana Boat Ultra Protect Spf 80
58/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Banana Boat Ultra Protect SPF 80 is an older-style chemical sunscreen using homosalate, oxybenzone, octocrylene, ethylhexyl salicylate, and avobenzone for broad-spectrum coverage. It has a balanced finish, low white cast, and a lightweight feel, with low breakout risk, but it can sting if it reaches the eyes. Scoring 57.9/100 with good protection, it leans toward high-SPF outdoor use where the filter set is less ideal for sensitive faces.
Ingredient & SPF scores
βοΈ
UV protection
Good
65
- +12 Homosalate at #2, UV filter
- +22 Benzophenone-3 at #3, UV filter
- +15.2 Octocrylene at #4, UV filter
- +7.6 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #5, UV filter
- +28.5 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #7, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- β9 UVB coverage saturated
- β6.1 UVA2 coverage saturated
- Γ0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- +2 Label claims (SPF 80)
β’οΈ
Health safety
Low
2
- +100 Starting score
- β70 Oxybenzone at #3 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β14 Homosalate at #2, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β10.5 Octocrylene at #4, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β3.5 Avobenzone at #7, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- +0 2 endocrine-scrutinized filters together
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Allergens
Low
61
- +100 Starting score
- β18 Fragrance
- β12 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- β9 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Benzophenone-3, Octocrylene)
π₯
Eye sting
High
30
- +100 Starting score
- β16 Avobenzone at #7, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β15 Octocrylene at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β16 Oxybenzone at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β9 Homosalate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β6 Octisalate at #5, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β8 Fragrance
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Heavy feel
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- β2 Paraffin at #20, wax film
π΄
Comedogenic
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- β2 Isopropyl Myristate at #19, heavy comedogenic ester
π
Fungal acne
Medium
52
- +100 Starting score
- β12 1 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Polysorbate 60)
- β36 4 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Isopropyl Myristate, Steareth-20, Steareth-2)
π
Fabric stains
High
10
- +100 Starting score
- β45 Avobenzone at #7, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- β20 Oxybenzone at #3, yellow stains on white cotton
- β15 Octocrylene at #4, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- β10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
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Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- β 4 Glycerin at #10, the anchor humectant
β¨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- β 1 1 slippy emollient esters (Isopropyl Myristate)
π
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- β 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Carbomer)
π
Water resistance
Resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +16 2 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for water resistance
- +2 1 water-locking waxes
Full ingredient list (27)
What each ingredient does and how it moves each rating: green helps, red hurts, β / β give the direction, and β / β 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
- β 12 UV protection
- β 14 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Legacy UV filter (Oxybenzone), high in the list, a primary filter
- β 22 UV protection
- β 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
- β 20 yellow stains on white cotton
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Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene)
- β 15.2 UV protection
- β 10.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β 15 migrates into eyes with sweat
- β 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
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Legacy UV filter (Octisalate)
- β 7.6 UV protection
- β 6 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
- β 13 film former
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Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone)
- β 28.5 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- β 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
- β 45 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
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10 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 4 β nourishing the anchor humectant
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
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14 Polyester-7
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
- β 3 film former
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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16 Steareth-20
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 9 feeds malassezia
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Supporting ingredient
- β 9 feeds malassezia
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18 Steareth-2
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- β 2 heavy comedogenic ester
- 1 β dewy slippy emollient ester
- β 9 feeds malassezia
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20 Paraffin
Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin
- β 2 wax film
- β 2 wax water lock
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pH adjuster
-
22 Carbomer
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 12 feeds malassezia
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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Soothing, skin-conditioning active
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Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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27 Fragrance
Fragrance
Does Banana Boat Ultra Protect SPF 80 sting the eyes?
It can sting if it reaches the eyes, since sting risk is rated high. It is better suited to body and outdoor use than to delicate areas around the eyes.
Is the Banana Boat Ultra Protect Spf 80 mineral or chemical?
It is an older-style chemical sunscreen using homosalate, oxybenzone, octocrylene, ethylhexyl salicylate, and avobenzone, with no mineral filters.
Is it a good sunscreen?
It scores 57.9/100 with good protection. The high SPF suits extended outdoor use, though the filter set is less ideal for sensitive faces.