Banana Boat Ultra Reef Friendly Sunscreen Lotion, Broad Spectrum SPF 30
65/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Banana Boat Ultra Reef Friendly Lotion SPF 30 is a chemical sunscreen using older filters, Homosalate, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane. It has a balanced finish, low white cast and a lightweight feel, with a medium chance of stinging the eyes. Breakout risk is generally low and it layers acceptably under makeup. With good protection and a middling overall score, it is a reasonable everyday body and beach lotion.
Ingredient & SPF scores
βοΈ
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
- Γ0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- +1 Label claims (SPF 30)
β’οΈ
Health safety
Medium
46
- +100 Starting score
- β40 Homosalate at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β10.5 Octocrylene at #4, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β3.5 Avobenzone at #1, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
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Allergens
Low
67
- +100 Starting score
- β18 Fragrance
- β12 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- β3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
π₯
Eye sting
Medium
35
- +100 Starting score
- β24 Avobenzone at #1, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β15 Octocrylene at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β9 Homosalate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β9 Octisalate at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β8 Fragrance
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Fungal acne
Medium
52
- +100 Starting score
- β48 2 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate)
π
Fabric stains
High
25
- +100 Starting score
- β50 Avobenzone at #1, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- β15 Octocrylene at #4, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- β10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
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Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- β 0.5 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetyl Alcohol)
π
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- β 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Sodium Polyacrylate)
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Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +6 2 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for water resistance
Full ingredient list (22)
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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Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone), high in the list, a primary filter
- β 30 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- β 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β 24 migrates into eyes with sweat
- β 50 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
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Legacy UV filter (Homosalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- β 12 UV protection
- β 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- β 8 UV protection
- β 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
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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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5 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 24 feeds malassezia
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 24 feeds malassezia
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Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 β nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
- β 3 film former
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
- β 3 film former
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Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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18 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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20 Fragrance
Fragrance
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Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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Soothing, skin-conditioning active
Is the Banana Boat Ultra Reef Friendly Sunscreen Lotion, Broad Spectrum SPF 30 mineral or chemical sunscreen?
It is a chemical sunscreen. It uses older filters: Homosalate, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane.
What SPF is the Banana Boat Ultra Reef Friendly Sunscreen Lotion, Broad Spectrum SPF 30?
It is SPF 30 and rates as good protection. It is a broad-spectrum lotion suited to everyday body and beach use.
Is Banana Boat Ultra Reef Friendly any good?
It has good protection and a mid-range overall score. It is lightweight with low white cast, though it may sting the eyes, so it is a reasonable everyday body lotion.