Banish The Defender SPF 50
80/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Banish The Defender SPF 50 is a pure mineral sunscreen using Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide only, a good fit for those who prefer to avoid chemical filters. It wears with a balanced finish but feels moderately heavy and can leave a medium white cast, and it is a poor base under makeup. It does not sting and is generally low risk for clogging pores, making it sensitive-skin friendly. With good protection and a strong score near 80, it is a dependable mineral option if you do not mind some cast.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Good
75
- +33 Titanium Dioxide at #1, UV filter (UVA1 +5)
- +41 Zinc Oxide at #2, UV filter (UVA1 +18)
- −1 UVA2 coverage saturated
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
👻
White cast
Medium
50
- +100 Starting score
- −14 Zinc Oxide, 7% declared
- −18 Titanium Dioxide, 7% declared
- −10 Zinc Oxide + Titanium Dioxide together
- −8 Pure mineral formula (14% total declared)
🪨
Heavy feel
Medium
60
- +100 Starting score
- −8 Zinc Oxide, 7% declared
- −20 Titanium Dioxide, 7% declared
- −2 Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit at #18, butter/occlusive fat
- −10 Both minerals in the top 3, dual mineral paste
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
99
- +100 Starting score
- −1 Persea Gratissima Oil at #13, moderate comedogenic signal
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
62
- +100 Starting score
- −27 3 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Persea Gratissima Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
- −9 1 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate)
- −2 1 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Stearic Acid), weak Malassezia signal
- +0 Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil at #14, jojoba wax ester, fungal-acne exception (not penalized)
👕
Fabric stains
Low
80
- +100 Starting score
- −15 Titanium Dioxide at #1, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- −5 Both minerals present, heavier deposit
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 1.5 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
- ← 5 Zinc Oxide at #2, mild sebum absorbent
- ← 2 Titanium Dioxide at #1, mild sebum absorbent
- → 10 Glycerin at #6, the anchor humectant
- → 4 4 emollient lipids (Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, …)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 1 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
- → 4 4 emollient lipids (Persea Gratissima Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, …)
💄
Makeup base
Poor
PillsPrimer
- ← 3 Humectant syrup tackiness
- ← 15 High mineral load at #1 greys under foundation
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance →Skincare extras
Beneficial actives this formula contains. Informational only, not part of the rating: their effect depends on a concentration the label does not disclose.
- ✨ Aloe vera
Full ingredient list (24)
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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Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 33 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 18 7% declared
- ↑ 20 7% declared
- ↑ 15 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- light ← 2 mild sebum absorbent
- pills ← 15 High mineral load greys under foundation
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Mineral UV filter (Zinc Oxide), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 41 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 14 7% declared
- ↑ 8 7% declared
- light ← 5 mild sebum absorbent
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3 Mica
Colorant or pigment
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
6 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 10 → nourishing the anchor humectant
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Botanical extract
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Plant oil, an emollient
- ↑ 1 moderate comedogenic signal
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Botanical extract
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
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Botanical extract
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
16 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Botanical extract
- ↑ 2 butter/occlusive fat
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
19 Stearic Acid
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 minor malassezia feeder
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
21 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
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22 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
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24 Mica
Colorant or pigment
Is Banish The Defender SPF 50 mineral or chemical?
It is a pure mineral sunscreen. It uses only Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide, with no chemical UV filters.
Does the Banish The Defender SPF 50 leave a white cast?
It is rated medium for white cast, which is common for pure mineral formulas. Working it in thoroughly helps reduce visible residue.
Is Banish The Defender SPF 50 good?
It scores about 80 out of 100 with good protection, making it a strong mineral choice. Note it is rated a poor base under makeup, so it is better worn on its own.