BCL Moisturizing Primer With SPF 40
74/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
BCL Moisturizing Primer With SPF 40 is a chemical sunscreen primer using a hybrid blend of Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine and Ethylhexyl Triazone. It has a dewy finish, stays lightweight, and shows low white cast. Pore-clogging risk is low and it does not commonly sting, while it works acceptably under makeup as a primer. With moderate SPF 40 protection and a score of 73.8/100, it is a fair daily prep step for those who want hydration and light sun support.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Moderate
51
- +17.1 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #4, UV filter
- +38.4 Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine at #10, UV filter (UVA1 +12.8)
- +6.6 Ethylhexyl Triazone at #40, UV filter
- −6.1 UVB coverage saturated
- ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- +1 Label claims (SPF 40)
☢️
Health safety
High
64
- +100 Starting score
- −36 Octinoxate at #4 (regulatory/evidence concern)
👻
White cast
Low
99
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Titanium Dioxide as pigment (CI 77891) at #50
- +1 Iron-oxide undertone, partial masking
🔥
Eye sting
Low
89
- +100 Starting score
- −11 Octinoxate at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Petrolatum at #46, heaviest occlusive
🍄
Fungal acne
High
22
- +100 Starting score
- −42 3 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Stearate, Sorbitan Isostearate)
- −18 2 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin)
- −18 2 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (PEG-40 Stearate, Laureth-9)
👕
Fabric stains
Medium
60
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Iron-oxide pigments at #51, makeup-like collar marks (washable)
💧
Moisture
Nourishing
LightNourishing
- ← 1.5 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
- → 10 Glycerin at #5, the anchor humectant
- → 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #29, hyaluronic family
- → 3 Humectant polyols
- → 2 2 emollient lipids (Squalane, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil)
- → 0.5 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetyl Alcohol)
- → 6 Ceramide barrier lipids
✨
Finish
Dewy
MatteDewy
- ← 1 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
- → 11 3 emollient lipids (Squalane, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
- → 1 Occlusives seal moisture in (Petrolatum)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 1 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- → 3 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer)
- ← 1 Occlusives/waxes float the foundation
- ← 3 Humectant syrup tackiness
🌊
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.
- ✨ Niacinamide
- ✨ Allantoin
Full ingredient list (53)
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
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing humectant polyol
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 9 → dewy emollient lipid
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Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate)
- ↑ 17.1 UV protection
- ↑ 11 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
5 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 10 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant polyol
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 18 feeds malassezia
-
Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Tinosorb S), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 38.4 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
-
11 Dimethicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
13 Alanine
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
14 Allantoin
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
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15 Arginine
pH adjuster
-
16 Isoleucine
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
17 Glycine
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
20 Squalane
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
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21 Ceramide AP
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
22 Ceramide EOP
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
23 Ceramide NG
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
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24 Ceramide NP
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
25 Serine
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
26 Taurine
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
27 Threonine
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
28 Valine
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
31 Phytosterols
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
33 Proline
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Botanical extract
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
35 Lysine Hcl
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
36 Leucine
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
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Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Uvinul T 150), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 6.6 UV protection
-
41 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
42 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
45 Laureth-9
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
46 Petrolatum
Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin
- ↑ 2 heaviest occlusive
- 1 → dewy occlusive
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Colorant or pigment
-
51 Iron Oxides
Colorant or pigment
- ↑ 40 makeup-like collar marks (washable)
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52 Iron Oxides
Colorant or pigment
-
Supporting ingredient
Is BCL Moisturizing Primer With SPF 40 good?
It offers moderate SPF 40 protection and scores 73.8/100, a fair result. As a hydrating primer it stays lightweight with a dewy finish and low white cast.
Does the BCL Moisturizing Primer With SPF 40 work under makeup?
Yes, it is built as a primer and is rated an acceptable makeup base, so it can prep skin before foundation. It does not commonly sting.
Is it mineral or chemical?
It is a chemical sunscreen using a hybrid blend of Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Bis- Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine and Ethylhexyl Triazone.