Bioderma Photoderm Max Cremă Spf 50+
85/100 overall score
Sign in to see this product's score for your skin.
About this sunscreen
Bioderma Photoderm Max Cremă SPF 50+ is a hybrid sunscreen combining Octocrylene and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane with modern filters Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol and Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine. It sets to a matte finish, stays lightweight with low white cast, and is generally non-stinging with low breakout risk. It works well as a makeup base. Excellent protection and a strong score of 84.9 make it a dependable high-SPF daily option.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Excellent
100
- +16 Octocrylene at #3, UV filter
- +45.6 Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol at #4, UV filter (UVA1 +17.1)
- +28.5 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #5, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- +45.6 Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine at #6, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- −12.3 UVB coverage saturated
- −20.9 UVA2 coverage saturated
- −2.5 UVA1 coverage saturated
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
☢️
Health safety
High
67
- +100 Starting score
- −30 Octocrylene at #3 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #5, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
97
- +100 Starting score
- −3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
👻
White cast
Low
88
- +100 Starting score
- −12 Tinosorb M at #4, may look bluish-grey on deeper skin tones
🔥
Eye sting
Low
62
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Avobenzone at #5, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −22 Octocrylene at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
72
- +100 Starting score
- −28 2 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate)
👕
Fabric stains
High
30
- +100 Starting score
- −45 Avobenzone at #5, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −15 Octocrylene at #3, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 6 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- → 2 1 strong humectants (Ectoin)
✨
Finish
Matte
MatteDewy
- ← 5 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- ← 3 1 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Dicaprylyl Carbonate)
💄
Makeup base
Good
PillsPrimer
- → 5 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)
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance →Full ingredient list (28)
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.
-
1 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 3 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 16 UV protection
- ↑ 22 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
-
Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Tinosorb M)
- ↑ 45.6 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 12 may look bluish-grey on deeper skin tones
-
Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone)
- ↑ 28.5 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↓ 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 45 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
-
Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Tinosorb S)
- ↑ 45.6 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
-
Volatile silicone, flashes off for a light finish
- light ← 5 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 4 volatile carrier, flashes off
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
11 Ectoin
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
- 2 → nourishing humectant
-
12 Xylitol
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
13 Rhamnose
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Botanical extract
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Volatile silicone, flashes off for a light finish
- light ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
21 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
23 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
pH adjuster
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
Does Bioderma Photoderm Max leave a white cast?
White cast is rated low and it sets to a matte finish, so it generally wears clear and stays lightweight.
Is the Bioderma Photoderm Max Cremă Spf 50+ good under makeup?
Yes. It is rated a good makeup base with low breakout risk and a matte finish, so it works well under makeup.
Is it mineral or chemical?
It is a hybrid, combining Octocrylene and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane with modern filters Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol and Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine.