Boots No7 No7 Early Defense Day Cream SPF 15
75/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Boots No7 Early Defense Day Cream SPF 15 is a chemical (hybrid) day cream that pairs Octocrylene and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane with modern triazine filters. It is lightweight with a balanced finish and a low white cast, with medium sting potential around the eyes. Breakout risk is low and it works well under makeup. Protection is good and the score is 74.6/100, though the low SPF 15 makes it better suited to a moisturizing day cream than to deliberate sun exposure.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Good
80
- +15.2 Octocrylene at #4, UV filter
- +28.5 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #5, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- +6.4 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #9, UV filter
- +28.8 Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine at #14, UV filter (UVA1 +9.6)
- +7.2 Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone at #24, UV filter
- −2 UVB coverage saturated
- −4.3 UVA2 coverage saturated
☢️
Health safety
Medium
60
- +100 Starting score
- −30 Octocrylene at #4 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #5, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −7 Retinyl Palmitate at #26, disputed vitamin-A sunlight signal, under review
🤧
Allergens
Low
67
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −12 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- −3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
🔥
Eye sting
Medium
54
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Avobenzone at #5, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −15 Octocrylene at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −3 Octisalate at #9, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −4 Volatile alcohol at #10
- −8 Fragrance
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit at #13, butter/occlusive fat
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Isopropyl Myristate at #38, heavy comedogenic ester
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
60
- +100 Starting score
- −12 1 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Polysorbate 20)
- −9 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
- −9 1 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Isopropyl Myristate)
- −10 1 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Cetearyl Glucoside), weak Malassezia signal
👕
Fabric stains
High
30
- +100 Starting score
- −45 Avobenzone at #5, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −15 Octocrylene at #4, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
💧
Moisture
Hydrating
LightNourishing
- ← 5 Volatile alcohol at #10
- ← 4.5 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica, Aluminium Starch Octenylsuccinate)
- → 16 Glycerin at #2, the anchor humectant
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 4 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Aluminium Starch Octenylsuccinate, Silica)
- ← 1 Volatile alcohol at #10
- → 10 2 emollient lipids (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
- → 1 1 slippy emollient esters (Isopropyl Myristate)
💄
Makeup base
Good
PillsPrimer
- → 3 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- → 2 Quick-setting carrier (alcohol at #10), fast, even canvas
- → 3 1 soft-focus powders in moderation
- → 3 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 2.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Carbomer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer)
- ← 3.5 Humectant syrup tackiness (partly offset by the base)
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance →Full ingredient list (43)
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
-
2 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 16 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 9 → dewy emollient lipid
-
Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene)
- ↑ 15.2 UV protection
- ↑ 15 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
-
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
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 10 minor malassezia feeder
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 6.4 UV protection
- ↑ 3 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Volatile alcohol, a drying solvent that can sting eyes
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Botanical extract
- ↑ 2 butter/occlusive fat
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Tinosorb S), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 28.8 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
17 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
19 Dimethiconol
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
21 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
23 Ethylparaben
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Iscotrizinol), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 7.2 UV protection
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↓ 7 disputed vitamin-A sunlight signal, under review
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Botanical extract
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
32 Alfalfa
Supporting ingredient
-
33 Hydroxide K
pH adjuster
-
34 Carbomer
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
Botanical extract
-
37 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 heavy comedogenic ester
- 1 → dewy slippy emollient ester
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
40 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
Does the Boots No7 No7 Early Defense Day Cream SPF 15 leave a white cast?
White cast is low, so it generally blends in well. The day cream is lightweight with a balanced finish that settles cleanly under makeup.
What SPF is the Boots No7 No7 Early Defense Day Cream SPF 15 and is it enough?
It is SPF 15, which is on the lower side for sun protection. It is better suited as a moisturizing day cream for everyday incidental exposure than for deliberate time in the sun.
Is it mineral or chemical, and is it good?
It is a chemical (hybrid) sunscreen using Octocrylene and modern triazine filters. Protection is good and the score is 74.6/100, though the low SPF limits its sun-care role.