Cancer Council SPF 50+ Day Wear Face Matte Invisible 4hr Water Resistant
67/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Cancer Council SPF 50+ Day Wear Face Matte Invisible is a chemical sunscreen using older filters, Octocrylene, Homosalate and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane. Despite the matte name our rating reads the finish as balanced, with low white cast and a lightweight feel, and it sits okay under makeup. It can sting a little and is generally low risk for breakouts. With moderate protection and a score of 67.0/100, it is a serviceable water-resistant daily face option.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Moderate
54
- +16 Octocrylene at #1, UV filter
- +12 Homosalate at #2, UV filter
- +30 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #3, UV filter (UVA1 +16)
- ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
☢️
Health safety
Medium
46
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Homosalate at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −10.5 Octocrylene at #1, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #3, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
97
- +100 Starting score
- −3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
🔥
Eye sting
Medium
45
- +100 Starting score
- −24 Avobenzone at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −22 Octocrylene at #1, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Homosalate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
👕
Fabric stains
High
25
- +100 Starting score
- −50 Avobenzone at #3, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −15 Octocrylene at #1, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +12 Label claims water resistance (sport / 40-80 min)
Full ingredient list (4)
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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Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 16 UV protection
- ↓ 10.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 22 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
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Legacy UV filter (Homosalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 12 UV protection
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 30 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↓ 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 24 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 50 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
Is Cancer Council Day Wear Face mineral or chemical?
It is a chemical sunscreen using older filters: Octocrylene, Homosalate and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane.
Is the Cancer Council SPF 50+ Day Wear Face Matte Invisible 4hr Water Resistant really matte?
Despite the matte name, our rating reads the finish as balanced rather than fully matte. White cast is low and it is water resistant, so it holds up for daily wear.
Is it a good sunscreen?
It scores 67.0/100 with moderate protection, making it a serviceable daily face option. The older filter mix is the main limit on the score.