Carmex Fresh Cherry SPF 15
45/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Carmex Fresh Cherry SPF 15 is a tinted lip balm with sun protection, using the older filters ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate and benzophenone-3. It has a dewy finish but a somewhat heavier feel and a higher pore-clogging tendency, and it is not designed to work under makeup. The SPF 15 rating gives only weak sun protection. With a score of 45.0/100, it is best understood as a lip product with minor SPF rather than a real facial sunscreen.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Weak
24
- +18 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #1, UV filter
- +22 Benzophenone-3 at #2, UV filter
- ×0.6 Almost no UVA1, poor aging protection
☢️
Health safety
Low
17
- +100 Starting score
- −70 Oxybenzone at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −12.6 Octinoxate at #1, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- +0 2 endocrine-scrutinized filters together
🤧
Allergens
Low
92
- +100 Starting score
- −6 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Benzophenone-3)
- −2 Other sensitizers (lanolin)
🔥
Eye sting
Low
68
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Oxybenzone at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −16 Octinoxate at #1, migrates into eyes with sweat
🪨
Heavy feel
Medium
33
- +100 Starting score
- −22 Petrolatum at #3, heaviest occlusive
- −6 Cera Alba at #9, wax film
- −12 Ozokerite at #7, wax film
- −6 Paraffin at #11, wax film
- −6 Cetyl Esters at #10, wax film
- −5 Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter at #12, butter/occlusive fat
- −10 Lanolin at #4, butter/occlusive fat
🔴
Comedogenic
Medium
44
- +100 Starting score
- −17 Isopropyl Palmitate at #6, heavy comedogenic ester
- −7 Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter at #12, comedogenic oil/butter
- −18 Lanolin at #4, comedogenic oil/butter
- −14 2 heavy comedogens high in the list
🍄
Fungal acne
High
28
- +100 Starting score
- −38 2 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Lanolin)
- −24 1 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Isopropyl Palmitate)
- −10 2 different Malassezia-feeding families high in the list
- +0 Petrolatum at #3, a safe base that does not feed Malassezia
👕
Fabric stains
Low
80
- +100 Starting score
- −20 Oxybenzone at #2, yellow stains on white cotton
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- → 2 1 emollient lipids (Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter)
✨
Finish
Dewy
MatteDewy
- → 3 1 emollient lipids (Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter)
- → 4 1 slippy emollient esters (Isopropyl Palmitate)
- → 13 Occlusives seal moisture in (Petrolatum, Lanolin)
🌊
Water resistance
Resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +19 4 water-locking waxes
Full ingredient list (14)
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.
-
Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 18 UV protection
- ↓ 12.6 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Legacy UV filter (Oxybenzone), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 22 UV protection
- ↑ 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 20 yellow stains on white cotton
-
Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin
- ↑ 22 heaviest occlusive
- 8 → dewy occlusive
-
4 Lanolin
Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin
- ↑ 10 butter/occlusive fat
- ↑ 18 comedogenic oil/butter
- 5 → dewy occlusive
- ↑ 24 feeds malassezia
-
Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 17 heavy comedogenic ester
- 4 → dewy slippy emollient ester
- ↑ 24 feeds malassezia
-
Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin
- ↑ 12 wax film
- ↑ 7 wax water lock
-
8 Aroma
Fragrance
-
Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin
- ↑ 6 wax film
- ↑ 4 wax water lock
-
10 Cetyl Esters
Supporting ingredient
- ↑ 6 wax film
- ↑ 4 wax water lock
-
11 Paraffin
Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin
- ↑ 6 wax film
- ↑ 4 wax water lock
-
Botanical extract
- ↑ 5 butter/occlusive fat
- ↑ 7 comedogenic oil/butter
- 2 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 3 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
What SPF is Carmex Fresh Cherry?
It is SPF 15, rated as weak protection. This is a tinted lip balm with minor sun protection, not a full facial sunscreen.
Does the Carmex Fresh Cherry SPF 15 work under makeup?
No, it is rated poor as a makeup base. It is a dewy lip balm with a heavier feel, designed for the lips rather than for layering under face makeup.
Is it a good sunscreen?
It scores 45.0/100, the lowest in this group, because of its weak SPF 15 and lip-balm format. It is best seen as a lip product with light SPF rather than a sunscreen.