Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum Spf50, Fragrance Free
54/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF50 is a fragrance-free chemical sunscreen-moisturizer using an old-school filter set of Octinoxate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Octocrylene and Benzophenone-3 with some Titanium Dioxide. It has a balanced finish, stays lightweight and shows low white cast, sitting okay under makeup. The sting risk is medium and protection is rated moderate. With a score of 54.4/100, it is a basic fragrance-free daily moisturizer rather than a peak sunscreen.
Ingredient & SPF scores
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UV protection
Moderate
38
- +18 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #1, UV filter
- +8 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #2, UV filter
- +16 Octocrylene at #3, UV filter
- +20.9 Benzophenone-3 at #4, UV filter
- +31.4 Titanium Dioxide at #5, UV filter (UVA1 +4.8)
- β30.7 UVB coverage saturated
- β3.8 UVA2 coverage saturated
- Γ0.6 Almost no UVA1, poor aging protection
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
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Health safety
Low
7
- +100 Starting score
- β70 Oxybenzone at #4 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β12.6 Octinoxate at #1, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β10.5 Octocrylene at #3, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- +0 2 endocrine-scrutinized filters together
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Allergens
Low
91
- +100 Starting score
- β9 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Benzophenone-3, Octocrylene)
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White cast
Low
83
- +100 Starting score
- β18 Titanium Dioxide, 5.7% declared
- +1.3 Coated minerals (Aluminum Hydroxide)
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Eye sting
Medium
42
- +100 Starting score
- β22 Octocrylene at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β11 Oxybenzone at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β16 Octinoxate at #1, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β9 Octisalate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
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Heavy feel
Low
90
- +100 Starting score
- β10 Titanium Dioxide, 5.7% declared
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Fungal acne
Low
77
- +100 Starting score
- β18 2 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate)
- β5 1 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Stearic Acid), weak Malassezia signal
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Fabric stains
Medium
55
- +100 Starting score
- β20 Oxybenzone at #4, yellow stains on white cotton
- β15 Octocrylene at #3, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- β10 Titanium Dioxide at #5, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
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Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- β 2 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- β 4 Glycerin at #8, the anchor humectant
- β 1 Humectant polyols
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Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- β 2 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
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Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- β 3 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- β 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Carbomer)
- β 6 High mineral load at #5 greys under foundation
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Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +7 1 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for water resistance
Full ingredient list (27)
What each ingredient does and how it moves each rating: green helps, red hurts, β / β give the direction, and β / β 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 (Octinoxate), high in the list, a primary filter
- β 18 UV protection
- β 12.6 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- β 8 UV protection
- β 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene), high in the list, a primary filter
- β 16 UV protection
- β 10.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β 22 migrates into eyes with sweat
- β 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
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Legacy UV filter (Oxybenzone)
- β 20.9 UV protection
- β 11 migrates into eyes with sweat
- β 20 yellow stains on white cotton
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Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide)
- β 31.4 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- β 18 5.7% declared
- β 10 5.7% declared
- β 10 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- pills β 6 High mineral load greys under foundation
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6 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 β nourishing humectant polyol
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8 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 4 β nourishing the anchor humectant
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
- β 7 film former
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Volatile silicone, flashes off for a light finish
- light β 2 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte β 2 volatile carrier, flashes off
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12 Stearic Acid
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- β 5 minor malassezia feeder
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13 Dimethiconol
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 9 feeds malassezia
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 9 feeds malassezia
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Supporting ingredient
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Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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19 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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pH adjuster
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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22 Ethylparaben
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
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25 Carbomer
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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27 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
Is this a mineral or chemical sunscreen?
It is a chemical sunscreen-moisturizer using an old-school filter set of Octinoxate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Octocrylene and Benzophenone-3, with a small amount of Titanium Dioxide.
Is the Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum Spf50, Fragrance Free good for sensitive skin?
It is fragrance-free and low on pore-clogging risk, which is friendly for sensitive and blemish-prone skin. The sting risk is medium, so apply carefully around the eyes.
Is the Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum Spf50, Fragrance Free a good sunscreen?
It scores 54.4/100. Despite the SPF50 label, protection is rated moderate and the filters are dated, so it is a basic daily moisturizer rather than a peak sunscreen.