Cien Classic Cream
49/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Cien Classic Cream is a basic moisturiser with limited sun protection from two chemical filters, Octocrylene and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane. It is lightweight with a balanced finish and low white cast, but it can sting a little. Breakout-trigger is low. The score of 49.0 out of 100 reflects weak measured protection from this minimal filter pair, so it should not be relied on as a primary sunscreen for sustained sun exposure.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Weak
20
- +16 Octocrylene at #3, UV filter
- +18 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #14, UV filter (UVA1 +9.6)
- ×0.6 Almost no UVA1, poor aging protection
☢️
Health safety
High
67
- +100 Starting score
- −30 Octocrylene at #3 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #14, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
67
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −12 6 declared fragrance allergens
- −3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
🔥
Eye sting
Medium
59
- +100 Starting score
- −3 Avobenzone at #14, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −22 Octocrylene at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
- −8 5 declared fragrance allergens
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
90
- +100 Starting score
- −5 Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter at #8, butter/occlusive fat
- −5 Cetearyl Alcohol at #5, rich gel-network thickener
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
69
- +100 Starting score
- −17 Isopropyl Palmitate at #7, heavy comedogenic ester
- −7 Myristyl Myristate at #12, heavy comedogenic ester
- −7 Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter at #8, comedogenic oil/butter
🍄
Fungal acne
High
39
- +100 Starting score
- −14 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter)
- −47 3 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Isopropyl Palmitate, Myristyl Myristate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate)
👕
Fabric stains
Medium
47
- +100 Starting score
- −28 Avobenzone at #14, 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
Nourishing
LightNourishing
- → 16 Glycerin at #2, the anchor humectant
- → 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #26, hyaluronic family
- → 2 1 strong humectants (Panthenol)
- → 2 1 emollient lipids (Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter)
- → 1 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetearyl Alcohol)
- → 6 Ceramide barrier lipids
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 2 1 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Dicaprylyl Ether)
- → 3 1 emollient lipids (Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter)
- → 4 1 slippy emollient esters (Isopropyl Palmitate)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 1 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer)
- ← 4 Occlusives/waxes float the foundation
- ← 7 Humectant syrup tackiness
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance →Skincare extras
Beneficial actives this formula contains. Informational only, not part of the rating: their effect depends on a concentration the label does not disclose.
- ✨ Panthenol (B5)
- ✨ Vitamin E
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
-
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
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- ↑ 5 rich gel-network thickener
- 1 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 2 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 17 heavy comedogenic ester
- 4 → dewy slippy emollient ester
- ↑ 24 feeds malassezia
-
Botanical extract
- ↑ 5 butter/occlusive fat
- ↑ 7 comedogenic oil/butter
- 2 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 3 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
10 Dimethicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
11 Panthenol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
- 2 → nourishing humectant
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 7 heavy comedogenic ester
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 18 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↓ 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 3 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 28 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
16 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
18 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
19 Allantoin
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
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20 Benzoic Acid
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
pH adjuster
-
25 Linalool
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
-
27 Citronellol
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
Botanical extract
-
29 Limonene
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
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30 Ceramide NG
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
34 Taurine
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
35 Citral
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
36 Geraniol
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
37 Tannic Acid
Supporting ingredient
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
39 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Botanical extract
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
Is Cien Classic Cream a real sunscreen?
It offers only limited sun protection from two chemical filters, Octocrylene and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane. It should not be relied on as a primary sunscreen for sustained sun.
Does the Cien Classic Cream leave a white cast?
No, white cast is rated low and the finish is balanced and lightweight, though it can sting a little.
Is the protection good?
It scores 49.0 out of 100 with weak measured protection from its minimal filter pair, so it is best treated as a basic moisturiser.