Cien Sun Active SPF 30
67/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Cien Sun Active SPF 30 is a chemical sunscreen built on octocrylene, ethylhexyl salicylate, avobenzone and phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid. It wears with a balanced finish, stays lightweight, keeps white cast low, and works well as a makeup base, with a low pore-clogging profile. It can feel more stinging near the eyes, so caution there is wise. With a 66.6/100 score and good protection, it is a budget-friendly everyday SPF 30.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Good
56
- +16 Octocrylene at #3, UV filter
- +7.6 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #6, UV filter
- +28.5 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #7, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- +8.4 Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid at #15, UV filter
- ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- +1 Label claims (SPF 30)
☢️
Health safety
High
67
- +100 Starting score
- −30 Octocrylene at #3 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #7, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
67
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −1 1 declared fragrance allergens
- −11 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- −3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
🔥
Eye sting
High
24
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Avobenzone at #7, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −22 Octocrylene at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −6 Octisalate at #6, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −1 Ensulizole at #15, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −18 Volatile alcohol at #2
- −5 Alcohol high up speeds filter migration
- −8 Fragrance
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Fungal acne
Low
91
- +100 Starting score
- −9 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil)
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Fabric stains
High
30
- +100 Starting score
- −45 Avobenzone at #7, 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
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Moisture
Light
LightNourishing
- ← 22 Volatile alcohol at #2
- → 10 Glycerin at #5, the anchor humectant
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 5 Volatile alcohol at #2
- → 7 2 emollient lipids (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
💄
Makeup base
Good
PillsPrimer
- → 10 Quick-setting carrier (alcohol at #2), fast, even canvas
- → 2 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer)
- ← 1.5 Humectant syrup tackiness (partly offset by the base)
🌊
Water resistance
Resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +14 2 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for 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.
- ✨ Vitamin E
Full ingredient list (29)
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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1 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
2 Alcohol
Volatile alcohol, a drying solvent that can sting eyes
- ↑ 5 high up speeds filter migration
-
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
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 6 → dewy emollient lipid
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5 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 10 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Legacy UV filter (Octisalate)
- ↑ 7.6 UV protection
- ↑ 6 migrates into eyes with sweat
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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
-
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
- ↑ 7 film former
-
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
- ↑ 7 film former
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11 Undecane
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Legacy UV filter (Ensulizole), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 8.4 UV protection
- ↑ 1 migrates into eyes with sweat
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16 Fragrance
Fragrance
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17 Tridecane
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
19 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
pH adjuster
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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28 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Botanical extract
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
Is the Cien Sun Active SPF 30 good under makeup?
Yes, it is rated good as a makeup base. It wears with a balanced, lightweight finish and low white cast, so it commonly layers well under foundation.
Is the Cien Sun Active SPF 30 mineral or chemical?
It is a chemical sunscreen. The filters are octocrylene, ethylhexyl salicylate, avobenzone and phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid.
Does it sting the eyes?
It can feel more stinging near the eyes, so apply carefully around the lash line. Elsewhere on the face it wears comfortably.