Cien Ultra Sensitive Sun Protect Milk SPF 50+ (2025)
89/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Cien Ultra Sensitive Sun Protect Milk SPF 50+ is a hybrid milk packed with modern filters such as Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate and Ethylhexyl Triazone alongside classic Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane. It has a balanced, lightweight finish with low white cast and does not commonly sting. Makeup pairing is okay. Excellent protection and a high score make it a strong value daily sunscreen.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Excellent
100
- +30 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #2, UV filter (UVA1 +16)
- +8 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #3, UV filter
- +45.6 Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine at #4, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- +34.2 Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate at #5, UV filter (UVA1 +20.9)
- +13.3 Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid at #6, UV filter
- +17.6 Ethylhexyl Triazone at #12, UV filter
- −24 UVB coverage saturated
- −17.6 UVA2 coverage saturated
- −7.1 UVA1 coverage saturated
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
☢️
Health safety
High
90
- +100 Starting score
- −10 Avobenzone at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
🔥
Eye sting
Low
63
- +100 Starting score
- −24 Avobenzone at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Octisalate at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −4 Ensulizole at #6, migrates into eyes with sweat
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
95
- +100 Starting score
- −5 Cetearyl Alcohol at #7, rich gel-network thickener
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- −1 Myristic Acid at #25, moderate comedogenic signal
- −1 Palmitic Acid at #23, moderate comedogenic signal
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
68
- +100 Starting score
- −12 1 free fatty acids that feed Malassezia (Myristic Acid)
- −14 1 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate)
- −6 3 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Cetearyl Glucoside), weak Malassezia signal
👕
Fabric stains
Medium
35
- +100 Starting score
- −50 Avobenzone at #2, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −15 Uvinul A Plus (DHHB) at #5, oil-soluble UVA filter, fabric stains
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- → 4 Glycerin at #11, the anchor humectant
- → 1 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetearyl Alcohol)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 1 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer)
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +7 1 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for water resistance
Full ingredient list (34)
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
-
Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 30 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 24 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 50 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
-
Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 8 UV protection
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Tinosorb S)
- ↑ 45.6 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
-
Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Uvinul A Plus)
- ↑ 34.2 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 15 oil-soluble UVA filter, fabric stains
-
Legacy UV filter (Ensulizole)
- ↑ 13.3 UV protection
- ↑ 4 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
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
- 3 → dewy emollient lipid
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
- ↑ 7 film former
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11 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 4 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Uvinul T 150), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 17.6 UV protection
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 2 minor malassezia feeder
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
17 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
18 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
pH adjuster
-
22 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 1 moderate comedogenic signal
- ↑ 2 minor malassezia feeder
-
24 Stearic Acid
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 minor malassezia feeder
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 1 moderate comedogenic signal
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
28 Propanediol
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
pH adjuster
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
pH adjuster
Is Cien Ultra Sensitive Sun Protect Milk SPF 50+ good?
Yes, it earns a high score with excellent protection and a modern filter mix, making it a strong value option. It wears balanced and lightweight for daily use.
Is the Cien Ultra Sensitive Sun Protect Milk SPF 50+ (2025) suitable for sensitive skin?
It is marketed as ultra sensitive, with a low sting rating and a low breakout-trigger rating. That generally points to a gentle, acne-friendly profile.
Does it leave a white cast?
No, white cast is rated low and the finish is balanced and lightweight. The hybrid filter set keeps it from looking chalky.