Cien Vitamin C Glow, Energy, Wake Up, Q10 Day Cream, SPF 15
80/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
The Cien Vitamin C Glow, Energy, Wake Up, Q10 Day Cream is an SPF 15 day cream that uses a hybrid set of modern chemical filters including Ethylhexyl Triazone and Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine. It has a balanced finish with low white cast, stays lightweight, and is generally non-stinging and low on pore-clogging risk, so it commonly works well under makeup. With an excellent protection rating and a strong score of 80.3 out of 100, it is a solid everyday option, though the SPF 15 level suits low-exposure days more than long sun.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Excellent
80
- +7.6 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #4, UV filter
- +20.9 Ethylhexyl Triazone at #6, UV filter
- +24 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #9, UV filter (UVA1 +12.8)
- +38.4 Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine at #10, UV filter (UVA1 +12.8)
- −10.9 UVB coverage saturated
☢️
Health safety
High
90
- +100 Starting score
- −10 Avobenzone at #9 (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
70
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −12 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
👻
White cast
Low
99
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Titanium Dioxide as pigment (CI 77891) at #18
- +1 Iron-oxide undertone, partial masking
🔥
Eye sting
Low
68
- +100 Starting score
- −8 Avobenzone at #9, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −6 Octisalate at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −10 Volatile alcohol at #7
- −8 Fragrance
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
93
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit at #22, butter/occlusive fat
- −5 Cetearyl Alcohol at #5, rich gel-network thickener
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
59
- +100 Starting score
- −9 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
- −32 3 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate)
👕
Fabric stains
High
22
- +100 Starting score
- −38 Avobenzone at #9, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −40 Iron-oxide pigments at #37, makeup-like collar marks (washable)
💧
Moisture
Hydrating
LightNourishing
- ← 13 Volatile alcohol at #7
- → 16 Glycerin at #3, the anchor humectant
- → 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #33, hyaluronic family
- → 1 1 strong humectants (Panthenol)
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
- → 1 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetearyl Alcohol)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 3 Volatile alcohol at #7
- ← 4 2 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Dibutyl Adipate, Coco-Caprylate)
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
💄
Makeup base
Good
PillsPrimer
- → 6 Quick-setting carrier (alcohol at #7), fast, even canvas
- → 4 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 3.5 Humectant syrup tackiness (partly offset by the base)
🌊
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)
Full ingredient list (46)
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
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 3 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
3 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 16 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Legacy UV filter (Octisalate)
- ↑ 7.6 UV protection
- ↑ 6 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
-
Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Uvinul T 150)
- ↑ 20.9 UV protection
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7 Alcohol
Volatile alcohol, a drying solvent that can sting eyes
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 1 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 24 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 8 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 38 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
-
Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Tinosorb S), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 38.4 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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16 Panthenol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Colorant or pigment
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
20 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Botanical extract
- ↑ 2 butter/occlusive fat
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
25 Allantoin
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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30 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Botanical extract
-
32 Ubiquinone
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
-
34 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
-
Volatile alcohol, a drying solvent that can sting eyes
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
37 Ci 77491
Colorant or pigment
- ↑ 40 makeup-like collar marks (washable)
-
Botanical extract
-
39 Caffeine
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Botanical extract
-
41 Tannic Acid
Supporting ingredient
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Botanical extract
-
44 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
Does the Cien Vitamin C Q10 Day Cream leave a white cast?
No, it has low white cast. The hybrid chemical filters absorb without leaving the chalky residue mineral formulas can, so it generally looks clear on a range of skin tones.
Is the Cien Vitamin C Glow, Energy, Wake Up, Q10 Day Cream, SPF 15 good for oily or acne-prone skin?
It is a reasonable option. The finish is balanced rather than greasy and the pore-clogging risk is rated low, so it is generally acne-friendly, though oily skin may still prefer a true matte product.
What SPF is it and is it good?
It is SPF 15 with an excellent protection rating and a strong score of 80.3 out of 100. The lower SPF suits everyday low-exposure wear more than long hours in direct sun.