Clinique Even Better™ Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer Spf 20
68/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer SPF 20 is a tone-correcting moisturizer with an older-generation chemical filter blend of Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Avobenzone, and Octocrylene. It wears with a matte finish and low white cast and is lightweight, though it may sting sensitive eyes somewhat. Pore-clogging risk is generally low and makeup sits okay over it. With moderate protection at SPF 20 and a score of 68.0/100, it is a daily cosmetic-leaning moisturizer rather than a primary sunscreen.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Moderate
47
- +8 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #3, UV filter
- +28.5 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #4, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- +15.2 Octocrylene at #5, UV filter
- ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
☢️
Health safety
High
67
- +100 Starting score
- −30 Octocrylene at #5 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #4, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
97
- +100 Starting score
- −3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
🔥
Eye sting
Medium
60
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Avobenzone at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −15 Octocrylene at #5, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Octisalate at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
92
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Polyethylene at #13, wax film
- −6 Cetyl Esters at #10, wax film
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
93
- +100 Starting score
- −7 Myristyl Myristate at #11, heavy comedogenic ester
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
47
- +100 Starting score
- −12 1 free fatty acids that feed Malassezia (Linoleic Acid)
- −41 4 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Myristyl Myristate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate)
- +0 Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract at #15, ferment, disputed Malassezia trigger (not penalized)
👕
Fabric stains
High
30
- +100 Starting score
- −45 Avobenzone at #4, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −15 Octocrylene at #5, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 5 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Nylon-12)
- → 1 Glycerin at #34, the anchor humectant
- → 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #46, hyaluronic family
- → 2 2 strong humectants (Betaine, Trehalose)
- → 0.5 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Behenyl Alcohol)
✨
Finish
Matte
MatteDewy
- ← 6 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Nylon-12)
- ← 2 1 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 3 1 soft-focus powders in moderation
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer)
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +6 2 water-locking waxes
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 C
Full ingredient list (61)
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
-
Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 8 UV protection
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
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
-
Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene)
- ↑ 15.2 UV protection
- ↑ 15 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
-
6 Nylon-12
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 6 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 2 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
10 Cetyl Esters
Supporting ingredient
- ↑ 6 wax film
- ↑ 4 wax water lock
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 7 heavy comedogenic ester
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
13 Polyethylene
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 wax film
- ↑ 2 wax water lock
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
29 PEG-6
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
30 Cholesterol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
31 Dimethicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
34 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
36 Caffeine
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
37 Steareth-21
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
38 Sodium Rna
Supporting ingredient
-
39 Cellulose
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
41 Tromethamine
pH adjuster
-
42 Sucrose
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
48 Trisiloxane
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
55 Betaine
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
56 Trehalose
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
Is Clinique Even Better SPF 20 mineral or chemical?
It is chemical. It uses an older-generation blend of Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Avobenzone, and Octocrylene.
Is the Clinique Even Better™ Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer Spf 20 good for oily skin?
It has a matte finish and low pore-clogging risk, so it suits oilier skin reasonably well. It may sting sensitive eyes somewhat, so keep it off the immediate eye area.
Is the SPF enough on its own?
At SPF 20 protection is moderate, and the score is 68.0/100. It works as a daily tone-correcting moisturizer, but a dedicated higher SPF is better for real sun exposure.