Clinique Foundation Almost Powder Makeup
49/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Clinique Almost Powder Makeup is a powder foundation with incidental sun protection from Titanium Dioxide and Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, an older-style filter pairing. It keeps white cast low, finishes matte, and wears lightweight, with low pore-clogging and no common sting. Its protection is weak, however, and the score of 49/100 reflects that this is makeup first and sunscreen second. Use it for finish, not as your primary daily SPF.
Ingredient & SPF scores
βοΈ
UV protection
Weak
28
- +33 Titanium Dioxide at #2, UV filter (UVA1 +5)
- +14.4 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #8, UV filter
- Γ0.6 Almost no UVA1, poor aging protection
β’οΈ
Health safety
Medium
52
- +100 Starting score
- β36 Octinoxate at #8 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β12 Talc at #1, inhalation-route contamination concern (powder/spray form)
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White cast
Low
87
- +100 Starting score
- β50 Titanium Dioxide at #2
- β2 Titanium Dioxide as pigment (CI 77891) at #28
- +36.4 Tinted formula, pigment masks the cast
- +2.3 Coated minerals (Alumina, Methicone)
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Eye sting
Low
95
- +100 Starting score
- β5 Octinoxate at #8, migrates into eyes with sweat
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Comedogenic
Low
99
- +100 Starting score
- β1 Palmitic Acid at #21, moderate comedogenic signal
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Fungal acne
Safe
98
- +100 Starting score
- β2 1 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Palmitic Acid), weak Malassezia signal
- +0 Dimethicone at #3, a safe base that does not feed Malassezia
π
Fabric stains
Medium
45
- +100 Starting score
- β40 Iron-oxide pigments at #26, makeup-like collar marks (washable)
- β15 Titanium Dioxide at #2, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
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Moisture
Light
LightNourishing
- β 24 5 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica, Nylon-12, Boron Nitride, β¦)
- β 2 Titanium Dioxide at #2, mild sebum absorbent
- β 1 Glycerin at #14, the anchor humectant
- β 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #15, hyaluronic family
- β 4 1 emollient lipids (Squalane)
β¨
Finish
Matte
MatteDewy
- β 18 5 sebum-absorbing powders (Talc, Nylon-12, Silica, β¦)
- β 6 1 emollient lipids (Squalane)
π
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- β 4 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- β 8 1 velvet elastomer fillers, blur and grip
- β 7.5 High mineral load at #2 greys under foundation (tinted)
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Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance βFull ingredient list (28)
What each ingredient does and how it moves each rating: green helps, red hurts, β / β give the direction, and β / β 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 Talc
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- β 12 inhalation-route contamination concern (powder/spray form)
- light β 8 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte β 10 sebum-absorbing powder
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Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide), high in the list, a primary filter
- β 33 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- β 15 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- light β 2 mild sebum absorbent
- pills β 7.5 High mineral load greys under foundation (tinted)
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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4 Nylon-12
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light β 5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte β 6 sebum-absorbing powder
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5 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light β 5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte β 6 sebum-absorbing powder
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6 Squalane
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 4 β nourishing emollient lipid
- 6 β dewy emollient lipid
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Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light β 5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte β 6 sebum-absorbing powder
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Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- β 14.4 UV protection
- β 5 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light β 3 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte β 3 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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13 Methicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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14 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 β nourishing the anchor humectant
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 β nourishing hyaluronic family
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Supporting ingredient
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
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19 Alumina
Supporting ingredient
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20 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- β 1 moderate comedogenic signal
- β 2 minor malassezia feeder
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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24 Tin Oxide
Colorant or pigment
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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26 Iron Oxides
Colorant or pigment
- β 40 makeup-like collar marks (washable)
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27 Mica
Colorant or pigment
-
Colorant or pigment
Is Clinique Almost Powder Makeup a real sunscreen?
Not really. It is a powder foundation with incidental SPF from Titanium Dioxide and an older chemical filter, and its protection is weak. With a score of 49/100, treat it as makeup first, not your primary daily sunscreen.
Is the Clinique Foundation Almost Powder Makeup good for oily or acne-prone skin?
It can suit oily skin as makeup. The finish is matte, it wears lightweight, and it sits low on the pore-clogging scale.
Does it leave a white cast?
No, white cast stays low. As a tinted powder it blends with skin and finishes matte.