Clinique Super City Block Oil-Free Daily Face Protector Broad Spectrum 40 Spf
72/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Clinique Super City Block Oil-Free Daily Face Protector is a chemical-mineral blend (octinoxate plus zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) aimed at oil-free daily wear. It has a balanced finish but a medium chance of visible white cast and a medium weight on skin. Sweat-sting and breakout risk read low, and it sits okay under makeup. With a 71.9/100 score and good measured protection, it is generally a decent everyday face sunscreen, though the mineral content can show on deeper skin tones.
Ingredient & SPF scores
βοΈ
UV protection
Good
78
- +18 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #2, UV filter
- +41 Zinc Oxide at #3, UV filter (UVA1 +18)
- +31.4 Titanium Dioxide at #5, UV filter (UVA1 +4.8)
- +6.4 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #9, UV filter
- β18.6 UVB coverage saturated
- β0.4 UVA2 coverage saturated
β’οΈ
Health safety
High
64
- +100 Starting score
- β36 Octinoxate at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
π»
White cast
Medium
55
- +100 Starting score
- β55 Zinc Oxide at #3
- β35 Titanium Dioxide at #5
- β10 Zinc Oxide + Titanium Dioxide together
- +50 Iron-oxide undertone, partial masking
- +5 PHSA dispersant, fights agglomeration
π₯
Eye sting
Low
81
- +100 Starting score
- β16 Octinoxate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β3 Octisalate at #9, migrates into eyes with sweat
πͺ¨
Heavy feel
Medium
37
- +100 Starting score
- β40 Zinc Oxide at #3
- β16 Titanium Dioxide at #5
- β2 Polyethylene at #35, wax film
- β5 Cetyl Alcohol at #7, rich gel-network thickener
π΄
Comedogenic
Low
93
- +100 Starting score
- β7 Laureth-4 at #8, comedogenic oil/butter
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Fungal acne
Medium
42
- +100 Starting score
- β12 1 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Polysorbate 80)
- β18 2 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Lecithin, Hydrogenated Lecithin)
- β28 2 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (PEG-100 Stearate, Laureth-4)
- +0 Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract at #17, ferment, disputed Malassezia trigger (not penalized)
π
Fabric stains
Medium
40
- +100 Starting score
- β40 Iron-oxide pigments at #53, makeup-like collar marks (washable)
- β15 Zinc Oxide at #3, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- β5 Both minerals present, heavier deposit
π§
Moisture
Light
LightNourishing
- β 3 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica, Nylon-12)
- β 1 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- β 5 Zinc Oxide at #3, mild sebum absorbent
- β 1 Humectant polyols
- β 1 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetyl Alcohol)
β¨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- β 2 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Nylon-12, Silica)
- β 1 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- β 6 1 emollient lipids (C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
π
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- β 2 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- β 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer)
- β 7.5 High mineral load at #3 greys under foundation (tinted)
π
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +3 1 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for water resistance
- +2 1 water-locking waxes
Full ingredient list (53)
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 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
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Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate), high in the list, a primary filter
- β 18 UV protection
- β 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Mineral UV filter (Zinc Oxide), high in the list, a primary filter
- β 41 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- β 15 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- light β 5 mild sebum absorbent
- pills β 7.5 High mineral load greys under foundation (tinted)
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 β nourishing humectant polyol
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Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide)
- β 31.4 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 6 β dewy emollient lipid
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Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- β 5 rich gel-network thickener
- 1 β nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 7 comedogenic oil/butter
- β 14 feeds malassezia
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Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- β 6.4 UV protection
- β 3 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 14 feeds malassezia
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Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 9 feeds malassezia
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Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Supporting ingredient
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Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
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Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin
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Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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Soothing, skin-conditioning active
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Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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30 Pantethine
Supporting ingredient
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Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
- β 3 film former
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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35 Polyethylene
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- β 2 wax film
- β 2 wax water lock
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36 Caffeine
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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Volatile hydrocarbon, flashes off for a light finish
- light β 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte β 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
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38 Dimethicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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39 Nylon-12
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light β 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte β 1 sebum-absorbing powder
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40 Zeolite
Supporting ingredient
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41 Lecithin
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 9 feeds malassezia
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 12 feeds malassezia
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Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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46 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light β 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte β 1 sebum-absorbing powder
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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48 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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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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51 BHT
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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53 Iron Oxides
Colorant or pigment
- β 40 makeup-like collar marks (washable)
Does Clinique Super City Block leave a white cast?
It can. It contains zinc oxide and titanium dioxide alongside a chemical filter, so white cast reads as medium and may show on deeper skin tones.
Is the Clinique Super City Block Oil-Free Daily Face Protector Broad Spectrum 40 Spf good for oily skin?
It is marketed as oil-free with a balanced finish, and pore-clogging risk reads as low. It tends to suit oily skin, though it feels medium-weight rather than ultra-light.
Is Clinique Super City Block mineral or chemical?
It is a blend. It combines a chemical filter (octinoxate) with the mineral filters zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.