Clinique Superdefense SPF 30 CC Cream Light - Skin Tone Corrector
77/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Clinique Superdefense SPF 30 CC Cream Light is a tone-correcting CC cream with older chemical filters, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate and Ethylhexyl Salicylate, plus Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. It has a balanced finish and a low white cast but a somewhat heavier feel, and it works okay as a makeup base. It is commonly gentle, with low stinging and low pore-clogging risk. With good protection and a score of 76.5/100, it is a reasonable pick for those wanting light coverage with SPF.
Ingredient & SPF scores
βοΈ
UV protection
Good
78
- +18 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #2, UV filter
- +7.6 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #4, UV filter
- +31.4 Titanium Dioxide at #5, UV filter (UVA1 +4.8)
- +38.9 Zinc Oxide at #6, UV filter (UVA1 +17.1)
- β19.3 UVB coverage saturated
- +1 Label claims (SPF 30)
β’οΈ
Health safety
High
64
- +100 Starting score
- β36 Octinoxate at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
π»
White cast
Low
79
- +100 Starting score
- β30 Zinc Oxide at #6
- β35 Titanium Dioxide at #5
- β10 Zinc Oxide + Titanium Dioxide together
- β2 Titanium Dioxide as pigment (CI 77891) at #45
- +53.9 Tinted formula, pigment masks the cast
- +2.3 PHSA dispersant, fights agglomeration
π₯
Eye sting
Low
78
- +100 Starting score
- β16 Octinoxate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β6 Octisalate at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
πͺ¨
Heavy feel
Medium
60
- +100 Starting score
- β22 Zinc Oxide at #6
- β16 Titanium Dioxide at #5
- β2 Polyethylene at #35, wax film
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Fungal acne
High
38
- +100 Starting score
- β12 1 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Polysorbate 80)
- β18 2 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Lecithin, Hydrogenated Lecithin)
- β32 3 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Polyglyceryl-10 Pentastearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate)
π
Fabric stains
Medium
45
- +100 Starting score
- β40 Iron-oxide pigments at #42, makeup-like collar marks (washable)
- β10 Titanium Dioxide at #5, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- β5 Both minerals present, heavier deposit
π§
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- β 1.5 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
- β 1 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- β 2 Zinc Oxide at #6, mild sebum absorbent
- β 4 Glycerin at #11, the anchor humectant
- β 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #27, hyaluronic family
- β 1 1 strong humectants (Trehalose)
β¨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- β 1 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
- β 1 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- β 3 2 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Caprylyl Methicone, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate)
- β 9 1 emollient lipids (C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
π
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- β 6 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- β 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer)
- β 3 High mineral load at #5 greys under foundation (tinted)
π
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +2 1 water-locking waxes
Full ingredient list (45)
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
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 9 β dewy emollient lipid
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Legacy UV filter (Octisalate)
- β 7.6 UV protection
- β 6 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide)
- β 31.4 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- β 10 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- pills β 3 High mineral load greys under foundation (tinted)
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Mineral UV filter (Zinc Oxide)
- β 38.9 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- light β 2 mild sebum absorbent
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte β 2 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte β 1 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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11 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 4 β nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 14 feeds malassezia
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 9 feeds malassezia
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Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 9 feeds malassezia
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16 Sucrose
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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Botanical extract
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Botanical extract
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Soothing, skin-conditioning active
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Botanical extract
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21 Caffeine
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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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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24 Lecithin
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 9 feeds malassezia
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 β nourishing hyaluronic family
-
Supporting ingredient
-
29 Trehalose
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 β nourishing humectant
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 12 feeds malassezia
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33 Dimethicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
34 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
35 Polyethylene
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- β 2 wax film
- β 2 wax water lock
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
37 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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Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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40 BHT
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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42 Iron Oxides
Colorant or pigment
- β 40 makeup-like collar marks (washable)
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43 Iron Oxides
Colorant or pigment
-
44 Iron Oxides
Colorant or pigment
-
Colorant or pigment
Is Clinique Superdefense SPF 30 CC Cream mineral or chemical?
It is a mix. It combines older chemical filters like Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate with the mineral filters Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide.
Does the Clinique Superdefense SPF 30 CC Cream Light - Skin Tone Corrector leave a white cast?
No, it is rated low for white cast. As a tone-correcting CC cream it generally evens out skin without an obvious cast.
Is it good?
It scores 76.5/100 with good protection. It is a reasonable pick for light coverage with SPF, though the feel is rated a bit heavier than the lightest options.