Coppertone Defend & Care Oil Free Sunscreen Face Lotion Spf 50
69/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Coppertone Defend and Care Oil Free Sunscreen Face Lotion SPF 50 is an oil-free chemical face lotion using older-style filters: Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate and Octocrylene. It wears matte and lightweight with low white cast and is rated good as a makeup base, so it suits oilier skin. It is low for pore-clogging but carries a medium chance of stinging. With good protection and a score of 69, it is a practical everyday face lotion.
Ingredient & SPF scores
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UV protection
Good
61
- +30 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #1, UV filter (UVA1 +16)
- +12 Homosalate at #2, UV filter
- +8 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #3, UV filter
- +15.2 Octocrylene at #4, UV filter
- Γ0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
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Health safety
Medium
46
- +100 Starting score
- β40 Homosalate at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β10.5 Octocrylene at #4, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β3.5 Avobenzone at #1, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
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Allergens
Low
97
- +100 Starting score
- β3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
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Eye sting
Medium
43
- +100 Starting score
- β24 Avobenzone at #1, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β15 Octocrylene at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β9 Homosalate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β9 Octisalate at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
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Heavy feel
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- β2 Cera Alba at #19, wax film
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Fungal acne
Low
82
- +100 Starting score
- β18 2 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate)
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Fabric stains
High
25
- +100 Starting score
- β50 Avobenzone at #1, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- β15 Octocrylene at #4, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- β10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
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Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- β 8 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica, Aluminium Starch Octenylsuccinate)
- β 2 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- β 10 Glycerin at #7, the anchor humectant
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Finish
Matte
MatteDewy
- β 9 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Aluminium Starch Octenylsuccinate, Silica)
- β 2 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
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Makeup base
Good
PillsPrimer
- β 1 Quick-setting carrier, fast, even canvas
- β 6 2 soft-focus powders in moderation
- β 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer)
- β 1.5 Humectant syrup tackiness (partly offset by the base)
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Water resistance
Resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +14 2 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for water resistance
- +2 1 water-locking waxes
Full ingredient list (25)
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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Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone), high in the list, a primary filter
- β 30 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- β 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β 24 migrates into eyes with sweat
- β 50 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
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Legacy UV filter (Homosalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- β 12 UV protection
- β 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- β 8 UV protection
- β 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene)
- β 15.2 UV protection
- β 10.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β 15 migrates into eyes with sweat
- β 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
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5 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
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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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7 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 10 β nourishing the anchor humectant
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Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
- β 7 film former
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9 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light β 3 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte β 3 sebum-absorbing powder
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Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
- β 7 film former
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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12 Isododecane
Volatile hydrocarbon, flashes off for a light finish
- light β 2 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte β 2 volatile carrier, flashes off
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Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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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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Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
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18 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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19 Cera Alba
Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin
- β 2 wax film
- β 2 wax water lock
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
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21 Hydroxide K
pH adjuster
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 9 feeds malassezia
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 9 feeds malassezia
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Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
Is Coppertone Defend and Care Oil Free good for oily or acne-prone skin?
It is well suited. It is oil-free with a matte finish, low pore-clogging risk, and it is rated good as a makeup base.
Is the Coppertone Defend & Care Oil Free Sunscreen Face Lotion Spf 50 mineral or chemical?
It is chemical, using older-style filters including Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate and Octocrylene.
Is Coppertone Defend and Care a good sunscreen?
It scores 69 out of 100 with good SPF 50 protection. It is a practical everyday face lotion, though there is a medium chance of stinging near the eyes.