Cosmed Sun Essential SPF 50+ Dry Touch Cream Gel Pa++++
90/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Cosmed Sun Essential SPF 50+ Dry Touch Cream Gel is a hybrid sunscreen pairing modern chemical filters, including Uvinul A Plus, Uvasorb HEB, Tinosorb S, and Iscotrizinol, with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. It has a balanced, dry-touch finish and a lightweight feel, with a moderate white cast from the minerals, and it does not commonly sting. It generally layers well under makeup. With excellent protection and a score of 90.3/100, it is a strong high-SPF everyday choice.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Excellent
100
- +36 Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate at #2, UV filter (UVA1 +22)
- +22.8 Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone at #4, UV filter
- +38.9 Zinc Oxide at #6, UV filter (UVA1 +17.1)
- +45.6 Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine at #7, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- +17.6 Ethylhexyl Triazone at #12, UV filter
- +19.8 Titanium Dioxide at #15, UV filter (UVA1 +3)
- +7.2 Polysilicone-15 at #17, UV filter
- −47.1 UVB coverage saturated
- −28.6 UVA2 coverage saturated
- −12.3 UVA1 coverage saturated
- +4 Label claims (SPF 50, PA rating)
👻
White cast
Medium
54
- +100 Starting score
- −30 Zinc Oxide at #6
- −6 Titanium Dioxide at #15
- −10 Zinc Oxide + Titanium Dioxide together
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
76
- +100 Starting score
- −22 Zinc Oxide at #6
- −2 Titanium Dioxide at #15
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- −1 Glycine Soja Oil at #36, moderate comedogenic signal
- −1 Palmitic Acid at #22, moderate comedogenic signal
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
53
- +100 Starting score
- −27 3 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin)
- −18 2 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Isoceteth-10, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate)
- −2 1 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Palmitic Acid), weak Malassezia signal
👕
Fabric stains
Low
70
- +100 Starting score
- −15 Uvinul A Plus (DHHB) at #2, oil-soluble UVA filter, fabric stains
- −10 Zinc Oxide at #6, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- −5 Both minerals present, heavier deposit
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 3 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica, Polymethyl Methacrylate)
- ← 2 Zinc Oxide at #6, mild sebum absorbent
- → 1 Glycerin at #14, the anchor humectant
- → 1 1 strong humectants (Ectoin)
- → 3 3 emollient lipids (Squalane, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycine Soja Oil)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 2 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Polymethyl Methacrylate, Silica)
- ← 3 2 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Caprylyl Methicone, Dibutyl Adipate)
- → 6 4 emollient lipids (Squalane, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, …)
💄
Makeup base
Good
PillsPrimer
- → 8 1 velvet elastomer fillers, blur and grip
- → 4 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 1 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Polyacrylate)
- ← 6 High mineral load at #6 greys under foundation
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance →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.
- ✨ Niacinamide
Full ingredient list (44)
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
-
Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Uvinul A Plus), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 36 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 15 oil-soluble UVA filter, fabric stains
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Iscotrizinol)
- ↑ 22.8 UV protection
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 2 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
Mineral UV filter (Zinc Oxide)
- ↑ 38.9 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 10 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- light ← 2 mild sebum absorbent
- pills ← 6 High mineral load greys under foundation
-
Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Tinosorb S)
- ↑ 45.6 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 3 → dewy emollient lipid
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 1 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
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Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Uvinul T 150), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 17.6 UV protection
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
14 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 19.8 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
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Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Polysilicone-15), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 7.2 UV protection
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
19 Undecane
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
21 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 1 moderate comedogenic signal
- ↑ 2 minor malassezia feeder
-
23 Tridecane
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
26 Ectoin
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
28 Bisabolol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Botanical extract
-
30 Zinc Pca
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
31 Squalane
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
33 Isoceteth-10
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Botanical extract
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Plant oil, an emollient
- ↑ 1 moderate comedogenic signal
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
38 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
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42 Hydroxide K
pH adjuster
-
43 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Botanical extract
Does this Cosmed sunscreen leave a white cast?
It has a moderate white cast from its zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, but it stays manageable with the dry-touch finish.
Is the Cosmed Sun Essential SPF 50+ Dry Touch Cream Gel Pa++++ good for oily or acne-prone skin?
Yes, it is a good fit. The dry-touch, lightweight feel suits oily skin and the breakout-trigger risk is low, so it is generally acne-friendly.
Is it mineral or chemical?
It is a hybrid, pairing modern chemical filters such as Uvinul A Plus, Uvasorb HEB, and Tinosorb S with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
Is it any good?
It scores 90.3/100 with excellent protection at SPF 50+. It is a strong high-SPF everyday choice.