Cosmed Sun Essential SPF 50 Pa+++ High Protection For Oily Skin
83/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Cosmed Sun Essential SPF 50 PA+++ High Protection for Oily Skin is a hybrid chemical sunscreen using modern filters such as Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol and Octocrylene with avobenzone. It wears light with a balanced finish, keeps white cast low and does not commonly sting, and its low breakout-trigger reading fits its oily-skin focus. With a strong score of 83.4 and excellent protection, it is a high-performing pick for oily and combination skin.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Excellent
100
- +16 Octocrylene at #2, UV filter
- +48 Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol at #3, UV filter (UVA1 +18)
- +28.5 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #6, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- +45.6 Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine at #7, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- −13.1 UVB coverage saturated
- −21.6 UVA2 coverage saturated
- −3.4 UVA1 coverage saturated
- +3 Label claims (SPF 50, PA rating)
☢️
Health safety
High
67
- +100 Starting score
- −30 Octocrylene at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #6, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
97
- +100 Starting score
- −3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
👻
White cast
Low
75
- +100 Starting score
- −25 Tinosorb M at #3, may look bluish-grey on deeper skin tones
🔥
Eye sting
Low
62
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Avobenzone at #6, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −22 Octocrylene at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
99
- +100 Starting score
- −1 Glycine Soja Oil at #38, moderate comedogenic signal
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Fungal acne
High
30
- +100 Starting score
- −12 1 free fatty acids that feed Malassezia (Squalene)
- −9 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Glycine Soja Oil)
- −47 3 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate)
- −2 1 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Stearic Acid), weak Malassezia signal
👕
Fabric stains
High
30
- +100 Starting score
- −45 Avobenzone at #6, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −15 Octocrylene at #2, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 4 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- → 4 Glycerin at #10, the anchor humectant
- → 2 2 strong humectants (Panthenol, Ectoin)
- → 2 2 emollient lipids (Squalene, Glycine Soja Oil)
- → 0.5 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetearyl Alcohol)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 4 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- → 3 3 emollient lipids (Squalene, Glycine Soja Oil, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 5 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Sodium Polyacrylate)
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +2 1 water-locking waxes
Full ingredient list (39)
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
-
Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 16 UV protection
- ↑ 22 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
-
Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Tinosorb M), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 48 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 25 may look bluish-grey on deeper skin tones
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 24 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone)
- ↑ 28.5 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↓ 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 45 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
-
Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Tinosorb S)
- ↑ 45.6 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
Volatile silicone, flashes off for a light finish
- light ← 2 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 2 volatile carrier, flashes off
-
10 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 4 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Volatile hydrocarbon, flashes off for a light finish
- light ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Volatile silicone, flashes off for a light finish
- light ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
18 Stearic Acid
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 minor malassezia feeder
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
20 Ectoin
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
23 Squalene
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
24 Cera Alba
Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin
- ↑ 2 wax film
- ↑ 2 wax water lock
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
27 Pyridoxine
Supporting ingredient
-
28 Niacinamide
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
29 Panthenol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
31 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
32 EDTA
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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33 Zinc Pca
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
35 Allantoin
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
36 Threonine
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
37 Biotin
Supporting ingredient
-
Plant oil, an emollient
- ↑ 1 moderate comedogenic signal
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Botanical extract
Is Cosmed Sun Essential good for oily skin?
Yes, it is aimed at oily skin and fits the brief. It has a low breakout-trigger reading and a balanced, lightweight finish, so it tends to wear comfortably on oilier and combination skin.
Is the Cosmed Sun Essential SPF 50 Pa+++ High Protection For Oily Skin mineral or chemical?
It is a hybrid chemical sunscreen using modern filters such as Bis- Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol and avobenzone.
Is it any good?
It scores a strong 83.4 out of 100 with SPF 50 and excellent protection. That makes it a high-performing pick, especially for oily and combination skin.