Dermaquest Youth Protection Spf 30
75/100 overall score
Sign in to see this product's score for your skin.
About this sunscreen
Dermaquest Youth Protection SPF 30 is a pure mineral sunscreen using Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide as its UV filters. It wears balanced and commonly does not sting, which suits sensitive skin, but it runs heavy, can leave a visible white cast, and rates poorly as a makeup base. With a score of 74.7/100 and good protection, it is a solid mineral option for those who do not mind a heavier feel.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Good
74
- +41 Zinc Oxide at #1, UV filter (UVA1 +18)
- +33 Titanium Dioxide at #2, UV filter (UVA1 +5)
- −1 UVA2 coverage saturated
- +1 Label claims (SPF 30)
👻
White cast
High
7
- +100 Starting score
- −55 Zinc Oxide at #1
- −50 Titanium Dioxide at #2
- −10 Zinc Oxide + Titanium Dioxide together
- −15 Pure mineral formula
- +30 Penalties exceed the scale, floored at 0
- +7 Coated minerals (Aluminum Hydroxide)
🪨
Heavy feel
High
25
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Zinc Oxide at #1
- −30 Titanium Dioxide at #2
- −2 Tribehenin at #46, wax film
- −10 Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit at #6, butter/occlusive fat
- −10 Both minerals in the top 3, dual mineral paste
- −10 Mineral suspended in a dense emollient base (basic)
- +2 Penalties exceed the scale, floored at 0
- +25 Volatile silicone at #4, flashes off
🍄
Fungal acne
High
0
- +100 Starting score
- −36 3 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Stearate, Sorbitan Olivate)
- −33 2 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit, Lecithin)
- −46 4 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Cetearyl Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate)
- −2 1 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Stearic Acid), weak Malassezia signal
- +17 Penalties exceed the scale, floored at 0
👕
Fabric stains
Low
80
- +100 Starting score
- −15 Zinc Oxide at #1, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- −5 Both minerals present, heavier deposit
💧
Moisture
Hydrating
LightNourishing
- ← 6 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- ← 5 Zinc Oxide at #1, mild sebum absorbent
- ← 2 Titanium Dioxide at #2, mild sebum absorbent
- → 10 Glycerin at #5, the anchor humectant
- → 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #31, hyaluronic family
- → 1 1 strong humectants (Urea)
- → 5 2 emollient lipids (Squalane, Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
- → 6 Ceramide barrier lipids
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 5 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- → 8 3 emollient lipids (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit, Squalane, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
💄
Makeup base
Poor
PillsPrimer
- → 8 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- ← 4.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer)
- ← 4 Occlusives/waxes float the foundation
- ← 3 Humectant syrup tackiness
- ← 15 High mineral load at #1 greys under foundation
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +2 1 water-locking waxes
Full ingredient list (63)
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.
-
Mineral UV filter (Zinc Oxide), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 41 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 15 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- light ← 5 mild sebum absorbent
- pills ← 15 High mineral load greys under foundation
-
Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 33 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- light ← 2 mild sebum absorbent
-
3 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
Volatile silicone, flashes off for a light finish
- light ← 5 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 4 volatile carrier, flashes off
-
5 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 10 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Botanical extract
- ↑ 10 butter/occlusive fat
- 4 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 6 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 24 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
14 PEG-100
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Volatile silicone, flashes off for a light finish
- light ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
-
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
27 Steareth-20
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
29 Teprenone
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Botanical extract
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
37 Squalane
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
39 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Botanical extract
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
-
46 Tribehenin
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 wax film
- ↑ 2 wax water lock
-
47 Ceramide NG
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
51 Lecithin
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Botanical extract
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Botanical extract
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
58 Urea
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Supporting ingredient
-
63 Stearic Acid
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 minor malassezia feeder
Does Dermaquest Youth Protection SPF 30 leave a white cast?
It can leave a visible white cast, which is common for mineral formulas using both Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide. Deeper skin tones are most likely to notice it.
Is the Dermaquest Youth Protection Spf 30 mineral or chemical sunscreen?
It is a pure mineral sunscreen. Its UV filters are Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide, with no chemical filters.
Does it work under makeup?
It rates poorly as a makeup base and runs heavy on the skin, so it is better suited to standalone use than as a primer. It commonly does not sting and scores 74.7/100 with good protection.