Dot & Key Sunscreen Stick
59/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Dot and Key Sunscreen Stick is a chemical sunscreen in stick form, built on older-generation filters including ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, avobenzone, and benzophenone-3 with a little titanium dioxide. It wears with a balanced finish, low white cast, and a lightweight feel, is rated low for pore-clogging, and works well under makeup, though it can sting for some users. The labeled SPF is not specified here. With moderate protection and a score of 59.1/100, it is a convenient stick for touch-ups rather than a top pick.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Moderate
49
- +18 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #2, UV filter
- +30 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #3, UV filter (UVA1 +16)
- +20.9 Benzophenone-3 at #4, UV filter
- +9.9 Titanium Dioxide at #28, UV filter (UVA1 +1.5)
- −0.3 UVB coverage saturated
- −6 UVA2 coverage saturated
- ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- ×0.75 Avobenzone + octinoxate degrade each other in sunlight
☢️
Health safety
Low
14
- +100 Starting score
- −70 Oxybenzone at #4 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −12.6 Octinoxate at #2, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #3, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- +0 2 endocrine-scrutinized filters together
🤧
Allergens
Low
94
- +100 Starting score
- −6 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Benzophenone-3)
👻
White cast
Low
97
- +100 Starting score
- −6 Titanium Dioxide at #28
- +3 Iron-oxide undertone, partial masking
🔥
Eye sting
Medium
49
- +100 Starting score
- −24 Avobenzone at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −11 Oxybenzone at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −16 Octinoxate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
93
- +100 Starting score
- −7 Isopropyl Myristate at #8, heavy comedogenic ester
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
59
- +100 Starting score
- −18 1 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Sorbitan Olivate)
- −9 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil)
- −14 1 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Isopropyl Myristate)
👕
Fabric stains
High
0
- +100 Starting score
- −50 Avobenzone at #3, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −20 Oxybenzone at #4, yellow stains on white cotton
- −40 Iron-oxide pigments at #29, makeup-like collar marks (washable)
- −2 Titanium Dioxide at #28, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- +12 Penalties exceed the scale, floored at 0
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 1.5 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Aluminium Starch Octenylsuccinate)
- ← 2 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- → 2 Hyaluronic Acid at #23, hyaluronic family
- → 1 Humectant polyols
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 1 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Aluminium Starch Octenylsuccinate)
- ← 2 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil)
- → 3 2 slippy emollient esters (Isopropyl Myristate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate)
💄
Makeup base
Good
PillsPrimer
- → 3 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- → 8 1 velvet elastomer fillers, blur and grip
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance →Full ingredient list (29)
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
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Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 18 UV protection
- ↓ 12.6 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 30 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↓ 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 24 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 50 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
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Legacy UV filter (Oxybenzone)
- ↑ 20.9 UV protection
- ↑ 11 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 20 yellow stains on white cotton
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant polyol
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 7 heavy comedogenic ester
- 2 → dewy slippy emollient ester
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
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Volatile silicone, flashes off for a light finish
- light ← 2 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 2 volatile carrier, flashes off
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 18 feeds malassezia
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11 Dimethicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 1 → dewy slippy emollient ester
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Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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Plant oil, an emollient
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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Supporting ingredient
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Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
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27 BHT
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 9.9 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 2 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
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29 Ci 77491
Colorant or pigment
- ↑ 40 makeup-like collar marks (washable)
Does the Dot and Key Sunscreen Stick work under makeup?
Yes, it is rated good as a makeup base and is handy for touch-ups over makeup. It wears with a balanced, lightweight finish and low white cast.
Does the Dot & Key Sunscreen Stick leave a white cast?
No, it is rated low for white cast. The stick blends in with a balanced finish, though it can sting for some users.
Is the Dot & Key Sunscreen Stick mineral or chemical?
It is mainly a chemical sunscreen using ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, avobenzone, and benzophenone-3, with a little titanium dioxide.