Dr Sam Bunting Flawless Daily Sunscreen Spf 50
71/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Dr Sam Bunting Flawless Daily Sunscreen SPF 50 is a dermatologist-developed daily sunscreen built on Zinc Oxide and Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate. It has a balanced finish and no notable white cast, with low pore-clogging risk, though the texture can feel moderately heavier on the skin. The two-filter blend is considered old-school. Good protection and a 71.3/100 score make it a sensible everyday face sunscreen.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Good
60
- +41 Zinc Oxide at #2, UV filter (UVA1 +18)
- +17.1 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #5, UV filter
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
☢️
Health safety
High
64
- +100 Starting score
- −36 Octinoxate at #5 (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
92
- +100 Starting score
- −8 Sensitizing preservatives (Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate)
👻
White cast
Low
75
- +100 Starting score
- −27.5 Zinc Oxide at #2 (nano)
- +2.7 PHSA dispersant, fights agglomeration
🔥
Eye sting
Low
89
- +100 Starting score
- −11 Octinoxate at #5, migrates into eyes with sweat
🪨
Heavy feel
Medium
55
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Zinc Oxide at #2
- −5 Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit at #10, butter/occlusive fat
🍄
Fungal acne
High
15
- +100 Starting score
- −24 2 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate)
- −14 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
- −47 3 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate)
👕
Fabric stains
Low
85
- +100 Starting score
- −15 Zinc Oxide at #2, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 5 Zinc Oxide at #2, mild sebum absorbent
- → 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #15, hyaluronic family
- → 3 2 emollient lipids (Squalane, Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
- → 2 Light emollient/solvent (Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride)
- → 0.5 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetearyl Alcohol)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 3 1 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate)
- → 4 2 emollient lipids (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit, Squalane)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- ← 2.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Carbomer, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer)
- ← 2 Occlusives/waxes float the foundation
- ← 7.5 High mineral load at #2 greys under foundation (nano)
🌊
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 (28)
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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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 ← 7.5 High mineral load greys under foundation (nano)
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 3 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 2 → nourishing light emollient
-
Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate)
- ↑ 17.1 UV protection
- ↑ 11 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 24 feeds malassezia
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
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Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
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Botanical extract
- ↑ 5 butter/occlusive fat
- 2 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 3 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
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Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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13 Squalane
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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18 Lactic Acid
pH adjuster
-
19 Carbomer
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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28 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
Does Dr Sam Bunting Flawless Daily Sunscreen leave a white cast?
No, it shows no notable white cast. White cast is rated low even though the formula contains Zinc Oxide.
Is the Dr Sam Bunting Flawless Daily Sunscreen Spf 50 good for oily or acne-prone skin?
It is generally suitable. Pore-clogging risk is rated low and the finish is balanced, though the texture can feel moderately heavier than the lightest fluids.
Is the Dr Sam Bunting Flawless Daily Sunscreen Spf 50 mineral or chemical?
It is a hybrid. It uses Zinc Oxide alongside the chemical filter Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate.