Elizabeth Grant Wonder Effect Retinol Protection Day Cream SPF 15
49/100 overall score
Sign in to see this product's score for your skin.
About this sunscreen
Elizabeth Grant Wonder Effect Retinol Protection Day Cream SPF 15 is a day cream using an older filter blend of Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Benzophenone-3, and Titanium Dioxide. The balanced finish is lightweight with low white cast and does not sting, and it sits okay under makeup. With only SPF 15 and weak rated protection plus a score of 49.0, it is better seen as light incidental cover than as primary sun defense.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Weak
29
- +18 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #2, UV filter
- +8 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #3, UV filter
- +20.9 Benzophenone-3 at #4, UV filter
- +9.9 Titanium Dioxide at #55, UV filter (UVA1 +1.5)
- −8.3 UVB coverage saturated
- ×0.6 Almost no UVA1, poor aging protection
☢️
Health safety
Low
12
- +100 Starting score
- −70 Oxybenzone at #4 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −12.6 Octinoxate at #2, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- +0 2 endocrine-scrutinized filters together
- −5 Retinol at #13, disputed vitamin-A sunlight signal, under review
🤧
Allergens
Low
94
- +100 Starting score
- −6 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Benzophenone-3)
🔥
Eye sting
Low
64
- +100 Starting score
- −11 Oxybenzone at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −16 Octinoxate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Octisalate at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
93
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Titanium Dioxide at #55
- −5 Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit at #12, butter/occlusive fat
🍄
Fungal acne
High
24
- +100 Starting score
- −12 1 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Polysorbate 20)
- −23 2 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil)
- −41 4 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Ceteareth-20)
👕
Fabric stains
Low
78
- +100 Starting score
- −20 Oxybenzone at #4, yellow stains on white cotton
- −2 Titanium Dioxide at #55, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
💧
Moisture
Hydrating
LightNourishing
- ← 1.5 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Hydrated Silica)
- ← 1 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- → 10 Glycerin at #5, the anchor humectant
- → 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #14, hyaluronic family
- → 1 1 strong humectants (Panthenol)
- → 2 1 emollient lipids (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
- → 0.5 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetearyl Alcohol)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 1 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Hydrated Silica)
- ← 1 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- ← 2 1 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Dicaprylyl Carbonate)
- → 3 1 emollient lipids (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 1 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- → 2 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 1.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Polyacrylate, Polyacrylamide)
- ← 2 Occlusives/waxes float the foundation
- ← 3 Humectant syrup tackiness
🌊
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.
- ✨ Coenzyme Q10
Full ingredient list (55)
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.
-
1 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
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
-
Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 8 UV protection
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Legacy UV filter (Oxybenzone)
- ↑ 20.9 UV protection
- ↑ 11 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 20 yellow stains on white cotton
-
5 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 10 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 2 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
10 Ceteareth-20
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
11 Dimethicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Botanical extract
- ↑ 5 butter/occlusive fat
- 2 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 3 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
13 Retinol
Supporting ingredient
- ↓ 5 disputed vitamin-A sunlight signal, under review
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
-
15 Ubiquinone
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
pH adjuster
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
27 Allantoin
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
28 Panthenol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
29 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
30 Bisabolol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- light ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
40 Laureth-7
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
43 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
pH adjuster
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
50 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
52 Serine
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
53 Threonine
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
54 Lysine
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates 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)
Is the Elizabeth Grant Wonder Effect Retinol Protection Day Cream SPF 15 mineral or chemical?
It is mainly chemical, using older-generation filters like Benzophenone-3 and Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, with some Titanium Dioxide.
Does the Elizabeth Grant Wonder Effect Retinol Protection Day Cream SPF 15 leave a white cast?
White cast is generally low. It wears with a balanced, lightweight finish.
Is it any good?
It scores 49.0/100, which is low, and protection is rated weak. SPF 15 fits indoor days rather than real sun exposure.