Estée Lauder Daywear Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Creme Spf 15
49/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Estee Lauder Daywear Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Creme Spf 15 is a chemical moisturizer using ethylhexyl salicylate and avobenzone. It has a balanced finish, stays lightweight, shows low white cast, and does not generally sting, making it an easy makeup base. The main limitation is SPF 15, which gives only weak UV protection. With a score of 49.0, it reads more as a light day cream than a dedicated sunscreen.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Weak
10
- +8 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #1, UV filter
- +9 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #72, UV filter (UVA1 +4.8)
- ×0.6 Almost no UVA1, poor aging protection
☢️
Health safety
High
90
- +100 Starting score
- −10 Avobenzone at #72 (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
70
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −12 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
🔥
Eye sting
Low
80
- +100 Starting score
- −3 Avobenzone at #72, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Octisalate at #1, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
🍄
Fungal acne
High
8
- +100 Starting score
- −12 1 free fatty acids that feed Malassezia (Linoleic Acid)
- −12 1 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Polysorbate 80)
- −18 2 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Lecithin, Hydrogenated Lecithin)
- −50 3 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Cetyl Ricinoleate, Steareth-21, Steareth-2)
- +0 Dimethicone at #3, a safe base that does not feed Malassezia
👕
Fabric stains
Low
72
- +100 Starting score
- −28 Avobenzone at #72, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
💧
Moisture
Hydrating
LightNourishing
- ← 1 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- → 1 Glycerin at #29, the anchor humectant
- → 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #42, hyaluronic family
- → 3 3 strong humectants (Sodium PCA, Urea, Trehalose)
- → 1 Humectant polyols
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Squalane)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 1 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- → 2 2 emollient lipids (Squalane, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
💄
Makeup base
Good
PillsPrimer
- → 4 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- → 8 1 velvet elastomer fillers, blur and grip
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer)
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +3 1 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for water resistance
Full ingredient list (76)
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.
-
Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 8 UV protection
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
2 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant polyol
-
Supporting ingredient
- ↑ 24 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 24 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
22 Caffeine
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
29 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
32 Cholesterol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
33 Squalane
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
-
34 Sodium PCA
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
36 Urea
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and 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
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
47 Trehalose
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
50 Lecithin
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
52 Fumaric Acid
Supporting ingredient
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
55 Cyclodextrin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
pH adjuster
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
59 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
60 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
64 BHT
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
67 Ci 42090
Colorant or pigment
-
68 Ci 19140
Colorant or pigment
-
69 Ci 77289
Colorant or pigment
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 9 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 3 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 28 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
-
73 Polyester-8
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
- ↑ 3 film former
-
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
-
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
Is Estee Lauder Daywear SPF 15 enough sun protection?
Only for light, incidental exposure. At SPF 15 its UV protection is rated weak, so it works best as a daily moisturizer with some sun defense rather than dedicated protection for long time outdoors.
Is the Estée Lauder Daywear Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Creme Spf 15 good under makeup?
Yes. It has a balanced finish, stays lightweight, and is rated a good makeup base, so it layers easily under foundation.
Is the Estée Lauder Daywear Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Creme Spf 15 mineral or chemical?
It is chemical. The UV filters are ethylhexyl salicylate and avobenzone, with no mineral filters.