Estée Lauder Double Wear Natural SPF 20
49/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Estée Lauder Double Wear Natural SPF 20 is a long-wear foundation with sun protection from titanium dioxide and octinoxate, an older filter combination. It has a matte finish, stays lightweight, keeps white cast low, and is rated excellent as a makeup base, which is expected of a foundation. The low pore-clogging, non-stinging profile is generally agreeable. Protection is rated weak at SPF 20, and the overall score of 49.0 reflects that this is makeup first and sunscreen second.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Weak
22
- +26.4 Titanium Dioxide at #10, UV filter (UVA1 +4)
- +10.8 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #13, UV filter
- ×0.6 Almost no UVA1, poor aging protection
☢️
Health safety
High
64
- +100 Starting score
- −36 Octinoxate at #13 (regulatory/evidence concern)
👻
White cast
Low
92
- +100 Starting score
- −15 Titanium Dioxide at #10
- −2 Titanium Dioxide as pigment (CI 77891) at #54
- +8.5 Iron-oxide undertone, partial masking
- +0.6 Coated minerals (Methicone)
🔥
Eye sting
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Octinoxate at #13, migrates into eyes with sweat
🍄
Fungal acne
Low
82
- +100 Starting score
- −9 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Lecithin)
- −9 1 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Laureth-7)
👕
Fabric stains
Medium
55
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Iron-oxide pigments at #55, makeup-like collar marks (washable)
- −5 Titanium Dioxide at #10, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 10 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica, Polymethylsilsesquioxane)
- → 1 Glycerin at #15, the anchor humectant
- → 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #23, hyaluronic family
- → 3 3 strong humectants (Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Polyglutamic Acid)
✨
Finish
Matte
MatteDewy
- ← 12 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Silica)
- ← 2 1 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate)
- → 3 1 emollient lipids (C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
💄
Makeup base
Excellent
PillsPrimer
- → 11 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- → 8 1 velvet elastomer fillers, blur and grip
- → 6 2 soft-focus powders in moderation
- → 3 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- → 4 Transfer-resistant grip resin, holds makeup
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +2 1 water-locking waxes
Full ingredient list (57)
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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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 2 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 6 sebum-absorbing powder
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7 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 6 sebum-absorbing powder
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 3 → dewy emollient lipid
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Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 26.4 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 5 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 10.8 UV protection
- ↑ 2 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
- ↑ 2 wax water lock
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15 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing the anchor humectant
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16 PEG-10
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
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17 Dimethicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
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Botanical extract
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
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26 Methicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
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32 Sodium PCA
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
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33 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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34 Lecithin
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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42 Laureth-7
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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44 Dextrin
Supporting ingredient
-
45 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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47 BHT
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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pH adjuster
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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Colorant or pigment
-
55 Iron Oxides
Colorant or pigment
- ↑ 40 makeup-like collar marks (washable)
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56 Iron Oxides
Colorant or pigment
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57 Iron Oxides
Colorant or pigment
Is Estée Lauder Double Wear good as a makeup base?
It is itself a long-wear foundation, rated excellent as a makeup base with a matte, lightweight finish and low white cast. It works as your makeup rather than under it.
What SPF is the Estée Lauder Double Wear Natural SPF 20 and is it enough?
It is SPF 20, and protection is rated weak. It is generally best treated as light daily coverage with extra sun protection layered underneath for stronger exposure.
Is it mineral or chemical?
The sun protection comes from titanium dioxide and octinoxate, an older filter combination that mixes a mineral and a chemical filter.