Estée Lauder Double Wear Sheer Long-wear Makeup SPF 19
49/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Estée Lauder Double Wear Sheer is a long-wear foundation with SPF 19 from octinoxate and titanium dioxide, so its sun protection is a secondary benefit. It has a balanced finish, low white cast, and a lightweight feel, and it excels as a makeup base. The protection is rated weak because SPF 19 on a foundation rarely delivers full coverage. Its score of 49 reflects that it is makeup first, sunscreen second, so pair it with a proper SPF.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Weak
29
- +18 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #1, UV filter
- +33 Titanium Dioxide at #2, UV filter (UVA1 +5)
- −2 UVB coverage saturated
- ×0.6 Almost no UVA1, poor aging protection
☢️
Health safety
High
64
- +100 Starting score
- −36 Octinoxate at #1 (regulatory/evidence concern)
👻
White cast
Low
96
- +100 Starting score
- −7 Titanium Dioxide, 2.3% declared
- −2 Titanium Dioxide as pigment (CI 77891) at #53
- +4.5 Iron-oxide undertone, partial masking
- +0.3 Coated minerals (Methicone)
🔥
Eye sting
Low
84
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Octinoxate at #1, migrates into eyes with sweat
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
90
- +100 Starting score
- −10 Titanium Dioxide, 2.3% declared
🍄
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
45
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Iron-oxide pigments at #54, makeup-like collar marks (washable)
- −15 Titanium Dioxide at #2, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 6 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica, Polymethylsilsesquioxane)
- ← 2 Titanium Dioxide at #2, mild sebum absorbent
- → 1 Glycerin at #15, the anchor humectant
- → 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #22, hyaluronic family
- → 3 3 strong humectants (Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Polyglutamic Acid)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 6 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
- → 8 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- → 8 1 velvet elastomer fillers, blur and grip
- → 3 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- → 4 Transfer-resistant grip resin, holds makeup
- ← 7.5 High mineral load at #2 greys under foundation (tinted)
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +2 1 water-locking waxes
Full ingredient list (56)
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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Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 18 UV protection
- ↑ 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 33 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 7 2.3% declared
- ↑ 10 2.3% declared
- ↑ 15 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- light ← 2 mild sebum absorbent
- pills ← 7.5 High mineral load greys under foundation (tinted)
-
3 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
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 ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
-
9 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 3 → dewy emollient lipid
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
- ↑ 2 wax water lock
-
15 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
-
Botanical extract
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
25 Methicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
31 Sodium PCA
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
32 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
33 Lecithin
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
41 Laureth-7
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
43 Dextrin
Supporting ingredient
-
44 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
46 BHT
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
pH adjuster
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Colorant or pigment
-
54 Iron Oxides
Colorant or pigment
- ↑ 40 makeup-like collar marks (washable)
-
55 Iron Oxides
Colorant or pigment
-
56 Iron Oxides
Colorant or pigment
Does Estée Lauder Double Wear Sheer work as a makeup base?
Yes, it is a long-wear foundation, so it is makeup first. It rates excellent as a base with a balanced finish, low white cast, and a lightweight feel.
Is the SPF enough on its own?
Not really. Its SPF 19 comes from octinoxate and titanium dioxide, and protection is rated weak, since foundations are rarely applied thickly enough for full SPF. Pairing it with a dedicated sunscreen is generally recommended.
What is its score?
It scores 49 out of 100, reflecting that it is makeup first and sunscreen second.