Esthederm Face Cream Strong Sun
49/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Esthederm Face Cream Strong Sun is a chemical sunscreen using a minimal older-school pairing of Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane. It wears lightweight with a balanced finish and a low white cast and is low on the pore-clogging scale, though it may sting sensitive eyes, so take care around the eye area. With a 49.0/100 score and protection rated weak, it is best treated as a light daily cream rather than serious sun defense.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Weak
31
- +18 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #2, UV filter
- +28.5 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #6, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- ×0.75 Avobenzone + octinoxate degrade each other in sunlight
☢️
Health safety
High
61
- +100 Starting score
- −36 Octinoxate at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #6, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Medium
55
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −27 9 declared fragrance allergens
🔥
Eye sting
Medium
52
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Avobenzone at #6, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −16 Octinoxate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
- −8 8 declared fragrance allergens
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
99
- +100 Starting score
- −1 Oleic Acid at #44, moderate comedogenic signal
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Fungal acne
Medium
51
- +100 Starting score
- −12 1 free fatty acids that feed Malassezia (Oleic Acid)
- −9 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil)
- −28 2 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate)
👕
Fabric stains
Medium
55
- +100 Starting score
- −45 Avobenzone at #6, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
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Moisture
Hydrating
LightNourishing
- → 10 Glycerin at #5, the anchor humectant
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 3 1 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Dicaprylyl Carbonate)
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 3 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- → 3 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer)
- ← 3 Humectant syrup tackiness
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +7 1 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for 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.
- ✨ Vitamin E
Full ingredient list (67)
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
-
Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 18 UV protection
- ↑ 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 3 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
5 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 10 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone)
- ↑ 28.5 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↓ 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 45 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Botanical extract
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
- ↑ 7 film former
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
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Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Filter booster, photostabilizes the UV filters or lifts their SPF
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
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17 Creatine
Supporting ingredient
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
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19 Mannitol
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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21 Pongamol
Supporting ingredient
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
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23 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
26 Trilinolein
Supporting ingredient
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
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Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
30 Cerium Oxide
Supporting ingredient
-
Botanical extract
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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pH adjuster
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
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Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
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37 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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39 Triolein
Supporting ingredient
-
40 Tripalmitin
Supporting ingredient
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
42 Linalool
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
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44 Oleic Acid
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 1 moderate comedogenic signal
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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47 Alfalfa
Supporting ingredient
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48 Trilinolenin
Supporting ingredient
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49 Limonene
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
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50 Tristearin
Supporting ingredient
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
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53 Geraniol
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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55 Carnosine
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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56 BHT
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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57 Citronellol
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
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Botanical extract
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59 Triarachidin
Supporting ingredient
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
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61 Isoeugenol
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
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62 Coumarin
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
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63 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Botanical extract
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
67 Dextran
Supporting ingredient
Is Esthederm Face Cream Strong Sun mineral or chemical?
It is a chemical sunscreen, using a minimal older-school pairing of Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane. It contains no mineral filters. It keeps a low white cast and a lightweight feel.
Is Esthederm Face Cream Strong Sun good?
It scores 49.0 out of 100 with protection rated weak, so it is best treated as a light daily cream rather than serious sun defense. For higher UV exposure, a stronger option is generally advisable.
Does it work for acne-prone skin?
It has a balanced finish and is rated low on the pore-clogging scale, so it is generally friendly to acne-prone skin. The lightweight feel helps it wear comfortably. Patch testing first is sensible.