Gigi Laboratories Ester C Moisturizer SPF 20
49/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Gigi Laboratories Ester C Moisturizer SPF 20 is a chemical sunscreen moisturizer built on older-generation UV filters including octocrylene, avobenzone, and salicylates. It keeps a balanced finish with low white cast and a lightweight feel, and its low pore-clogging profile makes it generally agreeable for most skin types. SPF 20 with this filter mix lands it at weak protection, so it is better suited to incidental sun than long outdoor days. Its overall score of 49/100 reflects that modest protection ceiling.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Weak
26
- +7.6 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #4, UV filter
- +18 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #16, UV filter (UVA1 +9.6)
- +9.6 Octocrylene at #19, UV filter
- +4.2 Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid at #21, UV filter
- +3.6 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor at #39, UV filter
- ×0.6 Almost no UVA1, poor aging protection
☢️
Health safety
Low
6
- +100 Starting score
- −80 Enzacamene (4-MBC) at #39 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −10.5 Octocrylene at #19, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #16, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
63
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −12 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- −7 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene, 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor)
🔥
Eye sting
Low
80
- +100 Starting score
- −3 Avobenzone at #16, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −2 Octocrylene at #19, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −6 Octisalate at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −1 Ensulizole at #21, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
87
- +100 Starting score
- −8 Cetyl Alcohol at #2, rich gel-network thickener
- −5 Cetearyl Alcohol at #7, rich gel-network thickener
🍄
Fungal acne
Low
83
- +100 Starting score
- −12 1 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Polysorbate 60)
- −5 1 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Cetearyl Glucoside), weak Malassezia signal
👕
Fabric stains
Medium
47
- +100 Starting score
- −28 Avobenzone at #16, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −15 Octocrylene at #19, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
💧
Moisture
Nourishing
LightNourishing
- ← 1 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- → 16 Glycerin at #3, the anchor humectant
- → 4 Sodium Hyaluronate at #12, hyaluronic family
- → 1 1 strong humectants (Hydroxyethyl Urea)
- → 1 Humectant polyols
- → 3 2 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 1 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- ← 1 1 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Isononyl Isononanoate)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 1 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer)
- ← 7 Humectant syrup tackiness
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance →Full ingredient list (41)
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
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- ↑ 8 rich gel-network thickener
- 2 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
3 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 16 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Legacy UV filter (Octisalate)
- ↑ 7.6 UV protection
- ↑ 6 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant polyol
-
Botanical extract
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- ↑ 5 rich gel-network thickener
- 1 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 5 minor malassezia feeder
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 1 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 4 → nourishing hyaluronic family
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 18 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↓ 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 3 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 28 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
pH adjuster
-
19 Octocrylene
Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 9.6 UV protection
- ↓ 10.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 2 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Legacy UV filter (Ensulizole), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 4.2 UV protection
- ↑ 1 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Botanical extract
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Botanical extract
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Volatile hydrocarbon, flashes off for a light finish
- light ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
29 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Botanical extract
-
pH adjuster
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
34 Allantoin
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
36 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
38 Bisabolol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Legacy UV filter (4-MBC), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 3.6 UV protection
- ↓ 80 Enzacamene (4-MBC) (regulatory/evidence concern)
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
41 Silt
Supporting ingredient
Is this a mineral or chemical sunscreen?
It is a chemical sunscreen. It relies on older-generation UV filters including octocrylene, avobenzone, and salicylates, with no mineral filters in the mix.
Does the Gigi Laboratories Ester C Moisturizer SPF 20 leave a white cast?
White cast is generally low. As a chemical formula it tends to absorb clear, and it wears with a balanced, lightweight finish.
Is the Gigi Laboratories Ester C Moisturizer SPF 20 good enough for sun protection?
Protection is rated weak at SPF 20, and its overall score is 49/100. It is generally better for incidental sun and daily indoor wear than for long hours outdoors.