Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Sunscreen SPF 50
65/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Sunscreen SPF 50 blends older chemical filters Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate and Octocrylene with a touch of Zinc Oxide. It wears lightweight with a balanced finish and low white cast and is low risk for breakouts, though it has a medium chance of stinging, so take care near the eyes. With a score of 65.4/100 and good protection, it is a pleasant-to-wear daily sunscreen whose dated filter mix keeps its score in the middle range.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Good
60
- +12 Homosalate at #1, UV filter
- +8 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #2, UV filter
- +16 Octocrylene at #3, UV filter
- +38.9 Zinc Oxide at #4, UV filter (UVA1 +17.1)
- −10.5 UVB coverage saturated
- ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
☢️
Health safety
Medium
50
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Homosalate at #1 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −10.5 Octocrylene at #3, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
67
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −12 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- −3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
👻
White cast
Low
77
- +100 Starting score
- −28 Zinc Oxide, 12.1% declared
- +2.8 PHSA dispersant, fights agglomeration
- +1.8 Coated minerals (Triethoxycaprylylsilane)
🔥
Eye sting
Medium
52
- +100 Starting score
- −22 Octocrylene at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Homosalate at #1, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Octisalate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
65
- +100 Starting score
- −12 1 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Sorbitan Olivate)
- −23 2 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Cetearyl Olivate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate)
👕
Fabric stains
Low
75
- +100 Starting score
- −15 Octocrylene at #3, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Zinc Oxide at #4, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 3 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica, Lauroyl Lysine)
- ← 2 Zinc Oxide at #4, mild sebum absorbent
- → 4 Glycerin at #8, the anchor humectant
- → 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #42, hyaluronic family
- → 1 Humectant polyols
- → 2 Light emollient/solvent (Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 2 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Lauroyl Lysine, Silica)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- ← 6 High mineral load at #4 greys under foundation
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +3 1 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for water resistance
Full ingredient list (46)
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 (Homosalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 12 UV protection
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 8 UV protection
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 16 UV protection
- ↓ 10.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 22 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
-
Mineral UV filter (Zinc Oxide)
- ↑ 38.9 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 28 12.1% declared
- ↑ 18 12.1% declared
- ↑ 10 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- light ← 2 mild sebum absorbent
- pills ← 6 High mineral load greys under foundation
-
5 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 2 → nourishing light emollient
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant polyol
-
8 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 4 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Filter booster, photostabilizes the UV filters or lifts their SPF
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
15 Dimethicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
18 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
23 Polyester-8
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
- ↑ 3 film former
-
Filter booster, photostabilizes the UV filters or lifts their SPF
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
27 Lactic Acid
pH adjuster
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Botanical extract
-
31 Niacinamide
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
37 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
pH adjuster
-
41 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
Is Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Sunscreen mineral or chemical?
It is mainly chemical, using Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate and Octocrylene, with a touch of Zinc Oxide. It is rated SPF 50.
Does the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Sunscreen SPF 50 leave a white cast?
No, white cast is generally low. It wears lightweight with a balanced finish, though it has a medium chance of stinging, so take care near the eyes.
Is it good?
It scores 65.4/100 with good protection. It is pleasant to wear, but its dated filter mix keeps the score in the middle range.