Gold Bond Ultimate Age Defense Hand Cream SPF 20
65/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
The Gold Bond Ultimate Age Defense Hand Cream SPF 20 is a chemical hand cream using older filters butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, ethylhexyl salicylate and octocrylene. It has a balanced, lightweight finish with low white cast and low pore-clogging risk, though it can sting somewhat if it reaches the eyes. At 64.9 out of 100 with moderate protection at SPF 20, it is a modest everyday hand cream rather than a primary face or body sunscreen.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Moderate
49
- +30 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #1, UV filter (UVA1 +16)
- +8 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #2, UV filter
- +16 Octocrylene at #3, UV filter
- ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
☢️
Health safety
High
67
- +100 Starting score
- −30 Octocrylene at #3 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #1, 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)
🔥
Eye sting
Medium
37
- +100 Starting score
- −24 Avobenzone at #1, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −22 Octocrylene at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Octisalate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
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Fungal acne
High
37
- +100 Starting score
- −24 2 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 60)
- −37 3 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate, Steareth-21, Ceteareth-25)
- −2 1 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Behenic Acid), weak Malassezia signal
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Fabric stains
High
25
- +100 Starting score
- −50 Avobenzone at #1, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −15 Octocrylene at #3, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
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Moisture
Hydrating
LightNourishing
- → 1 Glycerin at #13, the anchor humectant
- → 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #39, hyaluronic family
- → 2 2 strong humectants (Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate)
- → 0.5 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetyl Alcohol)
- → 8 Ceramide barrier lipids with cholesterol/phytosphingosine partners
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Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 3 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- ← 1 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Polyacrylate-13)
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Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate 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.
- ✨ Niacinamide
Full ingredient list (50)
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 (Avobenzone), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 30 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↓ 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 24 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 50 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
-
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
- ↑ 22 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
-
4 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Botanical extract
-
13 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
16 Sodium PCA
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Botanical extract
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
25 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
28 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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30 Bisabolol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Botanical extract
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
33 Ceteareth-25
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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34 Behenic Acid
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 minor malassezia feeder
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
41 Cholesterol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
42 Ceramide NP
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
43 Ceramide NS
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
44 Ceramide EOS
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
45 Ceramide EOP
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
46 Ceramide AP
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
49 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
-
50 Hydroxide K
pH adjuster
What SPF is the Gold Bond Ultimate Age Defense Hand Cream?
It is SPF 20, with protection rated moderate. It is intended as a hand cream rather than a primary face or body sunscreen.
Is the Gold Bond Ultimate Age Defense Hand Cream SPF 20 mineral or chemical?
It is a chemical formula using older filters butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, ethylhexyl salicylate and octocrylene. There are no mineral filters in it.
Does it leave a white cast?
No, it is rated low for white cast and has a balanced, lightweight finish. It should rub in clear on the hands.