Image Skincare Daily Prevention™ Ultra Defense Moisturizer SPF 50
69/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Image Skincare Daily Prevention Ultra Defense Moisturizer SPF 50 is a sunscreen on older organic filters (homosalate, ethylhexyl salicylate, octocrylene) backed by zinc oxide. It wears lightweight with a balanced finish and keeps white cast low, though it may sting somewhat near the eyes. Its low pore-clogging profile is acne-friendly. With a 68.5/100 score and good measured protection, it is a decent daily moisturizer-style SPF, though the filter set is dated.
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
97
- +100 Starting score
- −3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
👻
White cast
Low
87
- +100 Starting score
- −14 Zinc Oxide, 7% declared
- +1.4 PHSA dispersant, fights agglomeration
🔥
Eye sting
Medium
60
- +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
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
82
- +100 Starting score
- −8 Zinc Oxide, 7% declared
- −5 Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter at #10, butter/occlusive fat
- −5 Hydrogenated Castor Oil at #11, butter/occlusive fat
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
90
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Ethylhexyl Palmitate at #16, heavy comedogenic ester
- −7 Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter at #10, comedogenic oil/butter
- −1 Palmitic Acid at #33, moderate comedogenic signal
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
50
- +100 Starting score
- −28 2 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Hydrogenated Castor Oil)
- −18 2 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Isoamyl Laurate)
- −4 2 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid), weak Malassezia signal
👕
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
- ← 1.5 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Hydrated Silica)
- ← 2 Zinc Oxide at #4, mild sebum absorbent
- → 1 Glycerin at #15, the anchor humectant
- → 2 2 strong humectants (Panthenol, Ectoin)
- → 2 1 emollient lipids (Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 1 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Hydrated Silica)
- → 6 2 emollient lipids (Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
- → 2 2 slippy emollient esters (Ethylhexyl Stearate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 1 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 4 Occlusives/waxes float the foundation
- ← 6 High mineral load at #4 greys under foundation
🌊
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.
- ✨ Aloe vera
Full ingredient list (40)
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)
- ↑ 14 7% declared
- ↑ 8 7% 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
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 3 → dewy emollient lipid
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Botanical extract
- ↑ 5 butter/occlusive fat
- ↑ 7 comedogenic oil/butter
- 2 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 3 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Plant oil, an emollient
- ↑ 5 butter/occlusive fat
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 1 → dewy slippy emollient ester
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
15 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 heavy comedogenic ester
- 1 → dewy slippy emollient ester
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Plant oil, an emollient
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
28 Mannitol
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Botanical extract
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
31 Benzoic Acid
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
32 Ectoin
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 1 moderate comedogenic signal
- ↑ 2 minor malassezia feeder
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
35 Stearic Acid
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 minor malassezia feeder
-
Botanical extract
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
38 Panthenol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
Does Image Skincare Ultra Defense SPF 50 leave a white cast?
No, white cast is low. Despite some zinc oxide it generally goes on clear with a balanced finish and stays lightweight.
Is the Image Skincare Daily Prevention™ Ultra Defense Moisturizer SPF 50 mineral or chemical sunscreen?
It is mostly chemical with a touch of mineral. It uses older organic filters such as homosalate, ethylhexyl salicylate and octocrylene, backed by zinc oxide.
Is Image Skincare Ultra Defense SPF 50 any good?
It scores 68.5/100, a decent result. Measured protection is good, but the dated filter set keeps it mid-pack, and it may sting somewhat near the eyes.