Kiehl’s Activated Sun Protector Mineral Sunscreen Spf 50
49/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Kiehl's Activated Sun Protector Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 is a pure mineral formula using Titanium Dioxide alone. It sets to a matte finish, wears lightweight, and keeps white cast low, and it does not commonly sting, with low risk of clogging pores. However, its protection scores as weak despite the SPF 50 label, holding it to 49/100. Consider it a light cosmetic layer and pair it with a higher-rated sunscreen for serious sun exposure.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Weak
22
- +33 Titanium Dioxide at #1, UV filter (UVA1 +5)
- ×0.6 Almost no UVA1, poor aging protection
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
👻
White cast
Low
67
- +100 Starting score
- −35 Titanium Dioxide, 11% declared
- −8 Pure mineral formula (11% total declared)
- +4.3 PHSA dispersant, fights agglomeration
- +5.8 Coated minerals (Alumina, Aluminum Hydroxide)
🔥
Eye sting
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- −10 Volatile alcohol at #7
- +7.5 Mineral filter system, low-sting filters
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
83
- +100 Starting score
- −20 Titanium Dioxide, 11% declared
- +3 Volatile hydrocarbon at #4, flashes off
🍄
Fungal acne
Low
89
- +100 Starting score
- −9 1 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (PEG-8 Laurate)
- −2 1 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Stearic Acid), weak Malassezia signal
- +0 Dimethicone at #3, a safe base that does not feed Malassezia
👕
Fabric stains
Low
85
- +100 Starting score
- −15 Titanium Dioxide at #1, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
💧
Moisture
Light
LightNourishing
- ← 13 Volatile alcohol at #7
- ← 5 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Talc)
- ← 5 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- ← 2 Titanium Dioxide at #1, mild sebum absorbent
✨
Finish
Matte
MatteDewy
- ← 6 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Talc)
- ← 5 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- ← 3 Volatile alcohol at #7
- → 6 1 emollient lipids (C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 4 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- → 8 1 velvet elastomer fillers, blur and grip
- → 9 Quick-setting carrier (alcohol at #7), fast, even canvas
- → 2 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 8 Powder overload over a film former, some pilling risk
- ← 15 High mineral load at #1 greys under foundation
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +7 1 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for water resistance
Full ingredient list (32)
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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Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 33 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 35 11% declared
- ↑ 20 11% declared
- ↑ 15 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- light ← 2 mild sebum absorbent
- pills ← 15 High mineral load greys under foundation
-
2 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Volatile hydrocarbon, flashes off for a light finish
- light ← 4 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 4 volatile carrier, flashes off
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 6 → dewy emollient lipid
-
6 Talc
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 6 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Volatile alcohol, a drying solvent that can sting eyes
-
8 Undecane
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
- ↑ 7 film former
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Volatile hydrocarbon, flashes off for a light finish
- light ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
-
15 Tridecane
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
21 Stearic Acid
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 minor malassezia feeder
-
Botanical extract
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
26 Alumina
Supporting ingredient
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Supporting ingredient
-
30 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
31 Benzoic Acid
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
32 PEG-9
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
Is the Kiehl’s Activated Sun Protector Mineral Sunscreen Spf 50 mineral or chemical?
It is a pure mineral sunscreen. Titanium Dioxide is the only UV filter in the formula.
Does the Kiehl’s Activated Sun Protector Mineral Sunscreen Spf 50 leave a white cast?
White cast is low, which is uncommon for a mineral formula. It sets to a matte finish and wears lightweight.
Is it good?
It scores 49/100 because its protection rates as weak despite the SPF 50 label. It is best treated as a light cosmetic layer paired with a higher-rated sunscreen.