Kiehl’s Super Fluid Uv Mineral Defense Titanium Dioxide Sunscreen Broad Spectrum Spf 50+
49/100 overall score
Sign in to see this product's score for your skin.
About this sunscreen
Kiehl's Super Fluid UV Mineral Defense is an SPF 50+ mineral sunscreen built on titanium dioxide. Unusually for a mineral formula it delivers a matte finish, stays lightweight, and keeps white cast low, while not stinging and staying low on breakout risk. Despite the SPF 50+ label, the rated protection is weak. The score of 49 out of 100 places it in the lower tier, with feel as its main strength rather than measured protection.
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
75
- +100 Starting score
- −50 Titanium Dioxide, 15% declared
- −15 Pure mineral formula (15% total declared)
- +32.5 Iron-oxide undertone, partial masking
- +3.2 PHSA dispersant, fights agglomeration
- +4.4 Coated minerals (Alumina, Aluminum Hydroxide)
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
75
- +100 Starting score
- −30 Titanium Dioxide, 15% declared
- +4.5 Volatile hydrocarbon at #3, flashes off
🍄
Fungal acne
Low
80
- +100 Starting score
- −18 2 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (PEG-8 Laurate, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate)
- −2 1 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Stearic Acid), weak Malassezia signal
👕
Fabric stains
Medium
45
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Iron-oxide pigments at #24, makeup-like collar marks (washable)
- −15 Titanium Dioxide at #1, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
💧
Moisture
Light
LightNourishing
- ← 6 3 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica, Nylon-12, Talc)
- ← 8 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- ← 2 Titanium Dioxide at #1, mild sebum absorbent
✨
Finish
Matte
MatteDewy
- ← 5 3 sebum-absorbing powders (Nylon-12, Silica, Talc)
- ← 8 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- ← 2 2 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Caprylyl Methicone, Dicaprylyl Carbonate)
- → 6 1 emollient lipids (C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 3 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- → 8 1 velvet elastomer fillers, blur and grip
- → 4 Quick-setting carrier, fast, even canvas
- → 4 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 8 Powder overload over a film former, some pilling risk
- ← 7.5 High mineral load at #1 greys under foundation (tinted)
🌊
Water resistance
Resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +13 1 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for water resistance
Full ingredient list (37)
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.
-
Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 33 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 50 15% declared
- ↑ 30 15% declared
- ↑ 15 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- light ← 2 mild sebum absorbent
- pills ← 7.5 High mineral load greys under foundation (tinted)
-
2 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
Volatile hydrocarbon, flashes off for a light finish
- light ← 7 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 7 volatile carrier, flashes off
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 6 → dewy emollient lipid
-
6 Undecane
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
- ↑ 13 film former
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 1 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
9 Nylon-12
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 1 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
13 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
-
Volatile hydrocarbon, flashes off for a light finish
- light ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
-
16 Tridecane
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
18 Talc
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
-
Supporting ingredient
-
21 Stearic Acid
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 minor malassezia feeder
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
24 Iron Oxides
Colorant or pigment
- ↑ 40 makeup-like collar marks (washable)
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
30 Alumina
Supporting ingredient
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
33 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Supporting ingredient
-
35 Benzoic Acid
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
37 PEG-9
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
Does Kiehl's Super Fluid UV Mineral Defense leave a white cast?
White cast is rated low, which is unusual for a mineral formula. The titanium dioxide fluid wears lightweight with a matte finish.
Is the Kiehl’s Super Fluid Uv Mineral Defense Titanium Dioxide Sunscreen Broad Spectrum Spf 50+ mineral or chemical?
It is a pure mineral sunscreen, using titanium dioxide as its only UV filter.
Is the Kiehl’s Super Fluid Uv Mineral Defense Titanium Dioxide Sunscreen Broad Spectrum Spf 50+ good?
It scores 49 out of 100, in the lower tier. The feel is its strength, with a matte, low-cast finish, but the rated protection is weak despite the SPF 50+ label.