Rate My SPF

Kiehl’s Super Multi-corrective Cream SPF 30

Kiehl’s Super Multi-corrective Cream SPF 30

64/100 overall score

Sign in to see this product's score for your skin.

About this sunscreen

Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream SPF 30 is a chemical sunscreen moisturizer using older filters including Octocrylene, Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane. It has a balanced finish, low white cast, and a lightweight feel, with a medium sting risk to keep in mind near the eyes. Protection is rated moderate. The 64.1/100 score reflects the older filter set and lighter SPF, placing it mid-field.

Ingredient & SPF scores

☀️

UV protection

Moderate 54
  • +16 Octocrylene at #3, UV filter
  • +11.4 Homosalate at #4, UV filter
  • +7.6 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #5, UV filter
  • +24 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #10, UV filter (UVA1 +12.8)
  • ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
  • +1 Label claims (SPF 30)
How we rate uv protection →
☢️

Health safety

Medium 46
  • +100 Starting score
  • −40 Homosalate at #4 (regulatory/evidence concern)
  • −10.5 Octocrylene at #3, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
  • −3.5 Avobenzone at #10, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
How we rate health safety →
🤧

Allergens

Low 67
  • +100 Starting score
  • −18 Fragrance
  • −11 5 declared fragrance allergens
  • −1 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
  • −3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
How we rate allergens →
👻

White cast

Low 100
  • +100 Starting score
How we rate white cast →
🔥

Eye sting

Medium 42
  • +100 Starting score
  • −8 Avobenzone at #10, migrates into eyes with sweat
  • −22 Octocrylene at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
  • −6 Homosalate at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
  • −6 Octisalate at #5, migrates into eyes with sweat
  • −8 Fragrance
  • −8 4 declared fragrance allergens
How we rate eye sting →
🪨

Heavy feel

Low 98
  • +100 Starting score
  • −2 Candelilla Wax at #13, wax film
How we rate heavy feel →
🔴

Comedogenic

Low 99
  • +100 Starting score
  • −1 Palmitic Acid at #19, moderate comedogenic signal
How we rate comedogenic →
🍄

Fungal acne

Medium 58
  • +100 Starting score
  • −38 2 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate)
  • −4 2 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid), weak Malassezia signal
How we rate fungal acne →
👕

Fabric stains

Medium 37
  • +100 Starting score
  • −38 Avobenzone at #10, 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
How we rate fabric stains →
💧

Moisture

Hydrating
LightNourishing
  • ← 3 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
  • → 16 Glycerin at #2, the anchor humectant
  • → 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #27, hyaluronic family
How we rate moisture →

Finish

Balanced
MatteDewy
  • ← 3 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
How we rate finish →
💄

Makeup base

Okay
PillsPrimer
  • → 3 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
  • → 3 1 soft-focus powders in moderation
  • ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate)
  • ← 3.5 Humectant syrup tackiness (partly offset by the base)
How we rate makeup base →
🌊

Water resistance

Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
  • +2 1 water-locking waxes
How we rate water resistance →

Full ingredient list (36)

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.

  1. 1 Water

    Solvent base, the water phase

  2. 2 Glycerin

    Humectant, pulls water into the skin

    • 16 → nourishing the anchor humectant
  3. 3 Octocrylene

    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
  4. 4 Homosalate

    Legacy UV filter (Homosalate)

    • ↑ 11.4 UV protection
    • ↑ 6 migrates into eyes with sweat
  5. Legacy UV filter (Octisalate)

    • ↑ 7.6 UV protection
    • ↑ 6 migrates into eyes with sweat
  6. 6 Dimethicone

    Emollient, softens and smooths skin

  7. Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended

    • ↑ 24 feeds malassezia
  8. Supporting ingredient

  9. 9 Silica

    Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish

    • light ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
    • matte ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
  10. Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone), low in the list, likely a minor contributor

    • ↑ 24 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
    • ↓ 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
    • ↑ 8 migrates into eyes with sweat
    • ↑ 38 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
  11. Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended

    • ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
  12. Humectant, pulls water into the skin

  13. 13 Candelilla Wax

    Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin

    • ↑ 2 wax film
    • ↑ 2 wax water lock
  14. 14 Phenoxyethanol

    Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling

  15. Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream

  16. 16 Stearic Acid

    Emollient, softens and smooths skin

    • ↑ 2 minor malassezia feeder
  17. Emollient, softens and smooths skin

  18. 18 Cetyl Alcohol

    Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind

  19. 19 Palmitic Acid

    Emollient, softens and smooths skin

    • ↑ 1 moderate comedogenic signal
    • ↑ 2 minor malassezia feeder
  20. Supporting ingredient

  21. 21 Caprylyl Glycol

    Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling

  22. 22 Xanthan Gum

    Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream

  23. Emollient, softens and smooths skin

  24. 24 Fragrance

    Fragrance

  25. 25 Disodium EDTA

    Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable

  26. 26 Tocopherol

    Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin

  27. Humectant, pulls water into the skin

    • 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
  28. 28 Adenosine

    Soothing, skin-conditioning active

  29. 29 Linalool

    Fragrance component, a declared allergen

  30. 30 Sodium Hydroxide

    pH adjuster

  31. Botanical extract

  32. 32 Citronellol

    Fragrance component, a declared allergen

  33. 33 Geraniol

    Fragrance component, a declared allergen

  34. 34 Citral

    Fragrance component, a declared allergen

  35. 35 Benzyl Alcohol

    Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling

  36. 36 Citric Acid

    pH adjuster

Is the Kiehl’s Super Multi-corrective Cream SPF 30 mineral or chemical?

It is a fully chemical moisturizer. It uses older filters including Octocrylene, Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane.

Does the Kiehl’s Super Multi-corrective Cream SPF 30 sting the eyes?

Sting risk is rated medium, so keep it away from the immediate eye area and apply with care.

What SPF is it?

It is SPF 30. Protection is rated moderate, and the overall score is 64.1/100.

← all products