Kiehl’s Ultra Light Daily Uv Defense Spf 50 Pa+++
87/100 overall score
Sign in to see this product's score for your skin.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Excellent
100
- +18 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #2, UV filter
- +38 Drometrizole Trisiloxane at #5, UV filter (UVA1 +13.3)
- +26.6 Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid at #6, UV filter (UVA1 +9.5)
- +26.4 Titanium Dioxide at #8, UV filter (UVA1 +4)
- +28.8 Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine at #20, UV filter (UVA1 +9.6)
- +10.8 Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate at #21, UV filter (UVA1 +6.6)
- −21 UVB coverage saturated
- −29.6 UVA2 coverage saturated
- +3 Label claims (SPF 50, PA rating)
☢️
Health safety
High
64
- +100 Starting score
- −36 Octinoxate at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
👻
White cast
Low
93
- +100 Starting score
- −7.5 Titanium Dioxide at #8 (nano)
- +0.5 Coated minerals (Aluminum Hydroxide)
🔥
Eye sting
Low
80
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Octinoxate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −4 Volatile alcohol at #9
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- −1 Myristic Acid at #33, moderate comedogenic signal
- −1 Palmitic Acid at #14, moderate comedogenic signal
🍄
Fungal acne
High
39
- +100 Starting score
- −12 1 free fatty acids that feed Malassezia (Myristic Acid)
- −24 2 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Polysorbate 80, Sorbitan Oleate)
- −18 2 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate)
- −7 2 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid), weak Malassezia signal
- +0 Dimethicone at #3, a safe base that does not feed Malassezia
👕
Fabric stains
Low
70
- +100 Starting score
- −15 Uvinul A Plus (DHHB) at #21, oil-soluble UVA filter, fabric stains
- −10 Mexoryl XL at #5, oil-soluble UVA filter, fabric stains
- −5 Titanium Dioxide at #8, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 5 Volatile alcohol at #9
- ← 1.5 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Nylon-12)
- ← 1 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- → 10 Glycerin at #4, the anchor humectant
- → 1 1 strong humectants (Sorbitol)
- → 1 Humectant polyols
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 1 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Nylon-12)
- ← 1 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- ← 1 Volatile alcohol at #9
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 4 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- → 2 Quick-setting carrier (alcohol at #9), fast, even canvas
- ← 1 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Carbomer, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer)
- ← 1.5 Humectant syrup tackiness (partly offset by the base)
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance →Full ingredient list (54)
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 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 18 UV protection
- ↑ 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
4 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 10 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Mexoryl XL)
- ↑ 38 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 10 oil-soluble UVA filter, fabric stains
-
Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Mexoryl SX)
- ↑ 26.6 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant polyol
-
Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 26.4 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 5 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
-
Volatile alcohol, a drying solvent that can sting eyes
-
pH adjuster
-
11 Stearic Acid
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 5 minor malassezia feeder
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
13 Nylon-12
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 1 moderate comedogenic signal
- ↑ 2 minor malassezia feeder
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
19 Cellulose
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Tinosorb S), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 28.8 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
-
Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Uvinul A Plus), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 10.8 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 15 oil-soluble UVA filter, fabric stains
-
22 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Supporting ingredient
-
26 Carbomer
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
27 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
28 Tromethamine
pH adjuster
-
Botanical extract
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Volatile hydrocarbon, flashes off for a light finish
- light ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
-
32 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 1 moderate comedogenic signal
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
35 Adenosine
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
37 Arginine
pH adjuster
-
38 Mannitol
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
40 Rna
Supporting ingredient
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
43 Sorbitol
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
45 BHT
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Botanical extract
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Botanical extract
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
53 Tyrosine
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
54 Sorbic Acid
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling