La Prairie Cellular Swiss UV Protection Veil SPF 50
60/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
La Prairie Cellular Swiss UV Protection Veil SPF 50 blends Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide with older chemical filters Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate and Oxybenzone. The balanced finish can show a moderate white cast and sits a touch heavier on skin, though it does not commonly sting. With good protection but a modest score of 59.7/100, it is a premium-priced veil whose dated filters limit its rating.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Good
79
- +41 Zinc Oxide at #3, UV filter (UVA1 +18)
- +17.1 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #4, UV filter
- +20.9 Benzophenone-3 at #5, UV filter
- +26.4 Titanium Dioxide at #10, UV filter (UVA1 +4)
- −18.4 UVB coverage saturated
- −10 UVA2 coverage saturated
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
☢️
Health safety
Low
17
- +100 Starting score
- −70 Oxybenzone at #5 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −12.6 Octinoxate at #4, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- +0 2 endocrine-scrutinized filters together
🤧
Allergens
Medium
46
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −30 13 declared fragrance allergens; EU-banned: Butylphenyl Methylpropional
- −6 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Benzophenone-3)
👻
White cast
Medium
45
- +100 Starting score
- −55 Zinc Oxide at #3
- −7.5 Titanium Dioxide at #10 (nano)
- −10 Zinc Oxide + Titanium Dioxide together
- +7.2 PHSA dispersant, fights agglomeration
- +9.8 Coated minerals (Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Alumina, Methicone)
🔥
Eye sting
Low
61
- +100 Starting score
- −11 Oxybenzone at #5, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −11 Octinoxate at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −1 Volatile alcohol at #41
- −8 Fragrance
- −8 8 declared fragrance allergens
🪨
Heavy feel
Medium
54
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Zinc Oxide at #3
- −6 Titanium Dioxide at #10
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
61
- +100 Starting score
- −30 2 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Polysorbate 80, Sorbitan Stearate)
- −9 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Lecithin)
- +0 Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract at #37, ferment, disputed Malassezia trigger (not penalized)
👕
Fabric stains
Medium
60
- +100 Starting score
- −20 Oxybenzone at #5, yellow stains on white cotton
- −15 Zinc Oxide at #3, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- −5 Both minerals present, heavier deposit
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 2 Volatile alcohol at #41
- ← 3 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica, Nylon-12)
- ← 5 Zinc Oxide at #3, mild sebum absorbent
- → 1 Glycerin at #20, the anchor humectant
- → 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #22, hyaluronic family
- → 1 Humectant polyols
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Squalane)
- → 0.5 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetearyl Alcohol)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 2 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Nylon-12, Silica)
- ← 0.5 Volatile alcohol at #41
- → 10 2 emollient lipids (Squalane, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 3 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 15 High mineral load at #3 greys under foundation
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance →Full ingredient list (65)
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
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 9 → dewy emollient lipid
-
Mineral UV filter (Zinc Oxide), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 41 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 15 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- light ← 5 mild sebum absorbent
- pills ← 15 High mineral load greys under foundation
-
Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate)
- ↑ 17.1 UV protection
- ↓ 12.6 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 11 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Legacy UV filter (Oxybenzone)
- ↑ 20.9 UV protection
- ↑ 11 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 20 yellow stains on white cotton
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant polyol
-
Filter booster, photostabilizes the UV filters or lifts their SPF
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 18 feeds malassezia
-
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
-
Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 26.4 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
14 Squalane
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
-
15 Nylon-12
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
20 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
30 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
34 Lecithin
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Botanical extract
-
Supporting ingredient
-
39 Alumina
Supporting ingredient
-
40 Methicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
41 Alcohol
Volatile alcohol, a drying solvent that can sting eyes
-
42 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
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43 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
-
44 BHT
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
45 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
46 Linalool
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
49 Citronellol
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
Botanical extract
-
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
55 Geraniol
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
57 Eugenol
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
63 Ci 19140
Colorant or pigment
-
64 FD&C Red 40
Colorant or pigment
-
65 Yellow 6
Colorant or pigment
Does La Prairie Cellular Swiss UV Protection Veil leave a white cast?
It can show a moderate white cast, since the blend includes Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide. The balanced finish also sits a touch heavier than a light fluid.
Is the La Prairie Cellular Swiss UV Protection Veil SPF 50 mineral or chemical?
It is a mix of both. It combines mineral Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide with older chemical filters Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate and Oxybenzone.
Is La Prairie UV Protection Veil SPF 50 worth it?
It scores 59.7/100 with good protection. Its dated filters and possible white cast hold back the rating despite the premium positioning.