Lotus Herbals Safe Sun Sports Pro Defence Sunblock Spf 100 PA+++
53/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Lotus Herbals Safe Sun Sports Pro Defence Sunblock SPF 100 PA+++ leans on older-school filters including Homosalate, Octocrylene and Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, with a touch of Zinc Oxide. It has a balanced, lightweight finish with a medium chance of white cast and slight stinging. Despite the very high SPF claim, the 52.9/100 score and good protection rating place it in the middle of the pack. It sits okay under makeup.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Good
65
- +12 Homosalate at #2, UV filter
- +16 Octocrylene at #3, UV filter
- +17.1 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #4, UV filter
- +7.6 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #5, UV filter
- +38.9 Zinc Oxide at #6, UV filter (UVA1 +17.1)
- +18 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #13, UV filter (UVA1 +9.6)
- +13.2 Benzophenone-3 at #14, UV filter
- +9.9 Titanium Dioxide at #29, UV filter (UVA1 +1.5)
- −37.9 UVB coverage saturated
- −11.6 UVA2 coverage saturated
- ×0.75 Avobenzone + octinoxate degrade each other in sunlight
- +3 Label claims (SPF 100, PA rating)
☢️
Health safety
Low
0
- +100 Starting score
- −70 Oxybenzone at #14 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −14 Homosalate at #2, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −12.6 Octinoxate at #4, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −10.5 Octocrylene at #3, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #13, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- +0 3 endocrine-scrutinized filters together
- +10.6 Penalties exceed the scale, floored at 0
🤧
Allergens
Low
61
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −12 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- −9 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Benzophenone-3, Octocrylene)
👻
White cast
Medium
54
- +100 Starting score
- −30 Zinc Oxide at #6
- −6 Titanium Dioxide at #29
- −10 Zinc Oxide + Titanium Dioxide together
🔥
Eye sting
Medium
39
- +100 Starting score
- −3 Avobenzone at #13, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −22 Octocrylene at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −2 Oxybenzone at #14, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −11 Octinoxate at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Homosalate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −6 Octisalate at #5, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
75
- +100 Starting score
- −22 Zinc Oxide at #6
- −2 Titanium Dioxide at #29
- −1 Paraffinum Liquidum at #31, heavy oil
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Ethylhexyl Palmitate at #20, heavy comedogenic ester
🍄
Fungal acne
High
38
- +100 Starting score
- −12 1 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Sorbitan Stearate)
- −50 5 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate)
👕
Fabric stains
High
12
- +100 Starting score
- −28 Avobenzone at #13, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −20 Oxybenzone at #14, yellow stains on white cotton
- −15 Octocrylene at #3, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
- −10 Zinc Oxide at #6, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- −5 Both minerals present, heavier deposit
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 1 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- ← 2 Zinc Oxide at #6, mild sebum absorbent
- → 4 Glycerin at #9, the anchor humectant
- → 0.5 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (C20-22 Alcohols)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 1 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- → 1 1 slippy emollient esters (Ethylhexyl Palmitate)
- → 1 Occlusives seal moisture in (Paraffinum Liquidum)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- ← 1 Occlusives/waxes float the foundation
- ← 6 High mineral load at #6 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 (44)
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 (Homosalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 12 UV protection
- ↓ 14 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
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
-
Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate)
- ↑ 17.1 UV protection
- ↓ 12.6 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 11 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Legacy UV filter (Octisalate)
- ↑ 7.6 UV protection
- ↑ 6 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Mineral UV filter (Zinc Oxide)
- ↑ 38.9 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 10 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- light ← 2 mild sebum absorbent
- pills ← 6 High mineral load greys under foundation
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 24 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
9 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 4 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
-
Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 18 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↓ 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 3 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 28 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
-
Legacy UV filter (Oxybenzone), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 13.2 UV protection
- ↑ 2 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 20 yellow stains on white cotton
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
17 Niacinamide
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 heavy comedogenic ester
- 1 → dewy slippy emollient ester
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Volatile silicone, flashes off for a light finish
- light ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
24 Dimethicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
28 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 9.9 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin
- ↑ 1 heavy oil
- 1 → dewy occlusive
-
32 Trideceth-6
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
33 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
34 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
-
35 Propanediol
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
39 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
42 BHT
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
44 Fragrance
Fragrance
What SPF is Lotus Herbals Safe Sun Sports?
It claims SPF 100 PA+++. Despite the high number, our scoring rates its protection as good rather than top-tier, with a 52.9/100 overall score.
Is the Lotus Herbals Safe Sun Sports Pro Defence Sunblock Spf 100 PA+++ mineral or chemical?
It is mainly chemical, using older filters like Homosalate, Octocrylene and Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, with a small amount of Zinc Oxide.
Does it leave a white cast?
There is a medium chance of white cast and slight stinging. It otherwise wears with a balanced, lightweight finish and sits okay under makeup.