MAC Studio Sculpt SPF 15 Foundation
49/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
MAC Studio Sculpt SPF 15 Foundation is a makeup product with added sun protection, using older-generation octinoxate plus titanium dioxide. It wears matte and lightweight with low white cast and works well as a makeup base, which is expected for a foundation. With weak protection and a score of 49.0, it should be treated as light incidental cover only, and is generally not a substitute for a dedicated SPF 15 or higher sunscreen.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Weak
27
- +18 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #3, UV filter
- +26.4 Titanium Dioxide at #9, UV filter (UVA1 +4)
- ×0.6 Almost no UVA1, poor aging protection
☢️
Health safety
High
64
- +100 Starting score
- −36 Octinoxate at #3 (regulatory/evidence concern)
👻
White cast
Low
95
- +100 Starting score
- −15 Titanium Dioxide at #9
- −2 Titanium Dioxide as pigment (CI 77891) at #46
- +11.9 Tinted formula, pigment masks the cast
- +0.4 Coated minerals (Methicone)
🔥
Eye sting
Low
84
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Octinoxate at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
94
- +100 Starting score
- −6 Titanium Dioxide at #9
- −2 Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit at #19, butter/occlusive fat
- +2 Volatile silicone at #2, flashes off
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
99
- +100 Starting score
- −1 Palmitic Acid at #32, moderate comedogenic signal
🍄
Fungal acne
Low
78
- +100 Starting score
- −9 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
- −9 1 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate)
- −4 2 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid), weak Malassezia signal
👕
Fabric stains
Medium
55
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Iron-oxide pigments at #47, makeup-like collar marks (washable)
- −5 Titanium Dioxide at #9, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 4.5 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Polymethyl Methacrylate)
- ← 8 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- → 10 Glycerin at #4, the anchor humectant
- → 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #16, hyaluronic family
- → 1 Humectant polyols
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
✨
Finish
Matte
MatteDewy
- ← 4 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Polymethyl Methacrylate)
- ← 7 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- ← 3 2 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Isononyl Isononanoate)
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
💄
Makeup base
Good
PillsPrimer
- → 8 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- → 3 1 soft-focus powders in moderation
- → 1 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 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 →Skincare extras
Beneficial actives this formula contains. Informational only, not part of the rating: their effect depends on a concentration the label does not disclose.
- ✨ Vitamin E
Full ingredient list (48)
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
-
Volatile silicone, flashes off for a light finish
- light ← 8 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 7 volatile carrier, flashes off
-
Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 18 UV protection
- ↑ 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
4 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 10 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant polyol
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 2 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
-
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)
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 1 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
Botanical extract
-
14 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
- ↑ 2 butter/occlusive fat
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
22 Phytantriol
Supporting ingredient
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
27 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
28 Dimethicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
29 Methicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 1 moderate comedogenic signal
- ↑ 2 minor malassezia feeder
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
39 Stearic Acid
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 minor malassezia feeder
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
45 Mica
Colorant or pigment
-
Colorant or pigment
-
47 Iron Oxides
Colorant or pigment
- ↑ 40 makeup-like collar marks (washable)
-
48 Ci 77288
Colorant or pigment
Is the MAC Studio Sculpt SPF 15 Foundation?
It is a foundation with added SPF 15, not a dedicated sunscreen. It uses older-generation octinoxate plus titanium dioxide, and protection is rated weak.
Is the MAC Studio Sculpt SPF 15 Foundation good?
It scores 49.0 out of 100 with weak protection, so it should be treated as light incidental cover only. For real sun defense, pair it with a separate sunscreen.
Does it work under makeup?
As a foundation it functions as the makeup base itself and rates well in that role, wearing matte and lightweight with low white cast.