Mary Kay Sheer UV Defense Milk SPF 50+
80/100 overall score
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Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Excellent
100
- +38.9 Zinc Oxide at #4, UV filter (UVA1 +17.1)
- +14.4 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #8, UV filter
- +6.4 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #9, UV filter
- +26.4 Titanium Dioxide at #11, UV filter (UVA1 +4)
- +28.8 Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine at #14, UV filter (UVA1 +9.6)
- +21.6 Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate at #17, UV filter (UVA1 +13.2)
- −22.8 UVB coverage saturated
- −14.8 UVA2 coverage saturated
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
☢️
Health safety
High
64
- +100 Starting score
- −36 Octinoxate at #8 (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
70
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −8 4 declared fragrance allergens
- −4 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
👻
White cast
Low
79
- +100 Starting score
- −30 Zinc Oxide at #4
- −15 Titanium Dioxide at #11
- −10 Zinc Oxide + Titanium Dioxide together
- +27.5 Iron-oxide undertone, partial masking
- +2.7 PHSA dispersant, fights agglomeration
- +3.7 Coated minerals (Aluminum Hydroxide, Hydrogen Dimethicone)
🔥
Eye sting
Low
72
- +100 Starting score
- −5 Octinoxate at #8, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −3 Octisalate at #9, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −4 Volatile alcohol at #12
- −8 Fragrance
- −8 4 declared fragrance allergens
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
79
- +100 Starting score
- −22 Zinc Oxide at #4
- −6 Titanium Dioxide at #11
- +7 Volatile silicone at #2, flashes off
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
89
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Isopropyl Myristate at #34, heavy comedogenic ester
- −2 Ethylhexyl Palmitate at #33, heavy comedogenic ester
- −7 Isopropyl Palmitate at #10, heavy comedogenic ester
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
48
- +100 Starting score
- −9 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Lecithin)
- −41 4 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Isopropyl Myristate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate)
- −2 1 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Stearic Acid), weak Malassezia signal
👕
Fabric stains
High
30
- +100 Starting score
- −15 Uvinul A Plus (DHHB) at #17, oil-soluble UVA filter, fabric stains
- −40 Iron-oxide pigments at #42, makeup-like collar marks (washable)
- −10 Zinc Oxide at #4, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- −5 Both minerals present, heavier deposit
💧
Moisture
Light
LightNourishing
- ← 5 Volatile alcohol at #12
- ← 9.5 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica, Silica Dimethyl Silylate)
- ← 8 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- ← 2 Zinc Oxide at #4, mild sebum absorbent
- → 1 Humectant polyols
✨
Finish
Matte
MatteDewy
- ← 11 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica, Silica Dimethyl Silylate)
- ← 7 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- ← 1 Volatile alcohol at #12
- ← 2 1 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Caprylyl Methicone)
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
- → 4 3 slippy emollient esters (Isopropyl Palmitate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Isopropyl Myristate)
💄
Makeup base
Excellent
PillsPrimer
- → 8 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- → 8 1 velvet elastomer fillers, blur and grip
- → 2 Quick-setting carrier (alcohol at #12), fast, even canvas
- → 2 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 3 High mineral load at #4 greys under foundation (tinted)
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance →Full ingredient list (43)
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.
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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
-
3 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 8 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 10 sebum-absorbing powder
-
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 ← 3 High mineral load greys under foundation (tinted)
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant polyol
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 2 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 14.4 UV protection
- ↑ 5 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 6.4 UV protection
- ↑ 3 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 7 heavy comedogenic ester
- 2 → dewy slippy emollient ester
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 26.4 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
-
Volatile alcohol, a drying solvent that can sting eyes
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
-
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)
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Uvinul A Plus), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 21.6 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 15 oil-soluble UVA filter, fabric stains
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18 Dimethicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Supporting ingredient
-
21 Stearic Acid
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 minor malassezia feeder
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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26 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
27 Limonene
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
32 Linalool
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 heavy comedogenic ester
- 1 → dewy slippy emollient ester
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 heavy comedogenic ester
- 1 → dewy slippy emollient ester
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
36 Lecithin
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
38 Citronellol
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
Botanical extract
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
41 Geraniol
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
42 Ci 77492
Colorant or pigment
- ↑ 40 makeup-like collar marks (washable)
-
43 Ci 77491
Colorant or pigment