Melanu skincare Illuminate And Protect SPF 35
71/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Melanu skincare Illuminate And Protect SPF 35 is a sunscreen using older-generation chemical filters alongside Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide. It wears with a dewy finish, stays lightweight, and rates low for white cast. Breakout-trigger is low and it works okay as a makeup base. Scoring 71.2/100 with good protection, it is a reasonable daily choice for those wanting a luminous finish.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Good
62
- +18 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #2, UV filter
- +24 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #9, UV filter (UVA1 +12.8)
- +24.6 Zinc Oxide at #16, UV filter (UVA1 +10.8)
- +19.8 Titanium Dioxide at #17, UV filter (UVA1 +3)
- −2.2 UVB coverage saturated
- −2.6 UVA2 coverage saturated
- ×0.75 Avobenzone + octinoxate degrade each other in sunlight
- +1 Label claims (SPF 35)
☢️
Health safety
High
61
- +100 Starting score
- −36 Octinoxate at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #9, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Essential oils (Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Oil)
👻
White cast
Low
79
- +100 Starting score
- −5 Zinc Oxide at #16
- −6 Titanium Dioxide at #17
- −10 Zinc Oxide + Titanium Dioxide together
🔥
Eye sting
Low
76
- +100 Starting score
- −8 Avobenzone at #9, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −16 Octinoxate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
73
- +100 Starting score
- −3 Zinc Oxide at #16
- −2 Titanium Dioxide at #17
- −2 Cera Alba at #18, wax film
- −15 Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit at #3, butter/occlusive fat
- −5 Stearyl Alcohol at #6, rich gel-network thickener
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Decyl Oleate at #20, heavy comedogenic ester
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
41
- +100 Starting score
- −36 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
- −23 2 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Decyl Oleate, Ceteareth-15)
👕
Fabric stains
Medium
55
- +100 Starting score
- −38 Avobenzone at #9, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −2 Zinc Oxide at #16, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- −5 Both minerals present, heavier deposit
💧
Moisture
Hydrating
LightNourishing
- ← 1.5 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Boron Nitride)
- → 10 Glycerin at #7, the anchor humectant
- → 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #21, hyaluronic family
- → 6 1 emollient lipids (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
- → 1 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Stearyl Alcohol)
✨
Finish
Dewy
MatteDewy
- ← 1 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Boron Nitride)
- ← 1 1 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Coco-Caprylate/Caprate)
- → 12 2 emollient lipids (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
- → 4 1 slippy emollient esters (Ethylhexyl Stearate)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 2 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 7 Occlusives/waxes float the foundation
- ← 3 Humectant syrup tackiness
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +3 1 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for water resistance
- +2 1 water-locking waxes
Full ingredient list (36)
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
-
Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 18 UV protection
- ↑ 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Botanical extract
- ↑ 15 butter/occlusive fat
- 6 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 9 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 36 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 4 → dewy slippy emollient ester
-
5 Butter
Plant oil, an emollient
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- ↑ 5 rich gel-network thickener
- 1 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
7 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 10 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 24 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↓ 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 8 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 38 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
-
10 Ceteareth-15
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 1 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 3 → dewy emollient lipid
-
Botanical extract
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Botanical extract
-
16 Zinc Oxide
Mineral UV filter (Zinc Oxide), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 24.6 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 2 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
-
Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 19.8 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
-
18 Cera Alba
Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin
- ↑ 2 wax film
- ↑ 2 wax water lock
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
20 Decyl Oleate
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 heavy comedogenic ester
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
24 Niacin
Supporting ingredient
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
- ↑ 3 film former
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
33 PEG-8
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
36 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
Does Melanu Illuminate And Protect SPF 35 leave a white cast?
It is rated low for white cast even though it includes Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide. The finish is dewy and luminous, and it stays lightweight.
Is the Melanu skincare Illuminate And Protect SPF 35 mineral or chemical?
It is a mix. It uses older-generation chemical filters alongside the mineral filters Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide.
Is the Melanu skincare Illuminate And Protect SPF 35 good for acne-prone skin?
It rates low for breakout-trigger, so it is generally workable for acne-prone skin. The finish is dewy rather than matte, which oilier skin may want to weigh.