Neutrogena Healthy Defense® Daily Moisturizer With Sunscreen Broad Spectrum Spf 50-Sensitive Skin
83/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer With Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50 for sensitive skin is a pure mineral formula using Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. It wears with a balanced finish, feels lightweight and is generally low in white cast, though it is generally a poor match under makeup. It does not sting and is generally low for pore-clogging, which suits sensitive skin. With good protection and a strong score of 82.7/100, it is a comfortable daily mineral moisturizer.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Good
75
- +33 Titanium Dioxide at #1, UV filter (UVA1 +5)
- +41 Zinc Oxide at #2, UV filter (UVA1 +18)
- −1 UVA2 coverage saturated
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
👻
White cast
Low
68
- +100 Starting score
- −6 Zinc Oxide, 3% declared
- −18 Titanium Dioxide, 5% declared
- −10 Zinc Oxide + Titanium Dioxide together
- −8 Pure mineral formula (8% total declared)
- +4.2 PHSA dispersant, fights agglomeration
- +5.7 Coated minerals (Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Alumina)
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
72
- +100 Starting score
- −8 Zinc Oxide, 3% declared
- −10 Titanium Dioxide, 5% declared
- −10 Both minerals in the top 3, dual mineral paste
🍄
Fungal acne
High
38
- +100 Starting score
- −12 1 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Polysorbate 60)
- −50 5 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-75 Stearate)
👕
Fabric stains
Low
80
- +100 Starting score
- −15 Titanium Dioxide at #1, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- −5 Both minerals present, heavier deposit
💧
Moisture
Light
LightNourishing
- ← 3 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
- ← 1 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- ← 5 Zinc Oxide at #2, mild sebum absorbent
- ← 2 Titanium Dioxide at #1, mild sebum absorbent
- → 4 Glycerin at #10, the anchor humectant
- → 0.5 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetyl Alcohol)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 3 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
- ← 1 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- → 6 1 emollient lipids (C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
💄
Makeup base
Poor
PillsPrimer
- → 3 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- → 2 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer)
- ← 8 Powder overload over a film former, some pilling risk
- ← 15 High mineral load at #1 greys under foundation
🌊
Water resistance
Resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +13 1 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for water resistance
Full ingredient list (34)
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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Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 33 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 18 5% declared
- ↑ 10 5% declared
- ↑ 15 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- light ← 2 mild sebum absorbent
- pills ← 15 High mineral load greys under foundation
-
Mineral UV filter (Zinc Oxide), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 41 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 6 3% declared
- ↑ 8 3% declared
- light ← 5 mild sebum absorbent
-
3 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 6 → dewy emollient lipid
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
- ↑ 13 film former
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
8 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
10 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 4 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
17 Alumina
Supporting ingredient
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
21 Bisabolol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Volatile hydrocarbon, flashes off for a light finish
- light ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Supporting ingredient
-
28 Ceteth-20
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
29 Steareth-20
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
34 BHT
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
Is Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer mineral or chemical?
It is a pure mineral sunscreen using Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide, which makes it a good fit for sensitive skin.
Is the Neutrogena Healthy Defense® Daily Moisturizer With Sunscreen Broad Spectrum Spf 50-Sensitive Skin good under makeup?
It is generally a poor match under makeup. It works better on its own as a daily mineral moisturizer with sun protection.
Is this a good sunscreen?
It scores 82.7/100 with good protection, a strong result. The lightweight, low-white-cast feel makes it a comfortable daily choice for sensitive skin.