Neutrogena Retinol Boost Day Cream SPF 15
64/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Neutrogena Retinol Boost Day Cream is an anti-aging SPF 15 day cream using older chemical filters: homosalate, octocrylene, ethylhexyl salicylate and avobenzone. It is lightweight with a dewy finish and low white cast. Pore- clogging risk is low, though mild stinging is possible for sensitive eyes. SPF 15 and a dated filter set give only moderate protection, so it works best as a daily moisturizer rather than primary sun defense.
Ingredient & SPF scores
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UV protection
Moderate
53
- +12 Homosalate at #2, UV filter
- +7.6 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #4, UV filter
- +15.2 Octocrylene at #6, UV filter
- +24 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #8, UV filter (UVA1 +12.8)
- Γ0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
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Health safety
Medium
41
- +100 Starting score
- β40 Homosalate at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β10.5 Octocrylene at #6, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β3.5 Avobenzone at #8, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β5 Retinol at #14, disputed vitamin-A sunlight signal, under review
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Allergens
Low
67
- +100 Starting score
- β18 Fragrance
- β12 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- β3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
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Eye sting
Medium
54
- +100 Starting score
- β8 Avobenzone at #8, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β15 Octocrylene at #6, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β9 Homosalate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β6 Octisalate at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β8 Fragrance
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Fungal acne
Medium
68
- +100 Starting score
- β32 3 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Steareth-21)
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Fabric stains
Medium
37
- +100 Starting score
- β38 Avobenzone at #8, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- β15 Octocrylene at #6, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- β10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
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Moisture
Hydrating
LightNourishing
- β 10 Glycerin at #7, the anchor humectant
- β 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #17, hyaluronic family
- β 0.5 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetyl Alcohol)
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Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- β 5 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- β 3 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- β 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer)
- β 3 Humectant syrup tackiness
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Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance βFull ingredient list (30)
What each ingredient does and how it moves each rating: green helps, red hurts, β / β give the direction, and β / β 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
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Legacy UV filter (Homosalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- β 12 UV protection
- β 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 9 β dewy emollient lipid
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Legacy UV filter (Octisalate)
- β 7.6 UV protection
- β 6 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene)
- β 15.2 UV protection
- β 10.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β 15 migrates into eyes with sweat
- β 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
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7 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 10 β nourishing the anchor humectant
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Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- β 24 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- β 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β 8 migrates into eyes with sweat
- β 38 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
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Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 β nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
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10 Steareth-21
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 14 feeds malassezia
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11 Trisiloxane
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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12 Cellulose
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
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14 Retinol
Supporting ingredient
- β 5 disputed vitamin-A sunlight signal, under review
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Botanical extract
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 β nourishing hyaluronic family
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 9 feeds malassezia
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 9 feeds malassezia
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Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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23 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
pH adjuster
-
26 BHT
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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30 Fragrance
Fragrance
What SPF is Neutrogena Retinol Boost Day Cream?
It is SPF 15. With a dated filter set, protection is only moderate, so it works best as a daily moisturizer rather than primary sun defense.
Is the Neutrogena Retinol Boost Day Cream SPF 15 mineral or chemical?
It is chemical, using older filters: homosalate, octocrylene, ethylhexyl salicylate and avobenzone.
Does it leave a white cast?
White cast is low with a dewy finish. Pore-clogging risk is low, though mild stinging is possible for sensitive eyes.