Neutrogena Ultra Sheer® Dry-Touch Sunscreen Broad Spectrum Spf 55
65/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch SPF 55 is a chemical sunscreen built on avobenzone, homosalate, ethylhexyl salicylate, and octocrylene, an older-school filter set. It dries to a matte finish with low white cast and a lightweight feel, with low pore-clogging potential, making it a familiar drugstore option for oilier skin. Protection is good, though it may sting slightly around the eyes. With a score of 64.9/100 it is a serviceable daily matte sunscreen, with a finish that is generally pleasant rather than premium.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Good
61
- +30 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #1, UV filter (UVA1 +16)
- +12 Homosalate at #2, UV filter
- +8 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #3, UV filter
- +15.2 Octocrylene at #4, UV filter
- ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- +2 Label claims (SPF 55)
☢️
Health safety
Medium
46
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Homosalate at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −10.5 Octocrylene at #4, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #1, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
67
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −1 1 declared fragrance allergens
- −11 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- −3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
🔥
Eye sting
Medium
35
- +100 Starting score
- −24 Avobenzone at #1, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −15 Octocrylene at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Homosalate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Octisalate at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
73
- +100 Starting score
- −27 3 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Trideceth-6)
👕
Fabric stains
High
25
- +100 Starting score
- −50 Avobenzone at #1, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −15 Octocrylene at #4, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
💧
Moisture
Light
LightNourishing
- ← 6.5 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica, Aluminium Starch Octenylsuccinate)
✨
Finish
Matte
MatteDewy
- ← 7 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica, Aluminium Starch Octenylsuccinate)
- ← 1 1 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Caprylyl Methicone)
- → 1 1 slippy emollient esters (Ethylhexyl Stearate)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 1 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- → 3 1 soft-focus powders in moderation
- → 1 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Sodium Polyacrylate)
- ← 2 Occlusives/waxes float the foundation
🌊
Water resistance
Resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +16 2 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for water resistance
- +4 1 water-locking waxes
Full ingredient list (32)
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.
-
Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 30 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↓ 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 24 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 50 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
-
Legacy UV filter (Homosalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 12 UV protection
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 8 UV protection
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene)
- ↑ 15.2 UV protection
- ↓ 10.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 15 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
-
5 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
- ↑ 13 film former
-
7 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 6 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
11 Cera Alba
Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin
- ↑ 6 wax film
- ↑ 4 wax water lock
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 1 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
- ↑ 3 film former
-
21 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
26 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 1 → dewy slippy emollient ester
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
30 BHT
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
31 Trideceth-6
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
Does Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch SPF 55 leave a white cast?
White cast is low, so it should not leave a noticeable white film. The matte dry-touch finish keeps it looking clean.
Is the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer® Dry-Touch Sunscreen Broad Spectrum Spf 55 good for oily or acne-prone skin?
It dries matte with low pore-clogging potential, so it is generally a good match for oily and breakout-prone skin. It may sting slightly around the eyes for some users.
Is this sunscreen any good?
With a score of 64.9/100 it is a serviceable daily matte sunscreen. Protection is good and the finish is pleasant, though the older filter set keeps it from scoring higher.