Neutrogena Ultra Sheer® Face Sunscreen SPF 60
66/100 overall score
Sign in to see this product's score for your skin.
About this sunscreen
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face Sunscreen SPF 60 is a chemical sunscreen using older-generation filters Homosalate, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, and Avobenzone (Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane). It is lightweight with a matte finish and low white cast and works well under makeup, which suits oilier skin, though it can sting somewhat if it gets near the eyes. Protection is good and pore-clogging is low. The score of 65.6 out of 100 is solid, with the older filter mix being the main limiter.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Good
60
- +12 Homosalate at #1, UV filter
- +16 Octocrylene at #2, UV filter
- +8 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #3, UV filter
- +28.5 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #4, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- +2 Label claims (SPF 60)
☢️
Health safety
Medium
46
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Homosalate at #1 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −10.5 Octocrylene at #2, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #4, 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
36
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Avobenzone at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −22 Octocrylene at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Homosalate at #1, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Octisalate at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
93
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Cera Alba at #13, wax film
- −5 Behenyl Alcohol at #7, rich gel-network thickener
🍄
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
30
- +100 Starting score
- −45 Avobenzone at #4, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −15 Octocrylene at #2, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 6.5 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica, Aluminium Starch Octenylsuccinate)
- → 1 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Behenyl Alcohol)
✨
Finish
Matte
MatteDewy
- ← 7 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Aluminium Starch Octenylsuccinate, Silica)
- ← 1 1 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Caprylyl Methicone)
- → 1 1 slippy emollient esters (Ethylhexyl Stearate)
💄
Makeup base
Good
PillsPrimer
- → 8 1 velvet elastomer fillers, blur and grip
- → 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)
🌊
Water resistance
Resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +16 2 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for water resistance
- +2 1 water-locking waxes
Full ingredient list (33)
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 (Homosalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 12 UV protection
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 16 UV protection
- ↓ 10.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 22 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
-
Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 8 UV protection
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone)
- ↑ 28.5 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↓ 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 45 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
- ↑ 13 film former
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 6 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- ↑ 5 rich gel-network thickener
- 1 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
9 BHT
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 1 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
13 Cera Alba
Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin
- ↑ 2 wax film
- ↑ 2 wax water lock
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
16 Dimethicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 1 → dewy slippy emollient ester
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
24 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
27 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
- ↑ 3 film former
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
31 Trideceth-6
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
32 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
33 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
Is Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face SPF 60 good for oily skin?
Yes. It has a matte finish, is rated low for pore-clogging, and works well under makeup, which suits oilier and acne-prone skin. Note that it can sting somewhat if it gets near the eyes.
Is Neutrogena Ultra Sheer mineral or chemical?
It is fully chemical, using older-generation filters Homosalate, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, and Avobenzone.
Is Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face SPF 60 good?
It scores 65.6 out of 100 with good protection. It is a solid matte, makeup-friendly face option, with the older filter set being the main limiter.