Nivea Natural Glow Cell Repair SPF 15
66/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Nivea Natural Glow Cell Repair SPF 15 is a chemical sunscreen on an older-school base of Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Octocrylene, and Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid. It finishes dewy with a low white cast and a lightweight feel, though it may sting sensitive eyes for some users. The low breakout-trigger reading suggests it is generally workable for blemish-prone skin. With a 65.9/100 score, the modest SPF 15, and moderate protection, it suits light daily exposure more than intense sun.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Moderate
51
- +28.5 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #5, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- +15.2 Octocrylene at #6, UV filter
- +13.3 Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid at #7, UV filter
- ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
☢️
Health safety
High
67
- +100 Starting score
- −30 Octocrylene at #6 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #5, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
67
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −2 2 declared fragrance allergens
- −10 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- −3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
🔥
Eye sting
Medium
53
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Avobenzone at #5, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −15 Octocrylene at #6, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −4 Ensulizole at #7, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
- −4 2 declared fragrance allergens
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Cetyl Palmitate at #13, wax film
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
94
- +100 Starting score
- −1 Myristic Acid at #20, moderate comedogenic signal
- −1 Oleic Acid at #24, moderate comedogenic signal
- −4 Palmitic Acid at #10, moderate comedogenic signal
🍄
Fungal acne
High
28
- +100 Starting score
- −24 2 free fatty acids that feed Malassezia (Oleic Acid, Myristic Acid)
- −9 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil)
- −27 3 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Cetyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Trideceth-9)
- −12 3 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Arachidic Acid), weak Malassezia signal
👕
Fabric stains
High
30
- +100 Starting score
- −45 Avobenzone at #5, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −15 Octocrylene at #6, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
💧
Moisture
Nourishing
LightNourishing
- ← 1.5 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Tapioca Starch)
- → 16 Glycerin at #3, the anchor humectant
- → 1 1 strong humectants (Glyceryl Glucoside)
- → 1 Humectant polyols
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil)
- → 0.5 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetyl Alcohol)
✨
Finish
Dewy
MatteDewy
- ← 1 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Tapioca Starch)
- → 10 2 emollient lipids (Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 1 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- → 3 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Carbomer)
- ← 7 Humectant syrup tackiness
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +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
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 9 → dewy emollient lipid
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3 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 16 → nourishing the anchor humectant
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant polyol
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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
-
Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene)
- ↑ 15.2 UV protection
- ↑ 15 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
-
Legacy UV filter (Ensulizole)
- ↑ 13.3 UV protection
- ↑ 4 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 4 moderate comedogenic signal
- ↑ 5 minor malassezia feeder
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11 Stearic Acid
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 5 minor malassezia feeder
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 wax film
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
- ↑ 2 wax water lock
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
pH adjuster
-
17 Carbomer
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- 1 → nourishing humectant
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Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 1 moderate comedogenic signal
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
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Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 minor malassezia feeder
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24 Oleic Acid
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 1 moderate comedogenic signal
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
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Botanical extract
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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26 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
-
Botanical extract
-
28 Trideceth-9
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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Botanical extract
-
30 Bisabolol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Botanical extract
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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34 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
35 Limonene
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
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36 Linalool
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
What SPF is Nivea Natural Glow Cell Repair?
It is SPF 15, a modest level with a moderate protection rating. It suits light daily exposure more than long stretches in strong sun.
Does the Nivea Natural Glow Cell Repair SPF 15 leave a white cast?
No, it is rated low for white cast and finishes dewy, so it generally wears without a visible film.
Is it mineral or chemical?
It is a chemical sunscreen on older-school filters: Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Octocrylene, and Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid.