Nivea Protect & Moisture Sun Lotion SPF 50
74/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Nivea Protect & Moisture Sun Lotion SPF 50 is a hybrid sunscreen built on a mix of chemical filters with titanium dioxide, including Octocrylene, avobenzone (Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane) and the modern Tinosorb S (Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine). It rates excellent for protection and wears light with a balanced finish and low white cast, so it generally feels comfortable for daily body and face use. Breakout risk is low, though it can sting a little if it migrates toward the eyes. With a score of 73.6/100 and strong SPF 50 coverage, it is a solid everyday pick.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Excellent
90
- +16 Octocrylene at #2, UV filter
- +31.4 Titanium Dioxide at #4, UV filter (UVA1 +4.8)
- +28.5 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #5, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- +38.4 Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine at #9, UV filter (UVA1 +12.8)
- −9.6 UVB coverage saturated
- −16.9 UVA2 coverage saturated
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
☢️
Health safety
High
67
- +100 Starting score
- −30 Octocrylene at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #5, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
67
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −12 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- −3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
🔥
Eye sting
Medium
50
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Avobenzone at #5, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −22 Octocrylene at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −4 Volatile alcohol at #8
- −8 Fragrance
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Myristyl Myristate at #14, heavy comedogenic ester
🍄
Fungal acne
Low
77
- +100 Starting score
- −23 2 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Myristyl Myristate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate)
👕
Fabric stains
High
20
- +100 Starting score
- −45 Avobenzone at #5, 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
- −10 Titanium Dioxide at #4, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
💧
Moisture
Hydrating
LightNourishing
- ← 5 Volatile alcohol at #8
- ← 1.5 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
- → 16 Glycerin at #3, the anchor humectant
- → 2 1 strong humectants (Panthenol)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 1 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
- ← 1 Volatile alcohol at #8
- ← 1 1 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Dicaprylyl Carbonate)
- → 6 1 emollient lipids (C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 2 Quick-setting carrier (alcohol at #8), fast, even canvas
- → 3 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer)
- ← 3.5 Humectant syrup tackiness (partly offset by the base)
- ← 6 High mineral load at #4 greys under foundation
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +3 1 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for water resistance
Skincare extras
Beneficial actives this formula contains. Informational only, not part of the rating: their effect depends on a concentration the label does not disclose.
- ✨ Panthenol (B5)
- ✨ Vitamin E
Full ingredient list (31)
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
-
Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 16 UV protection
- ↑ 22 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
-
3 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 16 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide)
- ↑ 31.4 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 10 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- pills ← 6 High mineral load greys under foundation
-
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
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 6 → dewy emollient lipid
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Volatile alcohol, a drying solvent that can sting eyes
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Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Tinosorb S), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 38.4 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 1 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
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12 Panthenol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
- 2 → nourishing humectant
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 heavy comedogenic ester
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
- ↑ 3 film former
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17 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
pH adjuster
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
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Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
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22 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
pH adjuster
-
24 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
-
25 Dimethicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
30 Ethylparaben
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
31 Fragrance
Fragrance
Does Nivea Protect & Moisture SPF 50 leave a white cast?
White cast is low. As a hybrid formula leaning on chemical filters with only some titanium dioxide, it generally absorbs with a balanced finish and little visible residue on most skin tones.
Is the Nivea Protect & Moisture Sun Lotion SPF 50 mineral or chemical sunscreen?
It is hybrid. It uses chemical filters such as Octocrylene, avobenzone and Tinosorb S alongside the mineral titanium dioxide.
Is Nivea Protect & Moisture SPF 50 any good?
It scores 73.6/100 with excellent protection at SPF 50. It wears light with low breakout risk, making it a solid everyday choice, though it can sting a little if it reaches the eyes.