Nivea Soothing Day Cream SPF 15
84/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Nivea Soothing Day Cream SPF 15 is a hybrid daily moisturiser with a set of modern and classic chemical filters, including Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane. It has a balanced finish with a low white cast, feels lightweight, is low on the pore-clogging scale, and is an okay makeup base. With good rated protection at the modest SPF 15 level and a score of 84.3 out of 100, it suits light daily wear rather than extended sun exposure.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Good
78
- +8 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #3, UV filter
- +28.5 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #7, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- +38.4 Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine at #12, UV filter (UVA1 +12.8)
- +4.2 Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid at #21, UV filter
- −1.5 UVA2 coverage saturated
☢️
Health safety
High
90
- +100 Starting score
- −10 Avobenzone at #7 (regulatory/evidence concern)
🔥
Eye sting
Low
74
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Avobenzone at #7, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Octisalate at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −1 Ensulizole at #21, migrates into eyes with sweat
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
93
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit at #17, butter/occlusive fat
- −5 Cetearyl Alcohol at #6, rich gel-network thickener
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
59
- +100 Starting score
- −18 2 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
- −23 2 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate)
👕
Fabric stains
Medium
55
- +100 Starting score
- −45 Avobenzone at #7, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
💧
Moisture
Hydrating
LightNourishing
- ← 7.5 3 sebum-absorbing powders (Tapioca Starch, Distarch Phosphate, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate)
- → 16 Glycerin at #2, the anchor humectant
- → 1 Humectant polyols
- → 2 2 emollient lipids (Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
- → 1 Light emollient/solvent (Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride)
- → 1 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetearyl Alcohol)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 7 3 sebum-absorbing powders (Tapioca Starch, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Distarch Phosphate)
- → 8 3 emollient lipids (Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 6 2 soft-focus powders in moderation
- → 2 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 3.5 Humectant syrup tackiness (partly offset by the base)
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance →Full ingredient list (25)
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
-
2 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 16 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 8 UV protection
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 6 → dewy emollient lipid
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant polyol
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- ↑ 5 rich gel-network thickener
- 1 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone)
- ↑ 28.5 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 45 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 1 → nourishing light emollient
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
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Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
-
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)
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Botanical extract
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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Botanical extract
- ↑ 2 butter/occlusive fat
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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20 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Legacy UV filter (Ensulizole), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 4.2 UV protection
- ↑ 1 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
pH adjuster
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
What SPF is Nivea Soothing Day Cream?
It is SPF 15, with good rated protection at that level. It suits light daily wear rather than long sun exposure.
Is the Nivea Soothing Day Cream SPF 15 mineral or chemical?
It is chemical, built on a hybrid set of modern and classic filters such as Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane.
Is it good for oily or acne-prone skin?
It is a reasonable fit. The finish is balanced and it is low on the pore-clogging scale, so it is generally acne-friendly.