Nivea Sun Face Cream Sensitive SPF50
88/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Nivea Sun Face Cream Sensitive SPF50 is a hybrid facial sunscreen built on Avobenzone with modern filters Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Ethylhexyl Triazone, and Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate. It wears with a balanced finish, stays lightweight, and leaves little to no white cast, and it rates excellent as a makeup base. It is generally low risk for breakouts but may sting slightly near the eyes. With excellent protection and a top score of about 88, it is one of the strongest sensitive-skin face picks in this set.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Excellent
100
- +30 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #3, UV filter (UVA1 +16)
- +45.6 Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine at #4, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- +17.6 Ethylhexyl Triazone at #8, UV filter
- +11.2 Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid at #12, UV filter
- +21.6 Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate at #15, UV filter (UVA1 +13.2)
- −13.9 UVB coverage saturated
- −12.7 UVA2 coverage saturated
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
☢️
Health safety
High
90
- +100 Starting score
- −10 Avobenzone at #3 (regulatory/evidence concern)
🔥
Eye sting
Medium
51
- +100 Starting score
- −24 Avobenzone at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −2 Ensulizole at #12, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −18 Volatile alcohol at #2
- −5 Alcohol high up speeds filter migration
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
83
- +100 Starting score
- −17 Isopropyl Palmitate at #5, heavy comedogenic ester
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
58
- +100 Starting score
- −42 3 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Isopropyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate)
👕
Fabric stains
Medium
35
- +100 Starting score
- −50 Avobenzone at #3, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −15 Uvinul A Plus (DHHB) at #15, oil-soluble UVA filter, fabric stains
💧
Moisture
Light
LightNourishing
- ← 22 Volatile alcohol at #2
- ← 7.5 4 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Tapioca Starch, Distarch Phosphate, …)
- → 1 Glycerin at #17, the anchor humectant
- → 0.5 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetearyl Alcohol)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 6 4 sebum-absorbing powders (Distarch Phosphate, Tapioca Starch, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, …)
- ← 5 Volatile alcohol at #2
- ← 2 1 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Dibutyl Adipate)
- → 6 1 emollient lipids (C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
- → 4 1 slippy emollient esters (Isopropyl Palmitate)
💄
Makeup base
Excellent
PillsPrimer
- → 10 Quick-setting carrier (alcohol at #2), fast, even canvas
- → 3 1 soft-focus powders in moderation
- → 4 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 2 Occlusives/waxes float the foundation
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance →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.
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1 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
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Volatile alcohol, a drying solvent that can sting eyes
- ↑ 5 Alcohol high up speeds filter migration
-
Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 30 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 24 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 50 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
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Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Tinosorb S)
- ↑ 45.6 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 17 heavy comedogenic ester
- 4 → dewy slippy emollient ester
- ↑ 24 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 6 → dewy emollient lipid
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 2 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Uvinul T 150), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 17.6 UV protection
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
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Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
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Legacy UV filter (Ensulizole), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 11.2 UV protection
- ↑ 2 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
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
-
Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Uvinul A Plus), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 21.6 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 15 oil-soluble UVA filter, fabric stains
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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17 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing the anchor humectant
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Soothing, skin-conditioning active
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Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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20 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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Plant oil, an emollient
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
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
-
pH adjuster
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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Botanical extract
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33 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
Does Nivea Sun Face Cream Sensitive SPF50 leave a white cast?
No, it is rated low for white cast and commonly absorbs without ghosting. The balanced, lightweight finish keeps it looking clean.
Is the Nivea Sun Face Cream Sensitive SPF50 good under makeup?
Yes, it is rated excellent as a makeup base, one of the best in this set. It stays lightweight and is generally low risk for breakouts.
Is Nivea Sun Face Cream Sensitive SPF50 good?
It scores about 88 out of 100 with excellent protection, among the top picks here. It may sting slightly near the eyes, but otherwise it suits sensitive facial skin well.