Nivea Sun Protect Moisture Facial Cream SPF50
68/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Nivea Sun Protect Moisture Facial Cream SPF50 is a chemical sunscreen using an older-school filter set of homosalate, octocrylene, avobenzone and ethylhexyl salicylate, with a touch of titanium dioxide. It has a balanced, lightweight finish with a low white cast and is generally low on pore-clogging risk, so it commonly works under makeup. It does tend to sting if it gets into the eyes. Good SPF 50 protection and a score of 67.9/100 make it a solid daily facial pick.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Good
76
- +12 Homosalate at #2, UV filter
- +16 Octocrylene at #3, UV filter
- +28.5 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #6, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- +7.6 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #7, UV filter
- +26.4 Titanium Dioxide at #9, UV filter (UVA1 +4)
- −12.4 UVB coverage saturated
- −3.9 UVA2 coverage saturated
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
☢️
Health safety
Medium
46
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Homosalate at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −10.5 Octocrylene at #3, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #6, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
67
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −10 6 declared fragrance allergens
- −2 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- −3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
🔥
Eye sting
High
21
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Avobenzone at #6, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −22 Octocrylene at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Homosalate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −6 Octisalate at #7, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −10 Volatile alcohol at #5
- −8 Fragrance
- −8 4 declared fragrance allergens
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Heavy feel
Low
96
- +100 Starting score
- −6 Titanium Dioxide at #9
- +2.4 Volatile alcohol at #5, evaporating texture
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Myristyl Myristate at #13, 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
25
- +100 Starting score
- −45 Avobenzone at #6, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −15 Octocrylene at #3, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
- −5 Titanium Dioxide at #9, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 13 Volatile alcohol at #5
- ← 1.5 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
- → 10 Glycerin at #4, the anchor humectant
- → 2 1 strong humectants (Panthenol)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 1 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
- ← 3 Volatile alcohol at #5
- → 3 1 emollient lipids (C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
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Makeup base
Good
PillsPrimer
- → 6 Quick-setting carrier (alcohol at #5), fast, even canvas
- → 1 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Sodium Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer)
- ← 1.5 Humectant syrup tackiness (partly offset by the base)
🌊
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 (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
-
Legacy UV filter (Homosalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 12 UV protection
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
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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
-
4 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 10 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Volatile alcohol, a drying solvent that can sting eyes
-
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 (Octisalate)
- ↑ 7.6 UV protection
- ↑ 6 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 3 → dewy emollient lipid
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Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 26.4 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 5 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
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11 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
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
- ↑ 3 film former
-
18 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
22 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
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23 Dimethicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
27 Linalool
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
28 Limonene
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
31 Citronellol
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
32 Coumarin
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
33 Fragrance
Fragrance
Does Nivea Sun Protect Moisture Facial Cream SPF50 work under makeup?
Yes, it is rated good as a makeup base. It has a balanced, lightweight finish and a low white cast, so it generally layers well under foundation.
Does the Nivea Sun Protect Moisture Facial Cream SPF50 sting the eyes?
It can. This formula tends to sting if it reaches the eyes, so apply carefully around the eye area and avoid the waterline.
Is it good?
It scores 67.9/100, a solid result. With good SPF 50 protection and a low pore-clogging risk, it is a dependable daily facial sunscreen.