Nivea Sun Protect & Sensitive 50 SPF Spray
76/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Nivea Sun Protect & Sensitive 50 SPF Spray is a chemical sunscreen with a hybrid filter set, mixing homosalate, octocrylene and avobenzone with a Tinosorb-type filter. It has a balanced finish, wears lightweight and leaves low white cast, with a moderate chance of stinging. The low breakout trigger and good makeup-base rating add convenience to the spray format. With excellent protection and a score of 75.5, it is a handy high-SPF choice for face and body.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Excellent
83
- +12 Homosalate at #2, UV filter
- +16 Octocrylene at #3, UV filter
- +28.5 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #5, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- +7.6 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #6, UV filter
- +38.4 Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine at #8, UV filter (UVA1 +12.8)
- +8.4 Sodium Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonate at #13, UV filter
- −22.4 UVB coverage saturated
- −5.5 UVA2 coverage saturated
☢️
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 #5, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
97
- +100 Starting score
- −3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
🔥
Eye sting
Medium
37
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Avobenzone at #5, 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 #6, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −10 Volatile alcohol at #4
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Fungal acne
Low
86
- +100 Starting score
- −14 1 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Ceteareth-20)
👕
Fabric stains
High
30
- +100 Starting score
- −45 Avobenzone at #5, 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
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 13 Volatile alcohol at #4
- → 4 Glycerin at #10, the anchor humectant
- → 2 1 strong humectants (Panthenol)
- → 1 Humectant polyols
💄
Makeup base
Good
PillsPrimer
- → 6 Quick-setting carrier (alcohol at #4), fast, even canvas
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Sodium Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer)
🌊
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)
Full ingredient list (21)
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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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
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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
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Legacy UV filter (Octisalate)
- ↑ 7.6 UV protection
- ↑ 6 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant polyol
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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)
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
10 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 4 → nourishing the anchor humectant
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11 Ceteareth-20
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
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12 Panthenol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
- 2 → nourishing humectant
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UV filter
- ↑ 8.4 UV protection
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
- ↑ 3 film former
-
16 Glycine
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
Is Nivea Sun Protect & Sensitive 50 Spray mineral or chemical?
It is a chemical sunscreen with a hybrid filter set, mixing homosalate, octocrylene and avobenzone with a Tinosorb-type filter.
Is the Nivea Sun Protect & Sensitive 50 SPF Spray a good sunscreen?
Yes, it scores 75.5 out of 100 and its protection is rated excellent, so it is a capable high-SPF choice in a convenient spray.
Does it sting the eyes?
It has a moderate chance of stinging, so spray with care around the face. It leaves low white cast and has a balanced, lightweight feel.