Nubo Cell Dynamic Day Performance Spf 20
49/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Nubo Cell Dynamic Day Performance SPF 20 is a chemical sunscreen using an older-school set of ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, homosalate and benzophenone-3 (oxybenzone). It has a balanced, lightweight finish with a low white cast and is generally low on pore-clogging risk, though it can sting moderately near the eyes. Protection is weak at SPF 20, so it is best for incidental rather than direct sun exposure. The score of 48.5/100 reflects both the dated filters and the limited SPF.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Weak
26
- +18 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #3, UV filter
- +11.4 Homosalate at #4, UV filter
- +20.9 Benzophenone-3 at #6, UV filter
- −6.9 UVB coverage saturated
- ×0.6 Almost no UVA1, poor aging protection
☢️
Health safety
Low
3
- +100 Starting score
- −70 Oxybenzone at #6 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −14 Homosalate at #4, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −12.6 Octinoxate at #3, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- +0 3 endocrine-scrutinized filters together
🤧
Allergens
Medium
54
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −8 4 declared fragrance allergens
- −4 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- −4 Essential oils (Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil)
- −6 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Benzophenone-3)
- −6 Sensitizers from 3 different categories
🔥
Eye sting
Medium
53
- +100 Starting score
- −11 Oxybenzone at #6, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −16 Octinoxate at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −6 Homosalate at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
- −6 3 declared fragrance allergens
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
90
- +100 Starting score
- −5 Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit at #8, butter/occlusive fat
- −5 Cetearyl Alcohol at #7, rich gel-network thickener
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
93
- +100 Starting score
- −7 Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil at #9, comedogenic oil/butter
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Fungal acne
High
27
- +100 Starting score
- −23 2 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
- −50 5 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-75 Stearate, Ceteth-20)
👕
Fabric stains
Low
80
- +100 Starting score
- −20 Oxybenzone at #6, yellow stains on white cotton
💧
Moisture
Nourishing
LightNourishing
- ← 1 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- → 16 Glycerin at #2, the anchor humectant
- → 1 1 strong humectants (Saccharide Isomerate)
- → 3 2 emollient lipids (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
- → 1.5 2 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 1 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- → 4 2 emollient lipids (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer)
- ← 2 Occlusives/waxes float the foundation
- ← 7 Humectant syrup tackiness
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance →Full ingredient list (34)
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 (Octinoxate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 18 UV protection
- ↓ 12.6 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Legacy UV filter (Homosalate)
- ↑ 11.4 UV protection
- ↓ 14 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 6 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Legacy UV filter (Oxybenzone)
- ↑ 20.9 UV protection
- ↑ 11 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 20 yellow stains on white cotton
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- ↑ 5 rich gel-network thickener
- 1 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
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Botanical extract
- ↑ 5 butter/occlusive fat
- 2 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 3 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
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Plant oil, an emollient
- ↑ 7 comedogenic oil/butter
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
17 Ceteth-20
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
18 Steareth-20
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- light ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
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20 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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24 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
26 Laureth-7
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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27 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Plant oil, an emollient
-
31 Citronellol
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
32 Limonene
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
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33 Geraniol
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
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34 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
Is Nubo Cell Dynamic Day Performance SPF 20 good?
It scores 48.5/100, which is on the weaker side. Protection is weak at SPF 20 and the filter set is older, so it is best for incidental rather than direct sun.
What SPF is the Nubo Cell Dynamic Day Performance Spf 20?
It is SPF 20, rated as weak protection. For extended outdoor time a higher SPF is generally recommended.
Is it mineral or chemical?
It is a chemical sunscreen. It uses an older-school set of ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, homosalate and benzophenone-3 (oxybenzone).