Paula's Choice Moisture Boost Daily Restoring Complex Spf 30
61/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Paula's Choice Moisture Boost Daily Restoring Complex SPF 30 is a chemical day cream with a touch of titanium dioxide, built mostly on older-generation filters including avobenzone, homosalate, octocrylene, and oxybenzone. It wears with a balanced, lightweight finish and no visible white cast, though it may sting if it reaches the eyes. It is generally low risk for clogging pores and works okay under makeup. With a score of 61/100 and good protection, it is a serviceable everyday moisturizer.
Ingredient & SPF scores
βοΈ
UV protection
Good
66
- +30 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #1, UV filter (UVA1 +16)
- +12 Homosalate at #2, UV filter
- +8 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #3, UV filter
- +15.2 Octocrylene at #4, UV filter
- +20.9 Benzophenone-3 at #5, UV filter
- +9.9 Titanium Dioxide at #21, UV filter (UVA1 +1.5)
- β13.7 UVB coverage saturated
- β9.8 UVA2 coverage saturated
- Γ0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- +1 Label claims (SPF 30)
β’οΈ
Health safety
Low
0
- +100 Starting score
- β70 Oxybenzone at #5 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β14 Homosalate at #2, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β10.5 Octocrylene at #4, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β3.5 Avobenzone at #1, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- +0 2 endocrine-scrutinized filters together
- β7 Retinyl Palmitate at #16, disputed vitamin-A sunlight signal, under review
- +5 Penalties exceed the scale, floored at 0
π€§
Allergens
Low
91
- +100 Starting score
- β9 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Benzophenone-3, Octocrylene)
π₯
Eye sting
Medium
32
- +100 Starting score
- β24 Avobenzone at #1, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β15 Octocrylene at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β11 Oxybenzone at #5, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β9 Homosalate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β9 Octisalate at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
π
Fungal acne
Low
82
- +100 Starting score
- β18 2 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate)
π
Fabric stains
High
3
- +100 Starting score
- β50 Avobenzone at #1, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- β20 Oxybenzone at #5, yellow stains on white cotton
- β15 Octocrylene at #4, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- β10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
- β2 Titanium Dioxide at #21, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
π§
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- β 1.5 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Bentonite)
- β 0.5 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetearyl Alcohol)
β¨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- β 1 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Bentonite)
- β 6 1 emollient lipids (C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
π
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- β 1 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- β 2 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- β 1 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Polyacrylate)
π
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +7 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.
- β¨ Vitamin C
Full ingredient list (29)
What each ingredient does and how it moves each rating: green helps, red hurts, β / β give the direction, and β / β 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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Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone), high in the list, a primary filter
- β 30 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- β 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β 24 migrates into eyes with sweat
- β 50 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
-
Legacy UV filter (Homosalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- β 12 UV protection
- β 14 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- β 8 UV protection
- β 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene)
- β 15.2 UV protection
- β 10.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β 15 migrates into eyes with sweat
- β 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
-
Legacy UV filter (Oxybenzone)
- β 20.9 UV protection
- β 11 migrates into eyes with sweat
- β 20 yellow stains on white cotton
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6 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 6 β dewy emollient lipid
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
- β 7 film former
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 β nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
12 Dimethicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 9 feeds malassezia
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- β 9 feeds malassezia
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Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- β 7 disputed vitamin-A sunlight signal, under review
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
18 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Botanical extract
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- β 9.9 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- β 2 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
-
22 Bentonite
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light β 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte β 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
pH adjuster
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
Is Paula's Choice Moisture Boost SPF 30 mineral or chemical?
It is mainly chemical, using avobenzone, homosalate, octocrylene, and oxybenzone, with a small amount of titanium dioxide. The filters are largely older-generation.
Does the Paula's Choice Moisture Boost Daily Restoring Complex Spf 30 leave a white cast?
No, it leaves no visible white cast and dries to a balanced, lightweight finish.
Is it good?
It scores 61/100 with good protection. It is a serviceable everyday moisturizer with SPF rather than a standout sunscreen.