Paula's Choice Resist Skin Restoring Moisturizer With Spf 50
58/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Paula's Choice Resist Skin Restoring Moisturizer With Spf 50 is a chemical sunscreen built on older filters: Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate and Benzophenone-3. It has a balanced, lightweight finish with low white cast and may sting slightly for sensitive eyes. As a moisturizer it doubles okay as a makeup base. Moderate protection and a mid-range score make it a decent daily moisturizer rather than a high-protection pick.
Ingredient & SPF scores
βοΈ
UV protection
Moderate
50
- +30 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #1, UV filter (UVA1 +16)
- +12 Homosalate at #2, UV filter
- +18 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #3, UV filter
- +7.6 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #4, UV filter
- +20.9 Benzophenone-3 at #5, UV filter
- β15.1 UVB coverage saturated
- β2.4 UVA2 coverage saturated
- Γ0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- Γ0.75 Avobenzone + octinoxate degrade each other in sunlight
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
β’οΈ
Health safety
Low
0
- +100 Starting score
- β70 Oxybenzone at #5 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β14 Homosalate at #2, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β12.6 Octinoxate at #3, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β3.5 Avobenzone at #1, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- +0 3 endocrine-scrutinized filters together
- +0.1 Penalties exceed the scale, floored at 0
π€§
Allergens
Low
94
- +100 Starting score
- β6 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Benzophenone-3)
π₯
Eye sting
Medium
34
- +100 Starting score
- β24 Avobenzone at #1, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β11 Oxybenzone at #5, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β16 Octinoxate at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β9 Homosalate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β6 Octisalate at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
πͺ¨
Heavy feel
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- β2 Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit at #17, butter/occlusive fat
π
Fungal acne
Medium
71
- +100 Starting score
- β9 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
- β18 2 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate)
- β2 1 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Cetearyl Glucoside), weak Malassezia signal
π
Fabric stains
High
30
- +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
π§
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- β 5 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
- β 1 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- β 4 Glycerin at #8, the anchor humectant
- β 1 1 emollient lipids (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
- β 0.5 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetearyl Alcohol)
β¨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- β 6 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
- β 1 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- β 1 1 emollient lipids (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
π
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- β 1 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- β 3 1 soft-focus powders in moderation
- β 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer)
π
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +3 1 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for water resistance
Full ingredient list (45)
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
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Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate), high in the list, a primary filter
- β 18 UV protection
- β 12.6 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Legacy UV filter (Octisalate)
- β 7.6 UV protection
- β 6 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
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
-
7 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light β 5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte β 6 sebum-absorbing powder
-
8 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 4 β nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 β nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
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10 Dimethicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Volatile silicone, flashes off for a light finish
- light β 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte β 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
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Botanical extract
-
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
- β 3 film former
-
Botanical extract
- β 2 butter/occlusive fat
- 1 β nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 β dewy emollient lipid
- β 9 feeds malassezia
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18 Allantoin
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
19 Niacinamide
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
20 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Botanical extract
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Botanical extract
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
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Filter booster, photostabilizes the UV filters or lifts their SPF
-
29 Sarcosine
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 2 minor malassezia feeder
-
33 Dimethiconol
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 9 feeds malassezia
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pH adjuster
-
41 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
Is Paula's Choice Resist Moisturizer SPF 50 good?
It lands mid-range in our scoring, with moderate protection despite the SPF 50 label. It works as a daily moisturizer with sun support more than a high-protection sunscreen.
Is the Paula's Choice Resist Skin Restoring Moisturizer With Spf 50 good for acne-prone skin?
Its breakout-trigger rating is low, so it is generally considered acne-friendly, and the balanced finish suits combination skin. The medium sting rating means care around the eyes.
Is it mineral or chemical?
It is a chemical sunscreen using Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate and other older-style filters. There are no mineral filters listed.