Peter Thomas Roth Max Vitamin D-fense Sunscreen Serum Broad Spectrum SPF 50
68/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Peter Thomas Roth Max Vitamin D-fense Sunscreen Serum Broad Spectrum SPF 50 is a chemical sunscreen using older-school filters: Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, and Octocrylene, for good protection. It wears with a balanced, lightweight serum finish and a low white cast, is low on pore-clogging risk, and may sting somewhat for sensitive eyes. It sits okay under makeup. At 68.4/100 with good protection, it is generally a serviceable daily sunscreen serum.
Ingredient & SPF scores
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UV protection
Good
61
- +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
- Γ0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
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Health safety
Medium
46
- +100 Starting score
- β40 Homosalate at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β10.5 Octocrylene at #4, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β3.5 Avobenzone at #1, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
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Allergens
Low
97
- +100 Starting score
- β3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
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Eye sting
Medium
43
- +100 Starting score
- β24 Avobenzone at #1, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β15 Octocrylene at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β9 Homosalate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β9 Octisalate at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
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Fungal acne
Medium
53
- +100 Starting score
- β47 3 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate)
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Fabric stains
High
25
- +100 Starting score
- β50 Avobenzone at #1, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- β15 Octocrylene at #4, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- β10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
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Moisture
Hydrating
LightNourishing
- β 10 Glycerin at #6, the anchor humectant
- β 1 1 strong humectants (Panthenol)
- β 2 1 emollient lipids (Squalane)
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Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- β 2 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Xanthan Gum)
- β 3 Humectant syrup tackiness
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Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance βFull ingredient list (27)
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
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Legacy UV filter (Homosalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- β 12 UV protection
- β 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- β 8 UV protection
- β 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
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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
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5 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
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6 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 10 β nourishing the anchor humectant
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 24 feeds malassezia
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8 Squalane
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 2 β nourishing emollient lipid
- 3 β dewy emollient lipid
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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10 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 14 feeds malassezia
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pH adjuster
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 9 feeds malassezia
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Supporting ingredient
-
Supporting ingredient
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Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
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Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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18 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
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19 Panthenol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
- 1 β nourishing humectant
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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25 Ubiquinone
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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26 Guar Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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27 Phytic Acid
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
Is Peter Thomas Roth Max Vitamin D-fense SPF 50 mineral or chemical?
It is chemical, using older-school filters: Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, and Octocrylene.
Does the Peter Thomas Roth Max Vitamin D-fense Sunscreen Serum Broad Spectrum SPF 50 leave a white cast?
No, the white cast is rated low, with a balanced, lightweight serum finish, though it may sting somewhat for sensitive eyes.
Is Peter Thomas Roth Max Vitamin D-fense SPF 50 good?
It scores 68.4/100 with good protection. It is low on pore-clogging risk and sits okay under makeup, a serviceable daily sunscreen serum.