Phy Men The Shield Daily Defence Cream SPF 45 Pa+++
58/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Phy Men The Shield Daily Defence Cream SPF 45 PA+++ is a chemical sunscreen using older-generation filters, including Benzophenone-3, Avobenzone and Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate alongside Titanium Dioxide. It wears with a dewy finish, keeps white cast low and has a low pore-clogging profile, though it may tingle slightly on sweaty skin. At 58/100 with moderate protection, it is an everyday daily-defence cream that does the basics, held back somewhat by its dated filter mix.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Moderate
48
- +20.9 Benzophenone-3 at #5, UV filter
- +28.5 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #6, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- +14.4 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #11, UV filter
- +9.9 Titanium Dioxide at #30, UV filter (UVA1 +1.5)
- −5.3 UVA2 coverage saturated
- ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- ×0.75 Avobenzone + octinoxate degrade each other in sunlight
- +2 Label claims (SPF 45, PA rating)
☢️
Health safety
Low
14
- +100 Starting score
- −70 Oxybenzone at #5 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −12.6 Octinoxate at #11, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #6, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- +0 2 endocrine-scrutinized filters together
🤧
Allergens
Low
64
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −12 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- −6 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Benzophenone-3)
🔥
Eye sting
Medium
60
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Avobenzone at #6, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −11 Oxybenzone at #5, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −5 Octinoxate at #11, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
🍄
Fungal acne
High
38
- +100 Starting score
- −24 2 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 60)
- −36 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil)
- −2 1 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Stearic Acid), weak Malassezia signal
👕
Fabric stains
Medium
33
- +100 Starting score
- −45 Avobenzone at #6, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −20 Oxybenzone at #5, yellow stains on white cotton
- −2 Titanium Dioxide at #30, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
💧
Moisture
Hydrating
LightNourishing
- → 1 Glycerin at #17, the anchor humectant
- → 2 Humectant polyols
- → 6 1 emollient lipids (Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil)
- → 0.5 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetearyl Alcohol)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Polyacrylate-13)
- ← 4 Occlusives/waxes float the foundation
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate 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.
- ✨ Green tea
Full ingredient list (30)
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.
-
1 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing humectant polyol
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Plant oil, an emollient
- 6 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 9 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 36 feeds malassezia
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Botanical extract
-
Legacy UV filter (Oxybenzone)
- ↑ 20.9 UV protection
- ↑ 11 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 20 yellow stains on white cotton
-
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
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
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Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 14.4 UV protection
- ↓ 12.6 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 5 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
13 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
17 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
18 Niacinamide
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Botanical extract
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
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27 Propanediol
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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29 Stearic Acid
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 minor malassezia feeder
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Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 9.9 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 2 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
Is Phy Men The Shield mineral or chemical?
It is mainly a chemical sunscreen using older-generation filters, including Avobenzone and Benzophenone-3, alongside Titanium Dioxide.
Does the Phy Men The Shield Daily Defence Cream SPF 45 Pa+++ leave a white cast?
No, white cast is low. The finish is dewy and lightweight, though it may tingle slightly on sweaty skin.
What SPF is it and is it good?
It is SPF 45 PA+++ with moderate protection, scoring 58/100. It covers daily basics but its dated filter mix holds it back a little.