Pierre Cardin Foundation Photo Glow SPF 15
49/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Pierre Cardin Foundation Photo Glow is an SPF 15 tinted foundation that relies on octinoxate and titanium dioxide for sun protection. It wears matte with a low white cast and a lightweight feel, and works well as a makeup base with a low sting and pore-clogging risk. The very low SPF and dated filters leave it with weak measured protection. With a score of 49.0 out of 100, it should be treated as makeup with a little SPF, not a standalone sunscreen.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Weak
26
- +17.1 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #5, UV filter
- +26.4 Titanium Dioxide at #9, UV filter (UVA1 +4)
- ×0.6 Almost no UVA1, poor aging protection
☢️
Health safety
High
64
- +100 Starting score
- −36 Octinoxate at #5 (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
63
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −19 5 declared fragrance allergens
👻
White cast
Low
96
- +100 Starting score
- −15 Titanium Dioxide at #9
- −2 Titanium Dioxide as pigment (CI 77891) at #40
- +11.9 Tinted formula, pigment masks the cast
- +0.8 Coated minerals (Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Aluminum Hydroxide)
🔥
Eye sting
Low
75
- +100 Starting score
- −11 Octinoxate at #5, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
- −6 3 declared fragrance allergens
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
95
- +100 Starting score
- −6 Titanium Dioxide at #9
- +0.9 Volatile hydrocarbon at #4, flashes off
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
70
- +100 Starting score
- −12 1 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Sorbitan Palmitate)
- −18 2 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Polyglyceryl-6 Oleate)
- +0 Dimethicone at #2, a safe base that does not feed Malassezia
👕
Fabric stains
Medium
55
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Iron-oxide pigments at #41, makeup-like collar marks (washable)
- −5 Titanium Dioxide at #9, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
💧
Moisture
Light
LightNourishing
- ← 4.5 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica, Polymethylsilsesquioxane)
- ← 4 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
✨
Finish
Matte
MatteDewy
- ← 4 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Silica)
- ← 4 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- ← 2 1 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Caprylyl Methicone)
💄
Makeup base
Good
PillsPrimer
- → 4 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- → 3 Quick-setting carrier, fast, even canvas
- → 3 1 soft-focus powders in moderation
- → 2 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance →Full ingredient list (43)
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
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Volatile hydrocarbon, flashes off for a light finish
- light ← 4 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 4 volatile carrier, flashes off
-
Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate)
- ↑ 17.1 UV protection
- ↑ 11 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 2 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
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Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 26.4 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 5 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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15 Inulin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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17 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
18 Fructose
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Supporting ingredient
-
20 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
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30 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
31 Phloretin
Supporting ingredient
-
32 Naringin
Supporting ingredient
-
Botanical extract
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Supporting ingredient
-
36 Coumarin
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
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38 Geraniol
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
Colorant or pigment
-
41 Ci 77491
Colorant or pigment
- ↑ 40 makeup-like collar marks (washable)
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42 Ci 77492
Colorant or pigment
-
43 Ci 77499
Colorant or pigment
Does Pierre Cardin Foundation Photo Glow work as a makeup base?
Yes, it is a tinted foundation rated good as a makeup base, with a matte finish, a low white cast, and a lightweight feel. It also has a low pore-clogging and sting risk.
Is the Pierre Cardin Foundation Photo Glow SPF 15 mineral or chemical?
It is a mix, using the chemical filter octinoxate with titanium dioxide. These are older-generation filters.
Is it good for sun protection?
Not really for standalone use. It scores 49.0 out of 100 with weak measured protection at SPF 15, so it is best treated as makeup with a little SPF rather than a dedicated sunscreen.