Piz Buin Instant Glow Spf 50+
77/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Piz Buin Instant Glow SPF 50+ is a hybrid sunscreen using chemical filters like Octocrylene and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane alongside Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine. It delivers a dewy, glow-giving finish with commonly low white cast and a lightweight feel, though it may sting a little if it reaches the eyes. With excellent protection and a score of 76.5/100, it is a solid pick for those who want radiance and high SPF together.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Excellent
87
- +16 Octocrylene at #2, UV filter
- +7.6 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #4, UV filter
- +28.5 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #5, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- +45.6 Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine at #6, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- −4.7 UVB coverage saturated
- −7.6 UVA2 coverage saturated
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
☢️
Health safety
High
67
- +100 Starting score
- −30 Octocrylene at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #5, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
67
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −1 1 declared fragrance allergens
- −11 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- −3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
👻
White cast
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Titanium Dioxide as pigment (CI 77891) at #32
🔥
Eye sting
Medium
48
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Avobenzone at #5, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −22 Octocrylene at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −6 Octisalate at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
93
- +100 Starting score
- −7 Isopropyl Isostearate at #9, heavy comedogenic ester
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
54
- +100 Starting score
- −9 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Zea Mays Oil)
- −37 3 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-8 Laurate)
👕
Fabric stains
High
30
- +100 Starting score
- −45 Avobenzone at #5, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −15 Octocrylene at #2, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 3 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica, Aluminium Starch Octenylsuccinate)
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Zea Mays Oil)
✨
Finish
Dewy
MatteDewy
- ← 2 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Aluminium Starch Octenylsuccinate, Silica)
- → 10 2 emollient lipids (Zea Mays Oil, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
- → 2 1 slippy emollient esters (Isopropyl Isostearate)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 3 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer)
🌊
Water resistance
Resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +16 2 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for water resistance
- +2 1 water-locking waxes
Full ingredient list (34)
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
-
Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 16 UV protection
- ↑ 22 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 9 → dewy emollient lipid
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Legacy UV filter (Octisalate)
- ↑ 7.6 UV protection
- ↑ 6 migrates into eyes with sweat
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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
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Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Tinosorb S)
- ↑ 45.6 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
- ↑ 13 film former
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 7 heavy comedogenic ester
- 2 → dewy slippy emollient ester
-
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
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14 Zea Mays Oil
Plant oil, an emollient
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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15 Tribehenin
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 wax film
- ↑ 2 wax water lock
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
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19 Linseed Acid
Supporting ingredient
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
21 Mica
Colorant or pigment
-
22 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
- ↑ 3 film former
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Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
pH adjuster
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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31 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
Colorant or pigment
-
33 Caramel
Colorant or pigment
-
34 Ci 40800
Colorant or pigment
Does Piz Buin Instant Glow leave a white cast?
White cast is commonly low. It gives a dewy, glow-giving finish rather than a flat one, and it feels lightweight on skin.
Does the Piz Buin Instant Glow Spf 50+ sting the eyes?
It may sting a little if it reaches the eyes, so apply carefully around the eye area. Otherwise it wears comfortably.
Is Piz Buin Instant Glow SPF 50+ good?
It scores 76.5/100 with excellent protection. It is a solid pick for those who want radiance and high SPF together.