SKIN PROUD Serious Shade - SPF 50 Sunscreen
65/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
SKIN PROUD Serious Shade SPF 50 is a chemical sunscreen using an older-school filter set of Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate and Octocrylene. It has a balanced, lightweight finish with low white cast and low pore-clogging concern, but it is reported to sting more, so caution is advised around the eyes. Protection is good. With a score of 64.7/100, it is a passable pick that sits behind options using more modern filters.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
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
- ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
☢️
Health safety
Medium
46
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Homosalate at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −10.5 Octocrylene at #4, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #1, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
67
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −11 5 declared fragrance allergens
- −1 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- −3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
🔥
Eye sting
High
27
- +100 Starting score
- −24 Avobenzone at #1, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −15 Octocrylene at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Homosalate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Octisalate at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
- −8 5 declared fragrance allergens
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Fungal acne
Low
91
- +100 Starting score
- −9 1 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (PEG-40 Stearate)
👕
Fabric stains
High
25
- +100 Starting score
- −50 Avobenzone at #1, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −15 Octocrylene at #4, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
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Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 5 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
- → 4 Glycerin at #11, the anchor humectant
- → 6 Ceramide barrier lipids
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 6 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
- → 3 1 emollient lipids (C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 3 1 soft-focus powders in moderation
- → 1 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer)
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +3 1 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for 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.
- ✨ Vitamin E
Full ingredient list (33)
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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Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 30 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↓ 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 24 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 50 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
-
Legacy UV filter (Homosalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 12 UV protection
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 8 UV protection
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene)
- ↑ 15.2 UV protection
- ↓ 10.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 15 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
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5 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
7 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 6 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Supporting ingredient
-
11 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 4 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 3 → dewy emollient lipid
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
- ↑ 3 film former
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19 Fragrance
Fragrance
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Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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Botanical extract
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
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Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
pH adjuster
-
28 Ceramide NP
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
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29 Limonene
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
-
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
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31 Linalool
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
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32 Geraniol
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
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33 Citral
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
Does SKIN PROUD Serious Shade SPF 50 sting the eyes?
It is rated high for stinging, so caution is advised around the eyes. People sensitive to sunscreen sting may prefer a gentler option.
Is the SKIN PROUD Serious Shade - SPF 50 Sunscreen mineral or chemical?
It is a chemical sunscreen using an older-school filter set: Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate and Octocrylene.
Is SKIN PROUD Serious Shade good for acne-prone skin?
It has a balanced finish and low pore-clogging concern, so it is generally acne-friendly on that measure. Its overall score is 64.7/100, behind options with more modern filters.