Small Steps Skin Ultra Light Sunscreen SPF 40 PA+++ with Allantoin
76/100 overall score
Sign in to see this product's score for your skin.
About this sunscreen
Small Steps Skin Ultra Light Sunscreen SPF 40 PA+++ is a chemical sunscreen built on a hybrid filter set including Ethylhexyl Triazone and Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, modern UVA/UVB filters paired with classic salicylates and cinnamate. It wears with a balanced finish, stays lightweight, and shows little white cast, so it is generally easy to live with under daily conditions. The low breakout-trigger reading makes it a reasonable pick for skin prone to congestion, and it sits okay under makeup. With a score of 76.2/100 and good protection, it is a solid everyday option.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Good
68
- +8 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #2, UV filter
- +18 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #3, UV filter
- +11.4 Homosalate at #4, UV filter
- +20.9 Ethylhexyl Triazone at #6, UV filter
- +34.2 Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate at #7, UV filter (UVA1 +20.9)
- −26.3 UVB coverage saturated
- +2 Label claims (SPF 40, PA rating)
☢️
Health safety
Medium
47
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Homosalate at #4 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −12.6 Octinoxate at #3, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- +0 2 endocrine-scrutinized filters together
🔥
Eye sting
Low
69
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Octinoxate at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −6 Homosalate at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Octisalate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
55
- +100 Starting score
- −36 3 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Polysorbate 80, Sorbitan Oleate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate)
- −9 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil)
👕
Fabric stains
Low
85
- +100 Starting score
- −15 Uvinul A Plus (DHHB) at #7, oil-soluble UVA filter, fabric stains
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 6 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Aluminium Starch Octenylsuccinate)
- → 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #35, hyaluronic family
- → 1 1 strong humectants (Betaine)
- → 1 Humectant polyols
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 6 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Aluminium Starch Octenylsuccinate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate)
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 6 2 soft-focus powders in moderation
- ← 2.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer)
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance →Full ingredient list (50)
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
-
Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 8 UV protection
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 18 UV protection
- ↓ 12.6 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Legacy UV filter (Homosalate)
- ↑ 11.4 UV protection
- ↑ 6 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant polyol
-
Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Uvinul T 150)
- ↑ 20.9 UV protection
-
Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Uvinul A Plus)
- ↑ 34.2 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 15 oil-soluble UVA filter, fabric stains
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
-
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
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
Plant oil, an emollient
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
16 Dimethicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
17 Betaine
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
20 Tromethamine
pH adjuster
-
21 Allantoin
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
25 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
31 Niacinamide
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Botanical extract
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
-
36 Bakuchiol
Supporting ingredient
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
Does Small Steps Skin Ultra Light SPF 40 leave a white cast?
No, it shows little white cast. As a hybrid chemical sunscreen with a balanced, lightweight finish, it is generally easy to wear on most skin tones.
Is the Small Steps Skin Ultra Light Sunscreen SPF 40 PA+++ with Allantoin good for oily or acne-prone skin?
It can suit oily and acne-prone skin reasonably well. The pore-clogging risk is low and it stays lightweight, though the finish is balanced rather than fully matte.
Is this a mineral or chemical sunscreen?
It is a chemical sunscreen with a hybrid filter set, including Ethylhexyl Triazone and Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate alongside salicylates and a cinnamate. SPF is 40.