St. Botanica Aloe Vera, Green Tea & Cucumber Sunscreen SPF 50
71/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
St. Botanica Aloe Vera, Green Tea & Cucumber Sunscreen SPF 50 is a hybrid formula that pairs zinc oxide and titanium dioxide with modern chemical filters like Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine for strong, excellent-rated protection. The trade-off is a high white cast, so it can leave a noticeable light layer, and it is a poor match under makeup. The finish is balanced with medium weight, low sting, and low pore-clogging risk. It scores 70.6 out of 100, a decent choice when high protection matters more than an invisible finish.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Excellent
95
- +41 Zinc Oxide at #2, UV filter (UVA1 +18)
- +18 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #3, UV filter
- +7.6 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #4, UV filter
- +45.6 Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine at #5, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- +31.4 Titanium Dioxide at #7, UV filter (UVA1 +4.8)
- −36.9 UVB coverage saturated
- −13.7 UVA2 coverage saturated
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
☢️
Health safety
High
64
- +100 Starting score
- −36 Octinoxate at #3 (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
70
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −12 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
👻
White cast
High
0
- +100 Starting score
- −55 Zinc Oxide at #2
- −35 Titanium Dioxide at #7
- −10 Zinc Oxide + Titanium Dioxide together
🔥
Eye sting
Low
70
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Octinoxate at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −6 Octisalate at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
🪨
Heavy feel
Medium
39
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Zinc Oxide at #2
- −16 Titanium Dioxide at #7
- −5 Stearic Acid at #6, rich gel-network thickener
🍄
Fungal acne
Low
90
- +100 Starting score
- −10 1 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Stearic Acid), weak Malassezia signal
👕
Fabric stains
Low
80
- +100 Starting score
- −15 Zinc Oxide at #2, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- −5 Both minerals present, heavier deposit
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 5 Zinc Oxide at #2, mild sebum absorbent
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Makeup base
Poor
PillsPrimer
- ← 2 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Xanthan Gum)
- ← 15 High mineral load at #2 greys under 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.
- ✨ Aloe vera
Full ingredient list (28)
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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Supporting ingredient
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Mineral UV filter (Zinc Oxide), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 41 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 15 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- light ← 5 mild sebum absorbent
- pills ← 15 High mineral load greys under foundation
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Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 18 UV protection
- ↑ 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Legacy UV filter (Octisalate)
- ↑ 7.6 UV protection
- ↑ 6 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Modern UV filter, broad-spectrum and photostable (Tinosorb S)
- ↑ 45.6 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 5 rich gel-network thickener
- ↑ 10 minor malassezia feeder
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Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide)
- ↑ 31.4 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
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Supporting ingredient
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9 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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12 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
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Soothing, skin-conditioning active
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Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
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pH adjuster
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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19 Olive Wax
Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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22 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
Botanical extract
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Botanical extract
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Botanical extract
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26 Acrylates
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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27 Ci 42090
Colorant or pigment
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28 Ci 19140
Colorant or pigment
Does this St. Botanica SPF 50 leave a white cast?
Yes, white cast is rated high, so it can leave a noticeable light layer. That is common for formulas that include mineral filters like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide alongside chemical ones.
Is the St. Botanica Aloe Vera, Green Tea & Cucumber Sunscreen SPF 50 mineral or chemical?
It is a hybrid sunscreen. It combines zinc oxide and titanium dioxide with chemical filters including a modern Triazine filter.
Is it good and does it work under makeup?
Protection is rated excellent, which is its main strength, and the overall score is 70.6 out of 100. It is a poor match under makeup, however, so it works best worn on its own.