St. Botanica Vitamin C, E & Hyaluronic Acid Age Defying & Skin Clearing Moisturizer With Spf 30
49/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
St. Botanica Vitamin C, E & Hyaluronic Acid SPF 30 is a moisturizer with added sun protection from older chemical filters: Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane (Avobenzone). It has a dewy finish, low white cast and a lightweight feel, and its low breakout-trigger rating is generally agreeable for skin prone to congestion. Protection is rated weak and it scores 49.0/100 with a disqualifying flag, so it is best seen as a hydrating day cream rather than primary SPF.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Weak
15
- +18 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #2, UV filter
- +4.8 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #15, UV filter
- +9 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #22, UV filter (UVA1 +4.8)
- ×0.6 Almost no UVA1, poor aging protection
- ×0.75 Avobenzone + octinoxate degrade each other in sunlight
- +1 Label claims (SPF 30)
☢️
Health safety
High
61
- +100 Starting score
- −36 Octinoxate at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #22, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
70
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −12 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
🔥
Eye sting
Low
72
- +100 Starting score
- −3 Avobenzone at #22, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −16 Octinoxate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −1 Octisalate at #15, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit at #24, butter/occlusive fat
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
73
- +100 Starting score
- −17 Isopropyl Myristate at #6, heavy comedogenic ester
- −9 Olea Europaea Fruit Oil at #7, moderate comedogenic signal
- −1 Persea Gratissima Oil at #32, moderate comedogenic signal
🍄
Fungal acne
High
0
- +100 Starting score
- −24 2 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan Olivate)
- −50 5 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil)
- −50 4 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Isopropyl Myristate, Isoamyl Laurate, Cetearyl Olivate)
- −10 2 different Malassezia-feeding families high in the list
- +0 Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil at #39, jojoba wax ester, fungal-acne exception (not penalized)
- +34 Penalties exceed the scale, floored at 0
👕
Fabric stains
Low
72
- +100 Starting score
- −28 Avobenzone at #22, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
💧
Moisture
Nourishing
LightNourishing
- → 16 Glycerin at #3, the anchor humectant
- → 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #13, hyaluronic family
- → 4 4 strong humectants (Panthenol, Sodium PCA, Hydroxyethyl Urea, …)
- → 9 6 emollient lipids (Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, …)
- → 0.5 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetearyl Alcohol)
✨
Finish
Dewy
MatteDewy
- ← 2 1 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Isoamyl Laurate)
- → 11 6 emollient lipids (Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit, Persea Gratissima Oil, …)
- → 4 1 slippy emollient esters (Isopropyl Myristate)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 2 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Carbomer)
- ← 4 Occlusives/waxes float the foundation
- ← 7 Humectant syrup tackiness
🌊
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.
- ✨ Vitamin C
Full ingredient list (52)
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 (Octinoxate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 18 UV protection
- ↑ 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
3 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 16 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 2 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
- ↑ 24 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 17 heavy comedogenic ester
- 4 → dewy slippy emollient ester
- ↑ 24 feeds malassezia
-
Botanical extract
- ↑ 9 moderate comedogenic signal
- 4 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 6 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 24 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 4.8 UV protection
- ↑ 1 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
16 Propanediol
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
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20 Carbomer
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 9 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↓ 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 3 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 28 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
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23 Niacinamide
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Botanical extract
- ↑ 2 butter/occlusive fat
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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25 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
pH adjuster
-
27 Arginine
pH adjuster
-
Plant oil, an emollient
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
30 Allantoin
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Plant oil, an emollient
- ↑ 1 moderate comedogenic signal
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Botanical extract
-
34 Panthenol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Botanical extract
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Botanical extract
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Botanical extract
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
44 Sodium PCA
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Plant oil, an emollient
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Botanical extract
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
Is St. Botanica SPF 30 moisturizer mineral or chemical?
It is a chemical formula, using older filters Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate and Avobenzone for its SPF 30 protection.
Does the St. Botanica Vitamin C, E & Hyaluronic Acid Age Defying & Skin Clearing Moisturizer With Spf 30 leave a white cast?
No, it is rated low for white cast. With a dewy finish and a lightweight feel, it generally absorbs without a visible film.
Is this moisturizer enough for sun protection?
Its protection is rated weak and it scores 49.0/100 with a disqualifying flag, so it is best seen as a hydrating day cream rather than your main SPF.