St. Botanica Vitamin C SPF 50 Sunblock Face & Body Mist Sunscreen
52/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
St. Botanica Vitamin C SPF 50 Sunblock Face & Body Mist is a chemical-leaning formula using older filters octinoxate, octocrylene and avobenzone alongside titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. The mist has a balanced finish, stays lightweight and keeps white cast low, with a moderate sting risk. Breakout risk is generally low and it sits okay under makeup. Scoring 51.6/100 with good protection, it is a convenient mist whose older filter base holds back its overall rating.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Good
61
- +18 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #2, UV filter
- +16 Octocrylene at #3, UV filter
- +28.5 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #5, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- +19.8 Titanium Dioxide at #14, UV filter (UVA1 +3)
- +12.3 Zinc Oxide at #24, UV filter (UVA1 +5.4)
- +6.6 Benzophenone-3 at #39, UV filter
- +2.4 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #40, UV filter
- −16.3 UVB coverage saturated
- −8.7 UVA2 coverage saturated
- ×0.75 Avobenzone + octinoxate degrade each other in sunlight
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
☢️
Health safety
Low
3
- +100 Starting score
- −70 Oxybenzone at #39 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −12.6 Octinoxate at #2, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −10.5 Octocrylene at #3, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #5, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- +0 2 endocrine-scrutinized filters together
🤧
Allergens
Medium
31
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −12 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- −30 Sensitizing preservatives (Methylisothiazolinone, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Imidazolidinyl Urea)
- −9 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Benzophenone-3, Octocrylene)
👻
White cast
Low
79
- +100 Starting score
- −5 Zinc Oxide at #24
- −6 Titanium Dioxide at #14
- −10 Zinc Oxide + Titanium Dioxide together
🔥
Eye sting
Medium
35
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Avobenzone at #5, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −22 Octocrylene at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −2 Oxybenzone at #39, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −16 Octinoxate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −1 Octisalate at #40, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
90
- +100 Starting score
- −3 Zinc Oxide at #24
- −2 Titanium Dioxide at #14
- −5 Cetyl Alcohol at #6, rich gel-network thickener
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Isopropyl Myristate at #41, heavy comedogenic ester
🍄
Fungal acne
High
29
- +100 Starting score
- −30 2 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan Olivate)
- −9 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil)
- −32 3 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Isopropyl Myristate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate)
👕
Fabric stains
High
3
- +100 Starting score
- −45 Avobenzone at #5, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −20 Oxybenzone at #39, yellow stains on white cotton
- −15 Octocrylene at #3, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
- −2 Titanium Dioxide at #14, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- −5 Both minerals present, heavier deposit
💧
Moisture
Hydrating
LightNourishing
- ← 1.5 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
- → 10 Glycerin at #7, the anchor humectant
- → 2 Hyaluronic Acid at #19, hyaluronic family
- → 1 1 strong humectants (Sodium Lactate)
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil)
- → 2 Light emollient/solvent (Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride)
- → 1 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetyl Alcohol)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 1 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil)
- → 1 1 slippy emollient esters (Isopropyl Myristate)
🌊
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 (56)
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 (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 (Octocrylene), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 16 UV protection
- ↓ 10.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 22 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 2 → nourishing light emollient
-
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
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- ↑ 5 rich gel-network thickener
- 1 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
7 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 10 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 18 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
12 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 19.8 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 2 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
16 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
17 Allantoin
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
-
20 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Botanical extract
-
24 Zinc Oxide
Mineral UV filter (Zinc Oxide), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 12.3 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
31 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Botanical extract
-
33 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
-
34 Ci 14700
Colorant or pigment
-
35 Ci 19140
Colorant or pigment
-
36 Yellow 6
Colorant or pigment
-
Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Legacy UV filter (Oxybenzone), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 6.6 UV protection
- ↑ 2 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 20 yellow stains on white cotton
-
Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 2.4 UV protection
- ↑ 1 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 heavy comedogenic ester
- 1 → dewy slippy emollient ester
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Plant oil, an emollient
-
48 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
Is St. Botanica Vitamin C SPF 50 Mist a good sunscreen?
It scores 51.6/100 with good measured protection. The convenient mist format is a plus, but its older filter base holds back the overall rating.
Is the St. Botanica Vitamin C SPF 50 Sunblock Face & Body Mist Sunscreen mineral or chemical?
It is mostly chemical, using older filters octinoxate, octocrylene and avobenzone alongside some titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.
Does it leave a white cast?
No, white cast is rated low. The mist has a balanced finish and stays lightweight, though sting risk is moderate.