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Sun Bum | Canada Face Cream With Spf 50

Sun Bum | Canada Face Cream With Spf 50

64/100 overall score

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About this sunscreen

Sun Bum Canada Face Cream SPF 50 is a chemical (old school) face cream built on Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, and Benzophenone-3, with some Zinc Oxide. It has a balanced finish and a low white cast and stays lightweight, with medium sting potential around the eyes. Breakout risk is low and it works okay under makeup. Protection is good but the older filter set and a score of 64.3/100 place it behind more modern options.

Ingredient & SPF scores

☀️

UV protection

Good 67
  • +18 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #1, UV filter
  • +8 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #2, UV filter
  • +22 Benzophenone-3 at #3, UV filter
  • +38.9 Zinc Oxide at #4, UV filter (UVA1 +17.1)
  • −14.5 UVB coverage saturated
  • −0.4 UVA2 coverage saturated
  • ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
  • +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
How we rate uv protection →
☢️

Health safety

Low 17
  • +100 Starting score
  • −70 Oxybenzone at #3 (regulatory/evidence concern)
  • −12.6 Octinoxate at #1, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
  • +0 2 endocrine-scrutinized filters together
How we rate health safety →
🤧

Allergens

Low 76
  • +100 Starting score
  • −18 Sensitizing preservatives (Methylisothiazolinone)
  • −6 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Benzophenone-3)
How we rate allergens →
👻

White cast

Low 87
  • +100 Starting score
  • −14 Zinc Oxide, 7% declared
  • +1 Coated minerals (Triethoxycaprylylsilane)
How we rate white cast →
🔥

Eye sting

Medium 59
  • +100 Starting score
  • −16 Oxybenzone at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
  • −16 Octinoxate at #1, migrates into eyes with sweat
  • −9 Octisalate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
How we rate eye sting →
🪨

Heavy feel

Low 81
  • +100 Starting score
  • −8 Zinc Oxide, 7% declared
  • −6 Cera Alba at #9, wax film
  • −5 Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit at #11, butter/occlusive fat
How we rate heavy feel →
🔴

Comedogenic

Low 99
  • +100 Starting score
  • −1 Oleic Acid at #19, moderate comedogenic signal
How we rate comedogenic →
🍄

Fungal acne

Medium 53
  • +100 Starting score
  • −12 1 free fatty acids that feed Malassezia (Oleic Acid)
  • −12 1 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Sorbitan Oleate)
  • −23 2 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit, Lecithin)
How we rate fungal acne →
👕

Fabric stains

Low 70
  • +100 Starting score
  • −20 Oxybenzone at #3, yellow stains on white cotton
  • −10 Zinc Oxide at #4, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
How we rate fabric stains →
💧

Moisture

Hydrating
LightNourishing
  • ← 2 Zinc Oxide at #4, mild sebum absorbent
  • → 1 Glycerin at #15, the anchor humectant
  • → 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #23, hyaluronic family
  • → 2 2 strong humectants (Panthenol, Sorbitol)
  • → 2 1 emollient lipids (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
  • → 1.5 2 fatty-alcohol emollients (Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Alcohol)
How we rate moisture →

Finish

Balanced
MatteDewy
  • → 6 2 emollient lipids (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
How we rate finish →
💄

Makeup base

Okay
PillsPrimer
  • → 1 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
  • ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer)
  • ← 4 Occlusives/waxes float the foundation
  • ← 6 High mineral load at #4 greys under foundation
How we rate makeup base →
🌊

Water resistance

Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
  • +3 1 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for water resistance
  • +4 1 water-locking waxes
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
  • ✨ Vitamin C

Full ingredient list (30)

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. 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
  2. Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), high in the list, a primary filter

    • ↑ 8 UV protection
    • ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
  3. 3 Benzophenone-3

    Legacy UV filter (Oxybenzone), high in the list, a primary filter

    • ↑ 22 UV protection
    • ↑ 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
    • ↑ 20 yellow stains on white cotton
  4. 4 Zinc Oxide

    Mineral UV filter (Zinc Oxide)

    • ↑ 38.9 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
    • ↑ 14 7% declared
    • ↑ 8 7% declared
    • ↑ 10 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
    • light ← 2 mild sebum absorbent
    • pills ← 6 High mineral load greys under foundation
  5. Soothing, skin-conditioning active

  6. Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind

    • 1 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
  7. Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended

  8. Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin

  9. 9 Cera Alba

    Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin

    • ↑ 6 wax film
    • ↑ 4 wax water lock
  10. 10 Behenyl Alcohol

    Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind

    • 0.5 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
  11. Botanical extract

    • ↑ 5 butter/occlusive fat
    • 2 → nourishing emollient lipid
    • 3 → dewy emollient lipid
    • ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
  12. Emollient, softens and smooths skin

    • 3 → dewy emollient lipid
  13. 13 Disodium EDTA

    Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable

  14. Humectant, pulls water into the skin

  15. 15 Glycerin

    Humectant, pulls water into the skin

    • 1 → nourishing the anchor humectant
  16. Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream

  17. 17 Lecithin

    Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended

    • ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
  18. Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling

  19. 19 Oleic Acid

    Emollient, softens and smooths skin

    • ↑ 1 moderate comedogenic signal
    • ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
  20. 20 Panthenol

    Soothing, skin-conditioning active

    • 1 → nourishing humectant
  21. 21 Phenoxyethanol

    Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling

  22. 22 Polyester-8

    Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance

    • ↑ 3 film former
  23. Humectant, pulls water into the skin

    • 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
  24. 24 Sorbitan Oleate

    Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended

    • ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
  25. 25 Sorbitol

    Humectant, pulls water into the skin

    • 1 → nourishing humectant
  26. Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin

  27. Supporting ingredient

  28. Humectant, pulls water into the skin

  29. 29 Water

    Solvent base, the water phase

  30. 30 Xanthan Gum

    Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream

Does the Sun Bum | Canada Face Cream With Spf 50 leave a white cast?

White cast is low, so it generally blends in well. The face cream is lightweight with a balanced finish that settles cleanly.

Is the Sun Bum | Canada Face Cream With Spf 50 good for oily or acne-prone skin?

It can suit oily and acne-prone skin since breakout risk is rated low, with a balanced finish. It sits okay under makeup rather than being a dedicated matte base.

Is it mineral or chemical, and is it good?

It is mainly chemical, using Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, and Benzophenone-3 with a little Zinc Oxide. Protection is good but the older filter set and a score of 64.3/100 put it behind more modern options.

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