Sun Bum Spf 50 Sunscreen Lotion
69/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Sun Bum SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion is a chemical sunscreen built on an old-school filter set of Octocrylene, Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, and Avobenzone. It has a balanced finish, stays lightweight, and keeps white cast low, and it is rated to work well as a makeup base. The formula is low pore-clogging but carries a medium sting risk near the eyes. Protection is good and it scores 68.7/100, a middling everyday lotion.
Ingredient & SPF scores
βοΈ
UV protection
Good
60
- +16 Octocrylene at #2, UV filter
- +12 Homosalate at #3, UV filter
- +7.6 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #5, UV filter
- +28.5 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #6, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- Γ0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
β’οΈ
Health safety
Medium
46
- +100 Starting score
- β40 Homosalate at #3 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β10.5 Octocrylene at #2, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β3.5 Avobenzone at #6, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
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Allergens
Low
93
- +100 Starting score
- β4 2 declared fragrance allergens
- β3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
π₯
Eye sting
Medium
43
- +100 Starting score
- β16 Avobenzone at #6, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β22 Octocrylene at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β9 Homosalate at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β6 Octisalate at #5, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β4 2 declared fragrance allergens
π
Fungal acne
Medium
63
- +100 Starting score
- β37 3 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Trideceth-6)
π
Fabric stains
High
30
- +100 Starting score
- β45 Avobenzone at #6, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- β15 Octocrylene at #2, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- β10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
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Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- β 3 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Hydrated Silica)
β¨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- β 3 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Hydrated Silica)
- β 1 1 slippy emollient esters (Ethylhexyl Stearate)
π
Makeup base
Good
PillsPrimer
- β 3 1 soft-focus powders in moderation
- β 4 Transfer-resistant grip resin, holds makeup
π
Water resistance
Very resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +27 3 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for water resistance
- +2 1 water-locking waxes
Full ingredient list (26)
What each ingredient does and how it moves each rating: green helps, red hurts, β / β give the direction, and β / β 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
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Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene), high in the list, a primary filter
- β 16 UV protection
- β 10.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β 22 migrates into eyes with sweat
- β 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
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Legacy UV filter (Homosalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- β 12 UV protection
- β 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
- β 13 film former
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Legacy UV filter (Octisalate)
- β 7.6 UV protection
- β 6 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone)
- β 28.5 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- β 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
- β 45 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light β 3 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte β 3 sebum-absorbing powder
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Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
- β 7 film former
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10 Polyester-8
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
- β 7 film former
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 14 feeds malassezia
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 14 feeds malassezia
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 1 β dewy slippy emollient ester
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16 Trideceth-6
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 9 feeds malassezia
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17 Dimethicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
- β 2 wax water lock
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Supporting ingredient
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20 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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23 BHT
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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Fragrance component, a declared allergen
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26 Coumarin
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
Does Sun Bum SPF 50 Lotion leave a white cast?
No, white cast is rated low. As a chemical lotion it generally wears clean across skin tones without a mineral residue.
Does the Sun Bum Spf 50 Sunscreen Lotion work under makeup?
Yes, it is rated to work well as a makeup base. It stays lightweight with a balanced finish, though it carries a medium sting risk near the eyes.
Is it mineral or chemical?
It is chemical, using an old-school filter set of Octocrylene, Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, and Avobenzone.