The Ordinary Whitening Cream SPF 35
49/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
The Ordinary Whitening Cream SPF 35 is a pure mineral product using titanium dioxide as its only UV filter. It wears with a balanced finish and does not sting, though it carries a medium white cast. Its protection is rated weak, which is the main limitation here, and the overall score of 49 reflects that. It reads more as a treatment cream with some SPF than a primary sunscreen.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Weak
20
- +31.4 Titanium Dioxide at #6, UV filter (UVA1 +4.8)
- ×0.6 Almost no UVA1, poor aging protection
- +1 Label claims (SPF 35)
👻
White cast
Medium
54
- +100 Starting score
- −35 Titanium Dioxide at #6
- −15 Pure mineral formula
- +3.5 Coated minerals (Alumina)
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
81
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Titanium Dioxide at #6
- −3 Paraffinum Liquidum at #9, heavy oil
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
93
- +100 Starting score
- −7 Ethylhexyl Palmitate at #12, heavy comedogenic ester
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
50
- +100 Starting score
- −50 4 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Polyglyceryl-10 Dimyristate)
👕
Fabric stains
Low
90
- +100 Starting score
- −10 Titanium Dioxide at #6, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
💧
Moisture
Hydrating
LightNourishing
- ← 2 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- → 1 Glycerin at #15, the anchor humectant
- → 7 Sodium Hyaluronate at #4, hyaluronic family
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 2 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- → 2 1 slippy emollient esters (Ethylhexyl Palmitate)
- → 3 Occlusives seal moisture in (Paraffinum Liquidum)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- ← 1.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Polyacrylamide, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer)
- ← 4 Occlusives/waxes float the foundation
- ← 6 High mineral load at #6 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
- ✨ Niacinamide
Full ingredient list (20)
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
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 7 → nourishing hyaluronic family
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide)
- ↑ 31.4 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 10 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- pills ← 6 High mineral load greys under foundation
-
7 Alumina
Supporting ingredient
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin
- ↑ 3 heavy oil
- 3 → dewy occlusive
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 7 heavy comedogenic ester
- 2 → dewy slippy emollient ester
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Volatile silicone, flashes off for a light finish
- light ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
-
Volatile silicone, flashes off for a light finish
- light ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
-
15 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
19 Laureth-7
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
Is The Ordinary Whitening Cream SPF 35 good as a sunscreen?
Its protection is rated weak and it scores 49 out of 100, the bottom of this group. It reads more as a treatment cream with some SPF than a primary sunscreen.
Is the The Ordinary Whitening Cream SPF 35 mineral or chemical?
It is a pure mineral product, using titanium dioxide as its only UV filter. There are no chemical filters.
Does it leave a white cast?
It carries a medium white cast, which is common for titanium dioxide formulas. Spreading it well helps reduce residue.