Tom Ford Face Protect Broad Spectrum Spf 50
58/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Tom Ford Face Protect Broad Spectrum is an SPF 50 chemical sunscreen on an older-generation filter base: butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, homosalate, ethylhexyl salicylate, octocrylene, and benzophenone-3. It has a balanced finish, stays lightweight, keeps white cast low, works well as a makeup base, and is generally low on pore-clogging risk, but sting sensitivity is high, so caution near the eyes is wise. Protection rates as good. With a score of 58 out of 100, the dated filters hold back what is otherwise a polished face product.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Good
66
- +30 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #1, UV filter (UVA1 +16)
- +12 Homosalate at #2, UV filter
- +8 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #3, UV filter
- +15.2 Octocrylene at #4, UV filter
- +20.9 Benzophenone-3 at #5, UV filter
- −8.9 UVB coverage saturated
- −6.2 UVA2 coverage saturated
- ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
☢️
Health safety
Low
2
- +100 Starting score
- −70 Oxybenzone at #5 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −14 Homosalate at #2, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −10.5 Octocrylene at #4, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #1, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- +0 2 endocrine-scrutinized filters together
🤧
Allergens
Low
61
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −12 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- −9 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Benzophenone-3, Octocrylene)
👻
White cast
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Titanium Dioxide as pigment (CI 77891) at #46
🔥
Eye sting
High
24
- +100 Starting score
- −24 Avobenzone at #1, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −15 Octocrylene at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −11 Oxybenzone at #5, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Homosalate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Octisalate at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
75
- +100 Starting score
- −23 2 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate)
- −2 1 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Stearic Acid), weak Malassezia signal
👕
Fabric stains
High
5
- +100 Starting score
- −50 Avobenzone at #1, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −20 Oxybenzone at #5, yellow stains on white cotton
- −15 Octocrylene at #4, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 1.5 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
- → 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #27, hyaluronic family
- → 2 2 strong humectants (Sorbitol, Saccharide Isomerate)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 1 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
- ← 1 1 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate)
💄
Makeup base
Good
PillsPrimer
- → 5 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- → 1 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer)
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +3 1 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for water resistance
Full ingredient list (46)
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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Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 30 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↓ 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 24 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 50 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
-
Legacy UV filter (Homosalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 12 UV protection
- ↓ 14 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 8 UV protection
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene)
- ↑ 15.2 UV protection
- ↓ 10.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 15 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
-
Legacy UV filter (Oxybenzone)
- ↑ 20.9 UV protection
- ↑ 11 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 20 yellow stains on white cotton
-
6 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 1 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
Botanical extract
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
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21 Caffeine
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
23 Cholesterol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
24 Sorbitol
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
- ↑ 3 film former
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
35 Stearic Acid
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 minor malassezia feeder
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
37 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
pH adjuster
-
40 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
-
41 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
-
43 BHT
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
45 Mica
Colorant or pigment
-
Colorant or pigment
Does Tom Ford Face Protect sting the eyes?
Sting sensitivity is high, so it may irritate near the eyes. Apply carefully around the eye area and keep it away from the waterline.
Is the Tom Ford Face Protect Broad Spectrum Spf 50 mineral or chemical?
It is a chemical sunscreen, on older-generation filters: butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, homosalate, ethylhexyl salicylate, octocrylene, and benzophenone-3.
Is Tom Ford Face Protect a good sunscreen?
It scores 58 out of 100. Protection rates as good, but the dated filter set and high sting sensitivity hold it back from the top tier.