Trish McEvoy Instant Solutions® Beauty Balm SPF 35
57/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Trish McEvoy Instant Solutions Beauty Balm SPF 35 is a chemical-led formula using an older filter set of Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate and Benzophenone-3 alongside some Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. It wears balanced and lightweight with low white cast, but it may sting more than gentler options, so it is less ideal around the eyes. Pore-clogging risk is low. Scoring 57.0/100 with moderate protection, it is best seen as a makeup-friendly balm rather than a heavy-duty sunscreen.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Moderate
36
- +18 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #1, UV filter
- +8 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #2, UV filter
- +22 Benzophenone-3 at #3, UV filter
- +9.9 Titanium Dioxide at #59, UV filter (UVA1 +1.5)
- +12.3 Zinc Oxide at #61, UV filter (UVA1 +5.4)
- −12.1 UVB coverage saturated
- ×0.6 Almost no UVA1, poor aging protection
- +1 Label claims (SPF 35)
☢️
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
🤧
Allergens
Low
94
- +100 Starting score
- −6 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Benzophenone-3)
👻
White cast
Low
90
- +100 Starting score
- −5 Zinc Oxide at #61
- −6 Titanium Dioxide at #59
- −10 Zinc Oxide + Titanium Dioxide together
- +10.5 Iron-oxide undertone, partial masking
- +0.7 Coated minerals (Alumina)
🔥
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
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
95
- +100 Starting score
- −3 Zinc Oxide at #61
- −2 Titanium Dioxide at #59
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Isostearyl Neopentanoate at #39, heavy comedogenic ester
🍄
Fungal acne
High
6
- +100 Starting score
- −24 2 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan Laurate)
- −18 2 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Lecithin)
- −50 7 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate, Polyglyceryl-10 Pentastearate, Propylene Glycol Stearate)
- −2 1 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Stearic Acid), weak Malassezia signal
👕
Fabric stains
Medium
33
- +100 Starting score
- −20 Oxybenzone at #3, yellow stains on white cotton
- −40 Iron-oxide pigments at #60, makeup-like collar marks (washable)
- −2 Titanium Dioxide at #59, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- −5 Both minerals present, heavier deposit
💧
Moisture
Hydrating
LightNourishing
- ← 3 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica, Polymethylsilsesquioxane)
- → 4 Glycerin at #8, the anchor humectant
- → 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #56, hyaluronic family
- → 3 3 strong humectants (Sodium PCA, Urea, Trehalose)
- → 2 2 emollient lipids (Squalane, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 2 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Silica)
- → 2 2 emollient lipids (Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Squalane)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 1 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer)
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance →Full ingredient list (61)
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.
-
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 (Octisalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 8 UV protection
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
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 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 24 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 24 feeds malassezia
-
8 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 4 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
10 Dimethicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
13 Sodium PCA
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
14 Urea
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Plant oil, an emollient
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
27 Lecithin
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
30 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
31 Sucrose
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
32 Caffeine
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
33 Cyclodextrin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 heavy comedogenic ester
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
44 Squalane
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
-
45 Stearic Acid
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 minor malassezia feeder
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
51 Alumina
Supporting ingredient
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
53 Trehalose
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Supporting ingredient
-
55 Triacetin
Supporting ingredient
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
-
57 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
58 Mica
Colorant or pigment
-
Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 9.9 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 2 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
-
60 Iron Oxides
Colorant or pigment
- ↑ 40 makeup-like collar marks (washable)
-
61 Zinc Oxide
Mineral UV filter (Zinc Oxide), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 12.3 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
Does the Trish McEvoy Beauty Balm sting or irritate?
It is rated medium for stinging, so it may feel more irritating than gentler formulas, especially near the eyes. It uses an older filter set including Benzophenone-3, so take care if your skin is reactive.
Is the Trish McEvoy Instant Solutions® Beauty Balm SPF 35 mineral or chemical?
It is mainly a chemical formula using Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate and Benzophenone-3, with some Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide added. It is not a pure mineral product.
What SPF is it and is it good?
It is SPF 35 with moderate protection and a score of 57.0/100. It works best as a makeup-friendly beauty balm rather than a heavy-duty sunscreen.