Vacation Super Stick SPF 45 Face Stick Sunscreen
49/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Vacation Super Stick SPF 45 is a chemical face stick built on older-generation filters: avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene. It keeps white cast low, wears with a balanced finish, stays lightweight and is generally gentle and low on pore-clogging concerns, with okay makeup compatibility. Its measured protection comes out weak and the overall score sits at 49, so it reads more as a convenient touch-up stick than a primary sunscreen.
Ingredient & SPF scores
βοΈ
UV protection
Weak
13
- +9 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #33, UV filter (UVA1 +4.8)
- +3.6 Homosalate at #34, UV filter
- +2.4 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #35, UV filter
- +4.8 Octocrylene at #36, UV filter
- Γ0.6 Almost no UVA1, poor aging protection
- +1 Label claims (SPF 45)
β’οΈ
Health safety
Medium
46
- +100 Starting score
- β40 Homosalate at #34 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β10.5 Octocrylene at #36, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β3.5 Avobenzone at #33, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
π€§
Allergens
Low
67
- +100 Starting score
- β18 Fragrance
- β12 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- β3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
π₯
Eye sting
Low
85
- +100 Starting score
- β3 Avobenzone at #33, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β2 Octocrylene at #36, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β1 Homosalate at #34, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β1 Octisalate at #35, migrates into eyes with sweat
- β8 Fragrance
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Heavy feel
Low
81
- +100 Starting score
- β6 Cetyl Esters at #8, wax film
- β1 Ricinus Communis Seed Oil at #22, heavy oil
- β12 Stick/balm format with a wax skeleton
π΄
Comedogenic
Low
99
- +100 Starting score
- β1 Olea Europaea Fruit Oil at #19, moderate comedogenic signal
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Fungal acne
Medium
70
- +100 Starting score
- β12 1 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Sorbitan Olivate)
- β18 2 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil)
- +0 Saccharomyces Ferment at #23, ferment, disputed Malassezia trigger (not penalized)
π
Fabric stains
Medium
47
- +100 Starting score
- β28 Avobenzone at #33, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- β15 Octocrylene at #36, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- β10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
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Moisture
Hydrating
LightNourishing
- β 3 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Tapioca Starch, Lauroyl Lysine)
- β 1 Glycerin at #13, the anchor humectant
- β 2 Hyaluronic Acid at #14, hyaluronic family
- β 1 1 emollient lipids (Olea Europaea Fruit Oil)
- β 2 Light emollient/solvent (Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride)
- β 6 Ceramide barrier lipids
β¨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- β 2 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Lauroyl Lysine, Tapioca Starch)
- β 1 1 emollient lipids (Olea Europaea Fruit Oil)
- β 1 Occlusives seal moisture in (Ricinus Communis Seed Oil)
π
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate makeup base β
π
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
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.
- β¨ Aloe vera
- β¨ Green tea
- β¨ Ceramides
Full ingredient list (36)
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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Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Supporting ingredient
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Botanical extract
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 2 β nourishing light emollient
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
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Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Supporting ingredient
- β 6 wax film
- β 4 wax water lock
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Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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12 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
13 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 β nourishing the anchor humectant
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 β nourishing hyaluronic family
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Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light β 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte β 1 sebum-absorbing powder
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Botanical extract
-
18 Niacinamide
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
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Botanical extract
- β 1 moderate comedogenic signal
- 1 β nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 β dewy emollient lipid
- β 9 feeds malassezia
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
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Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
- β 3 film former
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Botanical extract
- β 1 heavy oil
- 1 β dewy occlusive
- β 9 feeds malassezia
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Supporting ingredient
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Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- β 12 feeds malassezia
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light β 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte β 1 sebum-absorbing powder
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28 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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29 Tridecane
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
31 Undecane
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
32 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
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Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- β 9 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- β 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β 3 migrates into eyes with sweat
- β 28 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
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34 Homosalate
Legacy UV filter (Homosalate), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- β 3.6 UV protection
- β 1 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- β 2.4 UV protection
- β 1 migrates into eyes with sweat
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36 Octocrylene
Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- β 4.8 UV protection
- β 10.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- β 2 migrates into eyes with sweat
- β 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
Does the Vacation Super Stick leave a white cast?
No, white cast is low. It is a chemical face stick, so it blends in with a balanced finish and no mineral cast.
Is the Vacation Super Stick SPF 45 Face Stick Sunscreen mineral or chemical?
It is chemical, built on older-generation filters: avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene. There are no mineral filters.
Is the Vacation Super Stick a good sunscreen?
Its measured protection comes out weak and the overall score is 49, so it is best used as a convenient touch-up stick rather than your primary sunscreen.