VLCC De Tan Spf 50
61/100 overall score
Sign in to see this product's score for your skin.
About this sunscreen
VLCC De Tan is an SPF 50 chemical-led sunscreen with some titanium dioxide, built on older-generation filters: ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, and octocrylene. It has a balanced finish, stays lightweight, keeps white cast low, and is generally low on pore-clogging risk with low sting sensitivity. The dated filter list leaves protection at only moderate despite the SPF 50 label. With a score of 61 out of 100, it is a middling choice rather than a recommended protector.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Moderate
50
- +18 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #3, UV filter
- +24 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #10, UV filter (UVA1 +12.8)
- +26.4 Titanium Dioxide at #12, UV filter (UVA1 +4)
- +4.8 Octocrylene at #32, UV filter
- −2.4 UVB coverage saturated
- ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- ×0.75 Avobenzone + octinoxate degrade each other in sunlight
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
☢️
Health safety
Medium
50
- +100 Starting score
- −36 Octinoxate at #3 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −10.5 Octocrylene at #32, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #10, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
67
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −12 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- −3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
🔥
Eye sting
Low
66
- +100 Starting score
- −8 Avobenzone at #10, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −2 Octocrylene at #32, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −16 Octinoxate at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
89
- +100 Starting score
- −6 Titanium Dioxide at #12
- −5 Cetearyl Alcohol at #7, rich gel-network thickener
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
79
- +100 Starting score
- −17 Isopropyl Myristate at #4, heavy comedogenic ester
- −4 Olea Europaea Fruit Oil at #9, moderate comedogenic signal
🍄
Fungal acne
High
36
- +100 Starting score
- −14 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Olea Europaea Fruit Oil)
- −50 4 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Isopropyl Myristate, Glyceryl Stearate, Ceteareth-20)
👕
Fabric stains
Medium
32
- +100 Starting score
- −38 Avobenzone at #10, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −15 Octocrylene at #32, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
- −5 Titanium Dioxide at #12, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
💧
Moisture
Nourishing
LightNourishing
- ← 3 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Talc)
- ← 1 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- → 16 Glycerin at #2, the anchor humectant
- → 4 1 strong humectants (Trehalose)
- → 2 1 emollient lipids (Olea Europaea Fruit Oil)
- → 1 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetearyl Alcohol)
- → 6 Ceramide barrier lipids
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 3 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Talc)
- ← 1 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- → 3 1 emollient lipids (Olea Europaea Fruit Oil)
- → 4 1 slippy emollient esters (Isopropyl Myristate)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 3 1 soft-focus powders in moderation
- ← 1 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Polyacrylate)
- ← 2 Occlusives/waxes float the foundation
- ← 3.5 Humectant syrup tackiness (partly offset by the base)
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance →Full ingredient list (39)
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
-
2 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 16 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 18 UV protection
- ↑ 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 17 heavy comedogenic ester
- 4 → dewy slippy emollient ester
- ↑ 24 feeds malassezia
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 4 → nourishing humectant
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 24 feeds malassezia
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- ↑ 5 rich gel-network thickener
- 1 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Botanical extract
- ↑ 4 moderate comedogenic signal
- 2 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 3 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 24 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↓ 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 8 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 38 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
-
11 Talc
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 26.4 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 5 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
-
Volatile silicone, flashes off for a light finish
- light ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 1 volatile carrier, flashes off
-
14 Dimethicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
16 Trideceth-6
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
22 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
23 Ceramide NP
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
24 Niacinamide
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
32 Octocrylene
Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 4.8 UV protection
- ↓ 10.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 2 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
34 Allantoin
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
pH adjuster
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Supporting ingredient
-
39 Fragrance
Fragrance
Is VLCC De Tan mineral or chemical?
It is mainly chemical, using ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, and octocrylene, with some titanium dioxide added.
Does the VLCC De Tan Spf 50 leave a white cast?
No, white cast is low. The titanium dioxide is minor in a mostly chemical, balanced-finish formula.
Is VLCC De Tan a good sunscreen?
It scores 61 out of 100. Despite the SPF 50 label, the dated filters leave protection at only moderate, so it is a middling rather than recommended pick.