Wardah UV Shield SPF 35 Pa +++ Essential Gel Sunscreen Serum
61/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Wardah UV Shield Essential Gel Sunscreen Serum is a chemical SPF 35 PA+++ gel serum with an older-generation filter set of Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Avobenzone and Octocrylene. It has a balanced finish, feels lightweight and is unlikely to leave a white cast, though it may sting a little on sensitive skin. Its low pore-clogging profile suits breakout-prone skin. With moderate protection and a score of 61.0, it is a lightweight everyday serum that trails formulas using newer filters.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Moderate
44
- +18 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #2, UV filter
- +28.5 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #4, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- +15.2 Octocrylene at #6, UV filter
- ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- ×0.75 Avobenzone + octinoxate degrade each other in sunlight
- +2 Label claims (SPF 35, PA rating)
☢️
Health safety
Medium
50
- +100 Starting score
- −36 Octinoxate at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −10.5 Octocrylene at #6, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #4, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
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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)
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Eye sting
Medium
45
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Avobenzone at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −15 Octocrylene at #6, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −16 Octinoxate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
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Heavy feel
Low
95
- +100 Starting score
- −5 Cetearyl Alcohol at #7, rich gel-network thickener
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Fungal acne
Low
86
- +100 Starting score
- −9 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Lecithin)
- −5 1 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Cetearyl Glucoside), weak Malassezia signal
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Fabric stains
High
30
- +100 Starting score
- −45 Avobenzone at #4, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −15 Octocrylene at #6, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
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Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- → 1 Glycerin at #19, the anchor humectant
- → 1 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetearyl Alcohol)
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Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- ← 4 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer)
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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.
- ✨ Niacinamide
- ✨ Allantoin
Full ingredient list (31)
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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1 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
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Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 18 UV protection
- ↑ 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Soothing, skin-conditioning active
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Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone)
- ↑ 28.5 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↓ 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 45 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
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
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Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- ↑ 5 rich gel-network thickener
- 1 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
pH adjuster
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 5 minor malassezia feeder
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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14 Allantoin
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
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15 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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17 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
18 Lecithin
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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19 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing the anchor humectant
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20 BHT
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
21 Glucose
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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23 Arbutin
Supporting ingredient
-
24 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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Botanical extract
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31 Glutathione
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
Is Wardah UV Shield Essential Gel mineral or chemical?
It is a chemical sunscreen with an older-generation filter set of Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Avobenzone and Octocrylene.
Is the Wardah UV Shield SPF 35 Pa +++ Essential Gel Sunscreen Serum good for oily or acne-prone skin?
Its lightweight gel feel and low pore-clogging profile can suit oily and breakout-prone skin, with a balanced finish that is not heavy.
Is Wardah UV Shield Essential Gel a good sunscreen?
It scores 61.0 out of 100 with moderate protection, a lightweight everyday serum that trails formulas using newer filters.