WOW skin science Anti Pollution Sunscreen Lotion Spf 40
60/100 overall score
Sign in to see this product's score for your skin.
About this sunscreen
WOW Skin Science Anti Pollution Sunscreen Lotion is an SPF 40 formula combining octinoxate, octocrylene, avobenzone, and homosalate with titanium dioxide. It has a balanced finish, stays lightweight, keeps a low white cast, and is low in pore-clogging risk, though it may sting sensitive eyes for some users. The older filter set still reaches good measured protection. With a score of 60.4 out of 100, it is a basic everyday option rather than a high performer.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Good
57
- +18 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #2, UV filter
- +16 Octocrylene at #3, UV filter
- +28.5 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #4, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- +11.4 Homosalate at #5, UV filter
- +26.4 Titanium Dioxide at #11, UV filter (UVA1 +4)
- −22.2 UVB coverage saturated
- −3.9 UVA2 coverage saturated
- ×0.75 Avobenzone + octinoxate degrade each other in sunlight
- +1 Label claims (SPF 40)
☢️
Health safety
Medium
33
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Homosalate at #5 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −12.6 Octinoxate at #2, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −10.5 Octocrylene at #3, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #4, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- +0 2 endocrine-scrutinized filters together
🤧
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
Medium
32
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Avobenzone at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −22 Octocrylene at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −16 Octinoxate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −6 Homosalate at #5, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
62
- +100 Starting score
- −9 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil)
- −24 1 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate)
- −5 1 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Stearic Acid), weak Malassezia signal
👕
Fabric stains
High
25
- +100 Starting score
- −45 Avobenzone at #4, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −15 Octocrylene at #3, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
- −5 Titanium Dioxide at #11, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 3 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Aluminium Starch Octenylsuccinate)
- → 4 Glycerin at #8, the anchor humectant
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil)
- → 2 Light emollient/solvent (Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride)
- → 0.5 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetearyl Alcohol)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 3 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Aluminium Starch Octenylsuccinate)
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 3 1 soft-focus powders in moderation
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer)
🌊
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
- ✨ Aloe vera
Full ingredient list (27)
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
-
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 (Octocrylene), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 16 UV protection
- ↓ 10.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 22 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
-
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
-
Legacy UV filter (Homosalate)
- ↑ 11.4 UV protection
- ↑ 6 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 24 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 2 → nourishing light emollient
-
8 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 4 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
10 Stearic Acid
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 5 minor malassezia feeder
-
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)
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Plant oil, an emollient
-
Plant oil, an emollient
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
15 Niacinamide
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
24 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
pH adjuster
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
Does WOW Anti Pollution Sunscreen Lotion leave a white cast?
No, it is rated low for white cast and gives a balanced, lightweight finish. It is mostly a chemical sunscreen with a little titanium dioxide.
Is the WOW skin science Anti Pollution Sunscreen Lotion Spf 40 mineral or chemical?
It is primarily chemical, using octinoxate, octocrylene, avobenzone, and homosalate with some titanium dioxide. These are older-generation filters.
Is the WOW skin science Anti Pollution Sunscreen Lotion Spf 40 any good?
It scores 60.4 out of 100 with good measured protection, making it a basic everyday option. It may sting sensitive eyes for some users.