ZO Skin Health Obagi Smart Tone Broad-spectrum SPF 50
65/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
ZO Skin Health Obagi Smart Tone Broad-spectrum SPF 50 is a chemical-leaning sunscreen built on avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene with a touch of titanium dioxide for good protection. It has a balanced finish with a low white cast and wears lightweight, and it generally layers well under makeup. The blend can feel mildly stinging near the eyes for some, though it is commonly low on pore-clogging risk. With a score of 65.0 out of 100, it is a workable daily option, with its older filter base the main limit.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Good
66
- +30 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #1, UV filter (UVA1 +16)
- +12 Homosalate at #2, UV filter
- +8 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #3, UV filter
- +15.2 Octocrylene at #4, UV filter
- +9.9 Titanium Dioxide at #56, UV filter (UVA1 +1.5)
- −4.2 UVB coverage saturated
- ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
☢️
Health safety
Medium
39
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Homosalate at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −10.5 Octocrylene at #4, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #1, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −7 Retinyl Palmitate at #23, disputed vitamin-A sunlight signal, under review
🤧
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)
👻
White cast
Low
97
- +100 Starting score
- −6 Titanium Dioxide at #56
- +3 Iron-oxide undertone, partial masking
- +0.2 Coated minerals (Aluminum Hydroxide)
🔥
Eye sting
Medium
35
- +100 Starting score
- −24 Avobenzone at #1, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −15 Octocrylene at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Homosalate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Octisalate at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −8 Fragrance
🍄
Fungal acne
High
32
- +100 Starting score
- −18 2 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil)
- −50 5 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-8 Laurate)
👕
Fabric stains
High
0
- +100 Starting score
- −50 Avobenzone at #1, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −15 Octocrylene at #4, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
- −40 Iron-oxide pigments at #57, makeup-like collar marks (washable)
- −2 Titanium Dioxide at #56, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- +17 Penalties exceed the scale, floored at 0
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 3 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Polymethyl Methacrylate, Boron Nitride)
- → 1 Glycerin at #40, the anchor humectant
- → 1 1 strong humectants (Beta-Glucan)
- → 2 2 emollient lipids (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 2 2 sebum-absorbing powders (Boron Nitride, Polymethyl Methacrylate)
- → 3 3 emollient lipids (Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
💄
Makeup base
Good
PillsPrimer
- → 3 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- → 8 1 velvet elastomer fillers, blur and grip
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Acrylates Crosspolymer-4)
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +7 1 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for water resistance
Full ingredient list (57)
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 (Avobenzone), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 30 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↓ 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 24 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 50 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
-
Legacy UV filter (Homosalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 12 UV protection
- ↑ 9 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 (Octocrylene)
- ↑ 15.2 UV protection
- ↓ 10.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 15 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
-
5 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
- ↑ 7 film former
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
11 Mica
Colorant or pigment
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
14 Polyamide-5
Supporting ingredient
-
15 Steareth-21
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Plant oil, an emollient
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Botanical extract
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
21 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↓ 7 disputed vitamin-A sunlight signal, under review
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
26 Melanin
Supporting ingredient
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
32 Beta-Glucan
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Supporting ingredient
-
40 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Supporting ingredient
-
42 Simethicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
47 Steareth-2
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
pH adjuster
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
55 Fragrance
Fragrance
-
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)
-
57 Iron Oxides
Colorant or pigment
- ↑ 40 makeup-like collar marks (washable)
Does ZO Skin Health Obagi Smart Tone leave a white cast?
No, it is rated low on white cast. The balanced finish wears clear and lightweight, so it should not leave a visible residue.
Is the ZO Skin Health Obagi Smart Tone Broad-spectrum SPF 50 mineral or chemical?
It is mostly chemical with a mineral touch. It uses avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene with a small amount of titanium dioxide.
Is it any good?
It scores 65.0 out of 100, a workable everyday result. Protection is good at SPF 50, and it works well under makeup, though the older filter base is the main limit.