Works for:
based on ingredients and %- Anti-aging
- Evens skin tone
- Sun protection
- Moisturizing
Doesn't work for:
based on ingredients and %- Exfoliation
Can it cause trouble?
- Irritation risk: low
- Comedogenic risk ingredients: 0
Key actives
Product Summary
The ingredient list suggests that this product can provide reliable sun protection. We love that it can protect from both UVA and UVB rays (not all sunscreens with SPF ratings give UVA protection. UVA rays do not cause sunburn, but still damage our skin and lead to early aging).
Its formula is also hydrating, so you might find that you do not need an additional moisturizer during the day. This product prevents early signs of aging by protecting against sun damage (all broad spectrum sunscreens do that).
Sunscreen filters
This is a mineral sunscreen. It uses zinc oxide for sun protection. Zinc oxide almost never irritates the skin or stings eyes, but it can leave a white cast.
Irritation risk
This product does not contain known common irritants and is suitable for sensitive skin. We assess the overall irritancy of this sunscreen to be low. For a detailed overview of all potential irritants: click here
You can see the detailed formula review with the breakdown of all actives in the product and the full ingredient list with estimated concentrations in the tables below.
Anti-aging
What does the product description say?
CōTZ helps prevent pre-mature skin aging (fine lines, wrinkles, sagging, age spots), uneven skin tone and other serious problems.
Source: Target
This product can help prevent early signs of skin aging because it offers a good level of broad spectrum sun protection. Sun damage is the main cause of premature skin aging, and protecting your skin from the sun is the best anti-aging strategy.
Being a lipid soluble form of vitamin C, it is more stable than ascorbic acid, but still degrades quickly and needs to be stabilized in a formulation with another ingredient. It is claimed to penetrate skin better than pure vitamin C and have the the similar benefits, but solid studies of its effectiveness are lacking. Is likely to require a higher concentration in a product than pure vitamin C to be effective. It might be able to help reduce pore clogging.
Evens skin tone
What does the product description say?
CōTZ helps prevent pre-mature skin aging (fine lines, wrinkles, sagging, age spots), uneven skin tone and other serious problems.
Source: Target
This product offers broad spectrum sun protection. It means that it can prevent hyperpigmentation and help keep the skin tone even (sun damage is the main factor causing age spots, darkening of post-acne marks and other discolorations).
Being a lipid soluble form of vitamin C, it is more stable than ascorbic acid, but still degrades quickly and needs to be stabilized in a formulation with another ingredient. It is claimed to penetrate skin better than pure vitamin C and have the the similar benefits, but solid studies of its effectiveness are lacking. Is likely to require a higher concentration in a product than pure vitamin C to be effective. It might be able to help reduce pore clogging.
Sun protection
This product offers a good level of protection against both UVB and UVA rays.
It is a mineral sunscreen. In other words, it contains non-organic UV filters. It will probably not sting your eyes but might leave a white cast.
This product can be considered "reef safe" because it does not contain the UV filters (oxybenzone and octinoxate) that can be harmful to coral reefs when present in the water in high concentrations.
A broad spectrum sunblock (protects from both UVA and UVB rays). Is suitable for most sensitive skins. In small concentrations, can be used as a colorant
Moisturizing
What does the product description say?
Soft & sheer with just what you need to protect your sensitive skin and no more, including the #1 rated sun protection ingredient against burning and aging UVA-UVB rays.
Source: Target
This product can help improve hydration of the skin with the two types of ingredients.
The first type is called “humectants”:
these ingredients help attract water.
When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from
within deeper layers of the skin. The following ingredients in this product do the job:
glycerin, caprylyl glycol.
This product also contains ingredients called “occlusives”. They help reduce the speed with which our skin loses moisture to the outside environment. These ingredients also help soften the upper layer of the skin, so it feels less tight and nicer to the touch. The following ingredients in this product do the job: dimethiconol, methicone.
A silicone that makes products more spreadable and keeps skin smooth. Helps to add gloss to skin and may visually fill in fine lines/wrinkles for short time
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant
A type of silicone that helps soften the upper layer of the skin and reduces the water loss from the skin surface
Helps soften the upper layer of the skin
A silicone that works to soften the upper layer of the skin and reduce its water loss
Enhances the product texture and makes it more spreadable. Helps reduce water loss from the outer layer of skin. Extands the shelf life by preventing bacteria growth
A silicone that helps improve the product texture and spreadability. Can absorb oil creating a short-term mattifying effect on the skin
Used to create a thicker product texture. Helps soften the upper layer of the skin and might be able to prevent moisture loss from its surface
A silicone that serves as an emollient. Helps create a nice non-greasy feels
A type of silicone that helps water and oil mix together. Can help to soften upper layer of the skin
Helps preserve products and creates a nice product texture
Exfoliation
What does the product description say?
Dermatologist Recommended & Gentle enough for special skin types & conditions. . Laser, Cosmetic Surgery, Microdermabrasion, Acid, Peel .
Source: Target
This product does not contain effective exfoliating ingredients. It might be able to deliver physical exfoliation, that is scrub off some of the dead cells on the surface of the skin. We do not recommend physical exfoliation, because it is not uniform (some bits of skin can get exfoliated too much while others not at all). It can also traumatize the skin and aggrevate acne and other skin conditions.
How honest is this product?
| Promise | Can it deliver? |
|---|---|
| Sun protection | |
| Anti-aging | |
| Evens skin tone | |
| Exfoliation |
Total Promises Fulfilled score: 90/100.
Potential irritants
Comedogenic ingredients
No comedogenic ingredients detected
User reviews (1)
Averages from community submissions.
How would you describe the finish?
How would you describe the texture?
How much white cast does it leave?
How much does it sting eyes?
How much does it pill under makeup?
How much does this product clog pores?
How would you describe the smell?
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Key Actives
A silicone that helps improve the product texture and spreadability. Can absorb oil creating a short-term mattifying effect on the skin
A broad spectrum sunblock (protects from both UVA and UVB rays). Is suitable for most sensitive skins. In small concentrations, can be used as a colorant
A silicone that makes products more spreadable and keeps skin smooth. Helps to add gloss to skin and may visually fill in fine lines/wrinkles for short time
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant
A type of silicone that helps soften the upper layer of the skin and reduces the water loss from the skin surface
A silicone that works to soften the upper layer of the skin and reduce its water loss
Helps soften the upper layer of the skin
Potential irritants
Helps preserve products and creates a nice product texture
Used to create a thicker product consistency and stabilize the formulation
Being a lipid soluble form of vitamin C, it is more stable than ascorbic acid, but still degrades quickly and needs to be stabilized in a formulation with another ingredient. It is claimed to penetrate skin better than pure vitamin C and have the the similar benefits, but solid studies of its effectiveness are lacking. Is likely to require a higher concentration in a product than pure vitamin C to be effective. It might be able to help reduce pore clogging.
A more stable but less bio-available form of vitamin E compared to Tocopherol. Might help moisturize and protect the skin from free radicals, but mostly used in low concentrations to stabilize other ingredients.
Used to adjust pH of the product and can help improve the product's smell
Comedogenic ingredients
We couldn't find any comedogenic ingredients in this product
All ingredients
A broad spectrum sunblock (protects from both UVA and UVB rays). Is suitable for most sensitive skins. In small concentrations, can be used as a colorant
Enhances the product texture and makes it more spreadable. Helps reduce water loss from the outer layer of skin. Extands the shelf life by preventing bacteria growth
Helps preserve products and creates a nice product texture
A type of silicone that helps water and oil mix together. Can help to soften upper layer of the skin
A silicone that serves as an emollient. Helps create a nice non-greasy feels
A silicone that helps improve the product texture and spreadability. Can absorb oil creating a short-term mattifying effect on the skin
Used to create a thicker product texture. Helps soften the upper layer of the skin and might be able to prevent moisture loss from its surface
Used to stabilize product formulations and create a nice product texture
A silicone that makes products more spreadable and keeps skin smooth. Helps to add gloss to skin and may visually fill in fine lines/wrinkles for short time
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant
A type of silicone that helps soften the upper layer of the skin and reduces the water loss from the skin surface
A silicone that works to soften the upper layer of the skin and reduce its water loss
Used to create a thicker product consistency and stabilize the formulation
Used to stabilize mixtures of oil and water, and create thicker, gel-like product textures
Being a lipid soluble form of vitamin C, it is more stable than ascorbic acid, but still degrades quickly and needs to be stabilized in a formulation with another ingredient. It is claimed to penetrate skin better than pure vitamin C and have the the similar benefits, but solid studies of its effectiveness are lacking. Is likely to require a higher concentration in a product than pure vitamin C to be effective. It might be able to help reduce pore clogging.
A more stable but less bio-available form of vitamin E compared to Tocopherol. Might help moisturize and protect the skin from free radicals, but mostly used in low concentrations to stabilize other ingredients.
Used to adjust pH of the product and can help improve the product's smell
A type of silicone that helps oil and water mix well together. Helps to disperse other ingredients, e.g. pigments, evenly in a formulation
Ingredient list view
Zinc oxide, C12-15 alkyl benzoate, Caprylhydroxamic acid, Caprylyl glycol, Cetyl peg/ppg-10/1 dimethicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Unknown, Dimethicone crosspolymer, Dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, Dimethiconol, Disodium edta, Glycerin, Methicone, Microcrystalline wax, Peg-10 dimethicone, Peg-30 dipolyhydroxystearate, Polyglyceryl-4 isostearate, Polyhydroxystearic acid, Polysorbate 20, Sodium chloride, Stearyl dimethicone, Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, Tocopheryl acetate, Triethanolamine, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Water
- A review of inorganic UV filters zinc oxide and titanium dioxide
- Risk assessment of zinc oxide, a cosmetic ingredient used as a UV filter of sunscreens
- Characterization of the UVA protection provided by avobenzone, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide in broad-spectrum sunscreen products
- Ultraviolet Protection Properties of Commercial Sunscreens and Sunscreens Containing Zno Nanorods
- ZnO nanoparticles and organic chemical UV-filters are equally well tolerated by human immune cells
- Glycerol and the skin: holistic approach to its origin and functions
- Double-blind, half-face study comparing topical vitamin C and vehicle for rejuvenation of photodamage
- Application of tetra-isopalmitoyl ascorbic acid in cosmetic formulations: Stability studies and in vivo efficacy