We do not recommend "Perricone MD - Vitamin C Ester Photo-Brightening Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30" because it does not provide good UVA protection. UVA sun rays don't burn the skin, but they still lead to photoaging and hyperpigmentation.

It contains good moisturizing ingredients and can double as a hydrating day cream.

Sunscreen filters

This moisturizer is a mineral sunscreen. It uses titanium dioxide for sun protection. Titanium dioxide almost never irritates the skin or stings eyes, but it can leave a white cast.

Irritation risk

There are some common irritants in this product, including ingredients that do not have benefits for the skin. We assess the overall irritancy of this moisturizer 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.

What our users say

Based on 1 review 100% recommend this product

When it comes to comedogenicity, the reviewer found that it does not clog pores.
As for the white cast, it did not leave a noticeable white residue for the reviewer.
When it comes to using this sunscreen under makeup, the user found that it pills under a foundation.
As for using this sunscreen in the eye area, the reviewer reported that it does not sting eyes.

Our users describe the finish of this sunscreen as dewy - matt, They find the product's texture to be light - heavy and In terms of the smell, our users report that light fragrance.

About the brand

According to Cruelty-Free Kitty "Perricone MD" is cruelty free and so is its parent company.

Price

The product retails from 19.99$ up to 75.00$ in the United States, from 45.75£ up to 61.00£ in the United Kingdom and for 106.80CA$ in Canada.

For a detailed price comparison: click here.

What can the product work for?

Does not work for

Sun protection
Evens skin tone

Anti-aging

What does the product description say?

Same product, new look!

Source: Ulta

This product contains astaxanthin. This ingredient might be able to help reduce and prevent fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin elasticity and firmness, but there is not enough evidence that it actually works. The biggest anti-aging effect in this product comes from sun protection. Sun damage is the main factor causing early signs of skin aging. We, however, do not recommend using this product as a sunscreen because the protection it offers is not strong enough).

astaxanthin 0.1% - 0.15%

Irritation risk:

Concentration: Effectiveness: MEDIUM

Helps neutralize free radicals in skin and might help to calm down inflammation

thioctic acid 0.1% - 0.2%

Irritation risk:

Concentration: Effectiveness: LOW

tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate 0.45% - 0.7%

Irritation risk:

Concentration: Insufficient!

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.

Moisturizing

What does the product description say?

Vitamin C Ester Photo-Brightening Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30

Source: From product name

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.

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: dimethicone, cyclopentasiloxane.

dimethicone 4% - 4.9%

Irritation risk:

Concentration: Effectiveness: HIGH

A silicone that helps to reduce water loss from the surface of the skin. Can temporarily "fill in" lines and wrinkles, absorb oil, and create a nice product finish

glycerin 6.8% - 8.3%

Irritation risk:

Concentration: Effectiveness: HIGH

One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant

cyclopentasiloxane 5.8% - 7.1%

Irritation risk:

Concentration: Effectiveness: MEDIUM

A silicone that helps improve the product texture and spreadability. Can absorb oil creating a short-term mattifying effect on the skin

Anti-oxidation

This product contains antioxidants (astaxanthin, thioctic acid) that can help neutralize free radicals in skin. By doing so, they can lessen the damage the skin gets from the UV light (sun).

astaxanthin 0.1% - 0.15%

Irritation risk:

Concentration: Effectiveness: HIGH

Helps neutralize free radicals in skin and might help to calm down inflammation

thioctic acid 0.1% - 0.2%

Irritation risk:

Concentration: Effectiveness: HIGH

tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate 0.45% - 0.7%

Irritation risk:

Concentration: Insufficient!

Sun protection

This product does not offer good protection against UVA rays.

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.

titanium dioxide 4.2%

Irritation risk:

UVA I protection: UVA II protection: UVB protection: Photo stable: Ingredient type Mineral

Works as a UV filter when used in high concentrations. It is photostable and is effective mostly against the UVB light, with some protection in the UVA range. In small concentrations, used for its ability to improve the color of cosmetic products. Is usually well tolerated by the skin

Evens skin tone

What does the product description say?

Vitamin C Ester Photo-Brightening Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30

Source: From product name

This product contains ingredients () that could help reduce hyperpigmentation (for example, post-acne marks or age spots) in theory, but there is not enough evidence that they actually work.

The biggest effect for evening out skin tone in this product comes from sun protection. Sun damage is the main factor causing age spots, darkening of post-acne marks and other discolorations. This is why sun protection is the best strategy for maintaining an even skin tone. We, however, do not recommend using this product as a sunscreen because the protection it offers is not strong enough).

tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate 0.45% - 0.7%

Irritation risk:

Concentration: Insufficient!

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Can it cause trouble?

User reviews (1)

Ingredients & concentrations

All ingredients

Key Actives

bisabolol 0.45% - 0.7%

Irritation risk:

Works for: Reduces irritation, Anti-inflammatory, Anti-oxidation

An active component of chamomile plant that historically has been used to calm down irritated skin. A recent study shows that bisabolol indeed can have some anti-inflammatory effect on skin, even though conclusive data is lacking. Bisabolol has a sweet floral scent and can be added to products for its aromatic properties

tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate 0.45% - 0.7%

Irritation risk:

Works for: Evens skin tone, Anti-aging, Anti-oxidation

Search top rated products by actives

Potential irritants

benzyl alcohol 0.5% - 1%

Irritation risk:

A preservative. Can be used to mask unpleasant smell. Can be irritating

pentylene glycol 2.7% - 3.3%

Irritation risk:

Works for: Moisturizing

Used to preserve products, dissolve other ingredients and create a nice product texture

Comodogenic ingredients

We couldn't find any comodogenic ingredients in this product

All ingredients

titanium dioxide 4.2%

Irritation risk:

Works for: Sun protection

water 45% - 55%

Irritation risk:

Plain old water

glycerin 6.8% - 8.3%

Irritation risk:

Works for: Moisturizing

One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant

Ingredient list view

Titanium dioxide, Water, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Pentylene glycol, Ethylhexyl methoxycrylene, Polyester-8, Polyglyceryl-3 polydimethylsiloxyethyl dimethicone, Hydroxyethyl acrylate/sodium acryloyldimethyl taurate copolymer, Benzyl alcohol, Aluminum hydroxide, Stearic acid, Diethylhexyl syringylidenemalonate, Hydrogenated lecithin, Isohexadecane, Bisabolol, Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Polysilicone-11, Polysorbate 60, Caprylic/capric triglyceride, Sodium benzoate, Potassium sorbate, Xanthan gum, Hydrogenated phosphatidylcholine, Thioctic acid, Astaxanthin

	Perricone MD - Vitamin C Ester Photo-Brightening Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30	Image skincare - PREVENTION+ SPF32+ Daily Matte Moisturizer	MDSolarSciences - Mineral Crme Broad Spectrum SPF 50 UVA-UVB Sunscreen	Medik8 - Daily Radiance Vitamin C	PEZRI - UV Protection Sun Cream SPF 50 PA++++	Obagi - Sun Shield Mineral Broad Spectrum SPF50 Cream	La Roche-Posay - Anthelios Pigment Correct Sun Cream SPF50	EltaMD - UV Replenish Broad-Spectrum SPF44 Cream	Skin Inc Supplement Bar - Pure UV Protect⁺ Face Cream	Cetaphil - PRO Tinted Moisturising Day Cream SPF30	Etude House - Soon Jung Mild Defence Sun Cream SPF49/PA++
Price
WIMJ similarity score		46%	45%	38%	37%	35%	35%	35%	35%	35%	35%
SPF	SPF 30	SPF 32	SPF 50	SPF 30	SPF 50	SPF 50	SPF 50	SPF 44	SPF 30	SPF 30	SPF 49
Key ingredients	tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate bisabolol +8 more	Common: tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate cyclopentasiloxane +1 more Other: panthenol erythritol +6 more	Common: caprylic/capric triglyceride dimethicone Other: butyloctyl salicylate camellia sinensis extract +3 more	Common: tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate dimethicone +1 more Other: diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine +2 more	Common: caprylic/capric triglyceride dimethicone +3 more Other: paraffinum liquidum cetyl dimethicone +5 more	Common: caprylic/capric triglyceride dimethicone +2 more Other: dipotassium glycyrrhizate polyglyceryl-2 dipolyhydroxystearate	Common: caprylic/capric triglyceride dimethicone +3 more Other: niacinamide bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine +6 more	Common: caprylic/capric triglyceride dimethicone +2 more Other: butyloctyl salicylate cetyl dimethicone +3 more	Common: cyclopentasiloxane dimethicone +2 more Other: ceramide 2 dipotassium glycyrrhizate +5 more	Common: dimethicone glycerin +1 more Other: allantoin caffeine +2 more	Common: dimethicone titanium dioxide +1 more Other: madecassoside panthenol +3 more
Irritancy	IRRITANCY LOW	IRRITANCY LOW	IRRITANCY LOW	IRRITANCY HIGH	IRRITANCY LOW	IRRITANCY LOW	IRRITANCY LOW	IRRITANCY LOW	IRRITANCY LOW	IRRITANCY LOW	IRRITANCY LOW
Potential Irritants	benzyl alcohol Has skin benefit? astaxanthin Has skin benefit? +10 more	ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate Has skin benefit? plankton extract Has skin benefit? +8 more	vaccinium macrocarpon fruit extract Has skin benefit? punica granatum extract Has skin benefit? +5 more	citral Has skin benefit? geraniol Has skin benefit? +20 more	chlorphenesin Has skin benefit? peg-30 dipolyhydroxystearate Has skin benefit? +6 more	aloe barbadensis leaf extract Has skin benefit? brassica oleracea italica extract Has skin benefit? +8 more	propylene glycol Has skin benefit? alcohol denat. Has skin benefit? +15 more	tocopheryl acetate Has skin benefit? ascorbyl palmitate Has skin benefit? +7 more	sea salt Has skin benefit? citric acid Has skin benefit? +4 more	benzyl alcohol Has skin benefit? methylpropanediol Has skin benefit? +2 more	scutellaria baicalensis root extract Has skin benefit? madecassoside Has skin benefit? +7 more
All ingredients	titanium dioxide Has skin benefit? water Has skin benefit? +26 more	zinc oxide Has skin benefit? ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate Has skin benefit? +33 more	dimethicone Has skin benefit? dimethicone crosspolymer Has skin benefit? +14 more	water Has skin benefit? tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate Has skin benefit? +31 more	water Has skin benefit? dimethicone Has skin benefit? +31 more	zinc Has skin benefit? unknown Has skin benefit? +26 more	water Has skin benefit? glycerin Has skin benefit? +43 more	zinc oxide Has skin benefit? titanium dioxide Has skin benefit? +27 more	water Has skin benefit? dimethicone Has skin benefit? +32 more	water Has skin benefit? dimethicone Has skin benefit? +22 more	water Has skin benefit? dimethicone Has skin benefit? +29 more

PRODUCT REVIEW

Perricone MD Vitamin C Ester Photo-Brightening Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30

Works for:

Doesn't work for:

Can it cause trouble?

Key actives

Cheaper alternatives

Product summary

Sunscreen filters

Irritation risk

What our users say

About the brand

Price

What can the product work for?

Works for

Does not work for

Anti-aging

What does the product description say?

Moisturizing

What does the product description say?

Anti-oxidation

Sun protection

Evens skin tone

What does the product description say?

Honesty check

How honest is this product?

Buy now

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Can it cause trouble?

Potential irritants

Comodogenic ingredients

User reviews (1)

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Ingredients & concentrations

All ingredients

Key Actives

Potential irritants

Comodogenic ingredients

All ingredients

Ingredient list view

Sources