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Aclaris Photon 360 Tint Sunscreen Gel ingredients: is it worth it?
This is a high-coverage, highly occlusive hybrid sunscreen that protects well but is heavy, comedogenic-leaning, and chemically noisy for daily facial use.
This is a high-coverage, highly occlusive hybrid sunscreen that protects well but is heavy, comedogenic-leaning, and chemically noisy for daily facial use.
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The efficacy score is driven by a robust mix of mineral filters (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) plus multiple organic UV filters (octocrylene, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, ethylhexyl salicylate, butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, benzophenone-3), providing broad-spectrum UVB and UVA1 coverage and decent photostability when octocrylene stabilizes the UVA filter. However, the silicone- and wax-rich base with isopropyl myristate and fractionated coconut oil makes this a dense, occlusive gel that is more suitable for short outdoor exposures or body use than for acne-prone or very sensitive facial skin, and the inclusion of benzophenone-3 adds avoidable irritation and sensitization risk without improving protection enough to justify its presence. Hydration and comfort are modestly supported by glycerin, allantoin, and vitamin E, but there are no advanced modern filters or elegant low-irritation vehicles here, keeping the formula firmly in “functional but dated” territory rather than clinically optimal.
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DemythSkin rates Aclaris Photon 360 Tint Sunscreen Gel 4.4/5 for efficacy and 3.5/5 for safety.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS BY TIER
Gold Standards
High clinical proof | Skin-transformativeReliable
Proven resultsPotent
Developing evidenceOverhyped | Marketing
Hype | Limited dataDocumented Irritants
Evidence-backed flagFORMULATION BASE (5)⌄
FULL INGREDIENT LIST⌄
Cyclopentasiloxane , Beeswax , Zinc Oxide , Polymethylsilsesquioxane , Titanium Dioxide , Dimethicone , Isopropyl Myristate , Thermus Thermophillus Ferment , Glycerin , Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate , Octocrylene , Ethylhexyl Salicylate , Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane , Melanin , Benzophenone-3 , Dimethicone Crosspolymer , Fractionated Coconut Oil , Allantoin , Vitamin E , Talc , Iron Oxides (Ci 77499 & Ci 77492)
WHAT EACH INGREDIENT DOES (21)⌄
- Cyclopentasiloxane
- Silicone emollient base
- Beeswax
- Thickener and film former
- Zinc Oxide
- Mineral UV filter (UVB/UVA)
- Polymethylsilsesquioxane
- Texture enhancer and film former
- Titanium Dioxide
- Mineral UV filter (UVB/UVA-PF)
- Dimethicone
- Silicone emollient and skin protectant
- Isopropyl Myristate
- Emollient and slip agent
- Thermus Thermophillus Ferment
- Marketing antioxidant/soothing ferment
- Glycerin
- Humectant for hydration
- Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
- Chemical UVB filter
- Octocrylene
- UVB filter and photostabilizer
- Ethylhexyl Salicylate
- UVB filter and solvent
- Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
- Chemical UVA filter (UVA1)
- Melanin
- Tint/color and antioxidant marketing
- Benzophenone-3
- Broad-spectrum UV filter
- Dimethicone Crosspolymer
- Gel-forming and texture modifier
- Fractionated Coconut Oil
- Light emollient and dispersant
- Allantoin
- Soothing and skin protectant
- Vitamin E
- Antioxidant and emollient
- Talc
- Absorbent and texture modifier
- Iron Oxides (Ci 77499 & Ci 77492)
- Pigments for tint and coverage
EXTERNAL CITATIONS
Zinc Oxide: Shaath NA. Ultraviolet filters. Photoprotection chapter in Cosmetic Science and Technology; zinc oxide is a broad-spectrum inorganic UV filter providing protection across UVB and UVA ranges.
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane: Chatelain E, Gabard B. Photostabilization of Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane with Octocrylene. Photochemistry and Photobiology. Demonstrates octocrylene’s role in stabilizing the UVA filter avobenzone.
Benzophenone-3: Kiss K et al. Contact and photocontact allergy to UV filters. Dermatology. Benzophenone-3 (oxybenzone) is associated with higher rates of contact and photocontact allergy compared to other filters.
Allantoin: Santos C et al. Allantoin as a skin protectant and soothing agent. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. Supports its use for mild soothing and barrier comfort.
DISCLAIMER: THIS ANALYSIS IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. AI-GENERATED DATA BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INGREDIENT LISTS. VERIFY WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.
Aclaris Photon 360 Tint Sunscreen Gel: common questions
Is Aclaris Photon 360 Tint Sunscreen Gel worth it?
Aclaris Photon 360 Tint Sunscreen Gel scores 4.4 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Effective) and 3.5 out of 5.0 for safety (Mostly Gentle) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. This is a high-coverage, highly occlusive hybrid sunscreen that protects well but is heavy, comedogenic-leaning, and chemically noisy for daily facial use.
What are the key active ingredients in Aclaris Photon 360 Tint Sunscreen Gel?
Aclaris Photon 360 Tint Sunscreen Gel contains these gold-standard actives with strong clinical evidence: Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide.
Does Aclaris Photon 360 Tint Sunscreen Gel contain fragrance or known irritants?
DemythSkin flags these ingredients in Aclaris Photon 360 Tint Sunscreen Gel as documented irritants: Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Benzophenone-3, Fractionated Coconut Oil.
How is Aclaris Photon 360 Tint Sunscreen Gel scored?
DemythSkin grades every product on two independent scores: efficacy (whether the ingredients have clinical evidence of working) and safety (irritation and sensitisation risk). Ingredients are graded S through D against a database of over 3,000 compounds. Brand and price are not part of the score, and no brand pays for one.
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