All scans / Sunscreens / Dailey UV Defense Sunscreen Lotion
Dailey UV Defense Sunscreen Lotion ingredients: is it worth it?
This is a decent modern sunscreen base, but the fragrance load and botanical fluff keep it from being a standout.

This is a decent modern sunscreen base, but the fragrance load and botanical fluff keep it from being a standout.
READ MORE
The efficacy score is driven mainly by a solid UV filter system with avobenzone for UVA protection, ethylhexyl salicylate for UVB, and ethylhexyl methoxycrylene to improve photostability; the lotion also has a reasonable emollient/humectant base that should help spreadability and wear. I did not credit the many plant extracts as meaningful efficacy drivers because they are likely present at low levels and are not core to sun protection, and I docked points for fragrance/parfum plus declared fragrance allergens, which reduce the safety score and add irritation risk.
We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Links never influence scores.
DemythSkin rates Dailey UV Defense Sunscreen Lotion 4.0/5 for efficacy and 3.6/5 for safety.
CONTAINS COMMON SENSITISERS⌄
Fragrance components and essential oils that more often cause reactions in sensitive skin: Fragrance / Parfum, Limonene, Linalool. Most people tolerate them; patch test if your skin reacts easily.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS BY TIER
Gold Standards
High clinical proof | Skin-transformativeReliable
Proven resultsPotent
Developing evidenceOverhyped | Marketing
Hype | Limited dataDocumented Irritants
Evidence-backed flagFORMULATION BASE (17)⌄
FULL INGREDIENT LIST⌄
Limit time in the sun, especially from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Wear long-sleeved shirts, pants, hats, and sunglasses. Children under 6 months of age : Ask a doctor. Inactive ingredients WATER / AQUA / EAU, BUTYLOCTYL SALICYLATE, ETHYLHEXYL SALICYLATE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCRYLENE, BUTYL METHOXYDIBENZOYLMETHANE, ARACHIDYL ALCOHOL, BEHENYL ALCOHOL, POLYMETHYLSILSESQUIOXANE, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, CETYL ALCOHOL, ARACHIDYL GLUCOSIDE, PHENOXYETHANOL, PROPANEDIOL, POLYACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER-6, OCTYLDODECANOL, GLYCERYL STEARATE, PEG-100 STEARATE, FRAGRANCE / PARFUM, XANTHAN GUM, LIMONENE, CENTELLA ASIATICA EXTRACT, PORTULACA OLERACEA EXTRACT, ECHIUM PLANTAGINEUM SEED OIL, T-BUTYL ALCOHOL, CAMELLIA SINENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, LINALOOL, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL UNSAPONIFIABLES, CARDIOSPERMUM HALICACABUM FLOWER/LEAF/VINE EXTRACT, TOCOPHEROL, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL, GLYCERIN, HAMAMELIS VIRGINIANA (WITCH HAZEL) LEAF EXTRACT, CITRUS UNSHIU PEEL EXTRACT, OPUNTIA COCCINELLIFERA FRUIT EXTRACT, ORCHID EXTRACT, CAMELLIA JAPONICA LEAF EXTRACT, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM BENZOATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE
WHAT EACH INGREDIENT DOES (24)⌄
- Water / Aqua / Eau
- solvent base
- Butyloctyl Salicylate
- emollient solvent
- Ethylhexyl Salicylate
- UVB filter
- Butylene Glycol
- humectant solvent
- Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene
- photostabilizer UV booster
- Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
- UVA filter
- Arachidyl Alcohol
- fatty alcohol thickener
- Behenyl Alcohol
- fatty alcohol thickener
- Polymethylsilsesquioxane
- texture enhancer
- 1,2-Hexanediol
- solvent humectant
- Cetyl Alcohol
- fatty alcohol emollient
- Arachidyl Glucoside
- emulsifier
- Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
- Propanediol
- humectant solvent
- Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
- thickener stabilizer
- Octyldodecanol
- emollient slip agent
- Glyceryl Stearate
- emulsifier emollient
- PEG-100 Stearate
- emulsifier
- Fragrance / Parfum
- fragrance component
- Xanthan Gum
- thickener
- Limonene
- fragrance allergen
- Centella Asiatica Extract
- botanical extract
- Portulaca Oleracea Extract
- botanical extract
- Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil
- emollient oil
EXTERNAL CITATIONS
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane: UVA filter providing broad-spectrum sunscreen coverage
Ethylhexyl Salicylate: UVB filter commonly used to raise SPF
Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene: Photostabilizer that helps stabilize avobenzone
DISCLAIMER: THIS ANALYSIS IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. AI-GENERATED DATA BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INGREDIENT LISTS. VERIFY WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.
Dailey UV Defense Sunscreen Lotion: common questions
Is Dailey UV Defense Sunscreen Lotion worth it?
Dailey UV Defense Sunscreen Lotion scores 4.0 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Effective) and 3.6 out of 5.0 for safety (Mostly Gentle) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. This is a decent modern sunscreen base, but the fragrance load and botanical fluff keep it from being a standout.
What are the key active ingredients in Dailey UV Defense Sunscreen Lotion?
Dailey UV Defense Sunscreen Lotion contains no gold-standard actives. Its formula is built on supporting and base ingredients rather than clinically transformative actives.
Does Dailey UV Defense Sunscreen Lotion contain fragrance or known irritants?
DemythSkin flags these ingredients in Dailey UV Defense Sunscreen Lotion as documented irritants: Fragrance / Parfum, Limonene, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, T-Butyl Alcohol, Linalool. This product does contain fragrance.
How is Dailey UV Defense Sunscreen Lotion 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.
Free scores for every product in the database, or see them on Sephora, Ulta and Amazon with the Chrome extension.