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CL
Clinique

Superdefense City Block Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Daily Energy + Face Protector Primer

SPF 50+ Tinted Iron-oxide pigment masks white cast with a sheer skin-tone finish. US United States us-fda Formulation variant: us-fda. Region-specific reformulations are tracked as separate products.

Octinoxate 5% + TiO2 3.2% + ZnO hybrid in a tinted primer matrix; no fragrance/alcohol but octinoxate carries mild endocrine concern.

CHEM Chemical filters Chemical filters — Organic filters absorb UV. Cosmetically elegant; filter selection matters. F F-FREE Fragrance-free Fragrance-free — No added fragrance or perfume — lower irritation risk for reactive skin. A A-FREE Alcohol-free Alcohol-free — No drying short-chain alcohols (denatured / SD alcohol). TINT Tinted Tinted — Adds sheer colour — covers white cast and gives a skin-tone finish.
66.8
Composite
Composite score · independent
Ranks #1049 of 1558 in the current catalogue. Octinoxate 5% + TiO2 3.2% + ZnO hybrid in a tinted primer matrix; no fragrance/alcohol but octinoxate carries mild endocrine concern.
Composite is a weighted blend: UV 25% · Modernity 10% · Sensitivity 15% · Environment 10% · Elegance 15% · Health 25%.
Verdict Should you buy it?

A tinted hybrid primer pairing octinoxate 5% with TiO2 3.2% and zinc oxide in a silicone primer base. Cosmetic feel and fragrance/alcohol-free status are strong, but octinoxate is an older filter with mild endocrine concern.

Pros
  • Hybrid filter set with mineral UVA backbone
  • Fragrance-free and alcohol-free
  • Iron oxide tint adds visible-light protection
  • Primer-grade silicone matrix grips makeup well
Cons
  • Octinoxate carries mild endocrine-disruption concern
  • No PA rating disclosed for UVA strength
  • Older filter generation than newer EU-style blends
  • Heavy silicone load can pill under some bases

Who it's for: Makeup wearers who want a tinted SPF primer and accept octinoxate in exchange for a smooth, fragrance-free silicone finish.

01 Score breakdown
UV protection How well the product blocks UVA + UVB across the spectrum at the stated SPF/PA. 60
Filter modernity Penalises legacy filters (octinoxate, oxybenzone); rewards photostable next-gen filters. 50
Sensitivity safety Risk for reactive skin — fragrance, alcohol, known sensitisers. 70
Reef / env. safety Reef toxicity, biodegradability of UV filters and surfactants. 100
Cosmetic elegance Spread, finish, white-cast, comfort on skin. 75
Health safety Endocrine concerns, systemic absorption signals across the formula. 60
03 At-a-glance facts
Protection
Filter type Mineral filters (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) sit on skin and reflect UV. Chemical filters absorb UV. Hybrid blends both.
Chemical
Broad spectrum Protects across both UVA and UVB ranges. UVA causes aging and deeper damage; UVB causes burns.
No
Formulation & feel
Texture How the formula feels at application — milk, gel, cream, spray, stick, essence, lotion, powder, or cushion.
Cream
Finish How the formula looks on skin once dry: matte, natural, dewy, or glowy.
Natural
Tinted Adds sheer pigment (iron oxides) that masks the white cast common to mineral filters and gives a skin-tone finish.
Yes
Fragrance-free No synthetic perfume added. Not FDA-defined in the US; the EU requires 'Parfum' + the 26 named allergens on the label. 'Unscented' differs — may contain masking fragrance. Botanical oils still scent.
Yes
Alcohol-free No drying short-chain alcohols (alcohol denat., SD alcohol, ethanol). Does not refer to fatty alcohols like cetyl or stearyl alcohol, which are emollients.
Yes
04 Full ingredient list (INCI) 36 ingredients
MODERN FILTER 0 LEGACY FILTER 2 MINERAL FILTER 0 ADDED FRAGRANCE 0 NATURAL FRAGRANCE 0 ALCOHOL 0 WATCH 1 ACTIVE 2
Source: brand-published INCI. Last verified 19 Jun 2026. Show in detail
01 Octinoxate 5.0%, Titanium Dioxide 3.2%, Zinc Oxide LEGACY FILTER Octinoxate — endocrine-disruption literature.
02 Aqua Water
03 Dimethicone Dimethicone
04 Butyloctyl Salicylate LEGACY FILTER Salicylate-class booster; supports avobenzone.
05 Isononyl Isononanoate Isononyl Isononanoate
06 Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
07 Lauryl Peg-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
08 Butylene Glycol Butylene Glycol
09 Polydecene Polydecene
10 Polyhydroxystearic Acid Polyhydroxystearic Acid
11 Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene (Solastay S1)
12 Hydrated Silica Hydrated Silica
13 Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
14 Trimethylsiloxysilicate Trimethylsiloxysilicate
15 Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/Pvp Crosspolymer Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/PVP Crosspolymer
16 Hydroxyapatite Hydroxyapatite
17 Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
18 Dimethicone/Peg-10/15 Crosspolymer Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
20 Quaternium-90 Bentonite Quaternium-90 Bentonite
21 Sodium Hyaluronate ACTIVE Hyaluronic acid — humectant.
22 Dimethicone Crosspolymer-3 Dimethicone Crosspolymer-3
23 Styrene Acrylates Copolymer Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer
24 Sodium Chloride Sodium Chloride
25 Caprylyl Glycol Caprylyl Glycol
26 Peg-8 Laurate PEG-8 Laurate
27 Propylene Carbonate Propylene Carbonate
28 Silica Silica
29 Tocopherol ACTIVE Vitamin E — antioxidant.
30 Sodium Citrate Sodium Citrate
31 Disodium Edta Disodium EDTA
32 Bht WATCH Antioxidant preservative; trace concern.
33 Phenoxyethanol Phenoxyethanol
34 Potassium Sorbate Potassium Sorbate
35 Ci 77491 Iron Oxide Red (CI 77491)
36 Iron Oxides Iron Oxides