Murad City Skin Age Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 50 PA++++ for acne-prone skin

How to apply

Questions and answers

What the research says

• Biomimetic hyaluronic acid-stabilized zinc oxide nanoparticles selectively inhibited C. acnes, outperformed erythromycin in preclinical acne models, and safely reduced acne lesions and redness in a clinical trial.

  Journal of Controlled Release, 2025

• Topical 0.5% hyaluronic-ZnO nanogel applied twice daily reduced inflammatory-lesion counts by 58% at week four in human subjects compared to baseline without causing erythema.

  Biomedicines, 2025

• Microfine titanium dioxide does not penetrate human skin when formulated in an oil-in-water emulsion with the pigment dispersed in the aqueous phase, compared to oily dispersions and liposomal encapsulation which allow deeper skin penetration.

  International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2000

• Topical application of micronised titanium dioxide results in no dermal absorption, with the particles being deposited solely on the outermost surface of the stratum corneum.

  Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, 2001

• Nels cream achieved a similar reduction in inflammatory and noninflammatory lesion counts compared to 5% benzoyl peroxide in acne vulgaris patients, but caused significantly fewer side-effects such as peeling and dryness.

  Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2000

• Topically applied coated and uncoated zinc oxide nanoparticles under flexing and massage are retained in the stratum corneum with no significant penetration into the viable epidermis and no cellular toxicity in human skin.

  Nanomedicine, 2016

• Replacing microsized titanium dioxide and zinc oxide with nanoparticles in sunscreens eliminates opaqueness and alters UV protection balance while inducing (photo)cyto- and genotoxicity and penetrating viable skin layers during long-term exposures.

  Nanotechnology, Science and Applications, 2011

• Microfine zinc oxide and titanium dioxide do not penetrate the stratum corneum of porcine skin in vitro, indicating that their use in sunscreens does not pose a health risk from internal exposure.

  Toxicology in Vitro, 2006

• Hyaluronic acid-grafted titanium dioxide nanoparticles increased SPF from 13.3 to 19.1 while demonstrating low photocatalytic activity, exceptional thermal stability with >95% SPF retention, enhanced moisturization with >80% hydration retention, and minimal cytotoxicity with 88.5% cell viability in HaCaT keratinocytes compared to unmodified nanoparticles.

  International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2025

• A combination cream of stimu-tex AS and saccharide isomerate reduced erythema, increased skin capacitance, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to placebo in 20 subjects after fractional CO2 laser procedure without causing serious adverse events.

  Lasers in Medical Science, 2025

• Topical application of an argan oil NLC-based hydrogel formulation increased skin hydration in healthy volunteers over a one-month period through a synergistic effect of NLC occlusion and argan oil hydration.

  International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2014

• Incorporating allantoin into argan oil enriched liposomes improved its accumulation in the dermis (~8.7μg/cm(2)) and permeation through the skin (~33μg/cm(2)) compared to conventional liposomes, water dispersion, and a commercial gel.

  International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2016

• Topical application of 5% vitamin C cream significantly improved global clinical scores, increased skin microrelief density, and induced elastic tissue repair in photoaged skin compared to excipient control in healthy female volunteers.

  Experimental Dermatology, 2003

• Ascorbic acid 2-glucoside gel significantly reduced gingival melanin pigmentation after 4 weeks compared to placebo in 73 subjects with symmetric pigmentation.

  Journal of Periodontology, 2009

• Topical application of VC-IP cream twice daily for 8 weeks reduces periorbital wrinkles in female subjects compared to a placebo cream.

  Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022

• Over-the-counter retinol products provided only weak evidence for a mild ameliorating effect on fine facial skin wrinkle lines in randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled trials, and major methodological flaws call the validity of positive results into question.

  The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2021

• A cosmetic niacinamide/peptide/retinyl propionate regimen significantly improved periorbital wrinkle appearance relative to a 0.02% tretinoin regimen at 8 weeks with comparable benefits at 24 weeks, while demonstrating significantly better tolerability in 196 women.

  The British Journal of Dermatology, 2010

• A novel triple-active cosmetic formulation containing 4-hexylresorcinol, retinyl propionate, and niacinamide improved the visual appearance of photoageing similarly to 0.02% tretinoin and reversed a consensus gene signature associated with ageing in female adults while causing less skin irritation.

  International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024

Ingredients

Water, Dimethicone, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Triheptanoin, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, C13-16 Isoparaffin, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polyurethane-35, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Dimethicone Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract Oat Kernel Extract, Xanthophyll, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbic Acid, Bisabolol, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Urea, Yeast Amino Acids, Trehalose, Inositol, Taurine, Betaine, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Silica, Tapioca Starch, Sucrose, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone Peg-10 15 Crosspolymer, Lauryl Peg-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Peg-8 Dimethicone, Octyldodecanol, Sodium Propoxyhydroxypropyl Thiosulfate Silica, Peg Ppg-18 18 Dimethicone, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Aluminum Stearate, Alumina, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Iron Oxides Ci 77491

Behind this fit score

Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.