innisfree Daily UV Defense Sunscreen for sensitive skin
Avobenzone
Homosalate
Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene
Centella Asiatica Extract
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
High
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for sensitive skin; a few sunscreens fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Excellent protection against UV rays is provided by homosalate and ethylhexyl salicylate, which are beneficial for your normal skin type by shielding it from sun damage. Centella Asiatica Extract and Portulaca Oleracea Extract further soothe and calm your sensitive skin, addressing your concerns of redness and irritation.
- Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract offers antioxidant benefits, complementing the soothing properties of Centella Asiatica Extract for enhanced skin health.
- The formulation is safe for your sensitive skin, as it lacks harsh ingredients and minimizes irritation risks.
How to apply
- Apply this sunscreen during your AM routine every morning. Reapply every two hours if you are staying outdoors under direct sunlight.
- Order in routine: apply the sunscreen as the final step after your moisturizer and before applying makeup.
- Application method: gently press a nickel-sized amount over your face and neck without harsh rubbing.
- Skin condition guidance: apply the sunscreen directly onto dry skin for even coverage and reliable sun protection.
- Safety note: avoid direct contact with your eyes and do a patch test before first use to check for sensitivity.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 3.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this water-based chemical sunscreen is highly recommended for dry to normal skin types due to its lightweight, lotion-like consistency that hydrates and provides a dewy, glass-skin finish without any white cast. Users with oily or acne-prone skin frequently report a greasy or shiny appearance, and a notable number of individuals with sensitive eyes experience stinging, often attributed to the fragrance and chemical filters.
Highlights
Hydrating texture Mostly Mentioned
- “feels like a moisturizer”
- “skips my morning lotion”
- “soothing green tea ingredients”
Glowy finish Often Mentioned
- “gives a healthy dewy glow”
- “glass skin effect”
- “great under makeup”
No white cast Often Mentioned
- “completely invisible on dark skin”
- “zero cast, clear finish”
- “blends in like a lotion”
Greasy/shiny finish Often Mentioned
- “too oily for my skin”
- “looks like a greaseball”
- “shiny T-zone by noon”
Affordable price Sometimes Noted
- “great value for the price”
- “cheaper than other Sephora SPFs”
Eye irritation Sometimes Noted
- “stings my eyes badly”
- “makes eyes water”
- “burns when sweating”
Strong fragrance Sometimes Noted
- “scent is too overpowering”
- “smells like herbal perfume”
- “lingering floral smell”
Causes breakouts Rarely Noted
- “clogged my pores”
- “caused small whiteheads”
- “broke me out”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, amazon.com, innisfree.com, reddit.com, youtube.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes innisfree Daily UV Defense Sunscreen a great fit for sensitive skin?
This sunscreen is a great fit because Centella Asiatica Extract and Portulaca Oleracea Extract help soothe and calm sensitive skin while addressing redness and irritation. It also features a safe formula that lacks harsh ingredients to minimize irritation risks.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology, 2025
Which ingredients make this sunscreen a good fit for sensitive skin?
Centella Asiatica Extract and Portulaca Oleracea Extract make this sunscreen a great fit by helping to soothe and calm sensitive skin and address redness. Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract also provides antioxidant benefits to support overall skin health.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology, 2025
What does Avobenzone do for sensitive skin?
Avobenzone helps protect sensitive skin from UV rays, though it may cause irritation or allergic reactions in some individuals. Chemical sunscreens containing avobenzone generally show minimal risks of skin irritation and sensitization in human subjects.
Chemical Research in Toxicology, 2009Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025
What does Homosalate do for sensitive skin?
Homosalate acts as a chemical UV filter in sunscreens to help protect skin from harmful sun rays. When used on sensitive skin, chemical sunscreens containing ingredients like homosalate are unlikely to cause irritation or allergic reactions.
Where does this sunscreen go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This sunscreen goes in the morning routine as the final step after cleansing and applying a soothing toner. It helps protect against UV rays while calming redness and irritation.
Can I use this sunscreen with retinol, and in what order?
Yes, you can use this sunscreen in the morning after applying your retinol and moisturizer, or as your final daytime protective step. Using a gentle sunscreen helps shield your sensitive skin from sun damage while keeping irritation low.
How often should I use this sunscreen?
Use this sunscreen every morning as the last step of your daytime routine to shield your sensitive skin from sun damage. Centella asiatica extract and green tea leaf extract help calm redness and irritation while protecting your skin.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016Experimental Dermatology, 2009
Can this sunscreen clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This sunscreen is unlikely to cause breakouts for sensitive skin since it is formulated to minimize irritation risks. However, some reviewers do report that it can leave a greasy or shiny finish.
Is this sunscreen fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum). Arachidyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol, and cetyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Cosmetic formulations containing 5% Centella asiatica extract showed the best efficacy in improving skin moisture and decreasing transepidermal water loss, while also exhibiting antiinflammatory properties in 25 volunteers compared to baseline measurements.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016Facial masks containing low-temperature extracted Portulaca oleracea protect sensitive skin from photothermal stimulation and improve skin barrier function during photorejuvenation.
Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology, 2025Chemical sunscreens containing avobenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, and octisalate showed no to minimal risks of dermal irritation, sensitization, photo-allergy, and photo-irritation in human subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025Topical low-dose green tea extract reduces UVB-induced p53 expression and apoptosis in human skin keratinocytes compared to placebo.
Experimental Dermatology, 2009Co-delivery of paeonol and madecassoside via nanoemulsions improved transdermal delivery, promoted barrier repair proteins, inhibited inflammatory cytokine secretion in cellular and 3D models, and reduced transepidermal water loss and acne in human facial skin compared to free components.
Molecules, 2023Encapsulation of ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate and butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane in lipid microparticles significantly reduced their in vivo human skin penetration compared to nonencapsulated filters.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2011Microencapsulation of the BMDBM/HP-beta-CD complex in lipid microparticles significantly decreased the percutaneous penetration of the UV filter into the stratum corneum of human volunteers compared to the non-encapsulated sunscreen agent.
Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 2011Following human skin application of an O/W emulsion containing 2% BMDBM loaded in lipospheres, 15% of the sunscreen accumulated in the uppermost layers of the stratum corneum without remarkably modifying skin permeation compared to unencapsulated sunscreen.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2008Dermal application of a sunscreen containing 10% homosalate in four volunteers resulted in delayed elimination with terminal half-times around 24 h and a bioavailability of cis-homosalate a factor of 2 lower than trans-homosalate, while metabolite ratios supported using oral-route urinary excretion fractions for dermal exposure assessments.
Archives of Toxicology, 2024Homosalate exhibited the highest permeation among tested filters with a relative permeability rate of 4.2% and a depth of 60 um, and specific thickeners and emulsifiers successfully reduced its permeation without inhibiting the skin permeation of niacinamide.
Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, 2026An online-SPE-LC-MS/MS method successfully quantified specific urinary homosalate metabolites for up to 96 hours after dermal sunscreen application in a volunteer and detected metabolites exclusively in three German pilot participants who had used sunscreen within five days.
Analytica Chimica Acta, 2021Topical application of 0.05% w/w ECa 233 gel reduced erythema index by 0.03 U and improved early crusting and general wound appearance compared to placebo in thirty individuals undergoing facial laser resurfacing.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2020A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese decreased adverse reactions and downtime after ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing with comparable efficacy to 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream in 20 subjects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Topical green tea extract significantly improved clinical symptoms, tear breakup times, and meibomian gland health compared to standard treatment in patients with dry eye and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.
Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 2017An anti-acne hydrogel containing Aloe barbadensis, Garcinia mangostana, and Camellia sinensis extracts showed superior antiacne and antiblotch activities compared to 1% clindamycin gel in sixty subjects with mild-moderate acne.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019Topical application of green tea extract encapsulated chitosan microparticles improved skin elasticity, melanin index, and facial wrinkles compared to a placebo in female volunteers without causing skin irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
Ingredients
Water, Homosalate, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Butylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Arachidyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Cetyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Propanediol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Octyldodecanol, Parfum, Xanthan Gum, Centella Asiatica Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, T-Butyl Alcohol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Vine Extract Flower Leaf, Tocopherol, Glycerin, Witch Hazel Leaf Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract, Orchid Extract, Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
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.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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