Clinique Super City Block Ultra Protection SPF 40 for dry skin
Zinc Oxide
Titanium Dioxide
Octinoxate
Octisalate
Rosa Roxburghii Fruit Extract
Average
- HighDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for dry skin; other sunscreens fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, fine lines, and wrinkles. 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
- Offers moderate benefits for your dry skin, as Squalane and Sodium Hyaluronate provide emollient and humectant actions, while Rosa Roxburghii Fruit Extract and Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract offer supportive hydration and soothing effects.
- The broad-spectrum sunscreen effect from Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide provides excellent protection against UV rays, which is beneficial for overall skin health.
- The product is safe for your dry skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Apply this sunscreen during your AM routine every morning. Reapply every two hours when exposed to the sun.
- Apply the sunscreen as the final step in your morning routine after your moisturizer.
- Gently smooth a nickel-sized amount over your face and neck, avoiding harsh rubbing.
- Apply the sunscreen on clean, dry skin to ensure even protection and absorption.
- Avoid the immediate eye area and do a patch test before first use.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 700+ reviewsUsers with sensitive and combination skin highly praise this product for its dual function as a lightweight, non-irritating sunscreen and a makeup primer that does not cause breakouts. While the sheer tint effectively neutralizes white cast for most skin tones, some users with oily skin find the finish slightly too dewy or greasy for humid weather.
Highlights
Gentle on Sensitive Skin Mostly Mentioned
- “never stings my eyes”
- “no breakouts or irritation”
- “great for allergy-prone skin”
Invisible/Sheer Tint Mostly Mentioned
- “tint disappears quickly”
- “no white cast”
- “blends seamlessly into skin”
- “universally flattering tint”
Excellent Makeup Primer Often Mentioned
- “foundation glides right on”
- “grips makeup well”
- “smooths skin texture”
- “works great under powder”
Lightweight Texture Often Mentioned
- “feels like nothing on”
- “absorbs instantly”
- “non-greasy formula”
- “breathable for daily wear”
Greasy/Shiny Finish Sometimes Noted
- “too shiny for oily skin”
- “leaves a greasy film”
- “slick in humidity”
- “requires powder to set”
Hard to Dispense Rarely Noted
- “tube gets messy”
- “product separates sometimes”
- “hard to get last bit”
- “leaks in cap”
Tint Mismatch Rarely Noted
- “too dark for pale skin”
- “turns slightly orange”
- “visible on collar”
- “muddy on fair complexion”
Unpleasant Scent Rarely Noted
- “smells a bit funky”
- “odd chemical smell”
- “scent lingers briefly”
- “smells like rubber”
Sources: lovi.care, macys.com, lookfantastic.com, walmart.com, makeupalley.com, sephora.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Clinique Super City Block work for dry skin?
This product works for your dry skin, though other sunscreens fit it better. It gives you moderate moisture alongside strong UV protection, but a sunscreen for dry skin needs richer hydrating ingredients and skin-softening oils to keep your skin smooth.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for dry skin?
Squalane helps keep dry skin soft, while Rosa Roxburghii fruit extract and licorice root extract calm it and provide supportive moisture. Sunscreens like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide also offer great UV protection without causing irritation. A sun protection product for dry skin needs rich moisturizing ingredients and gentle soothing plant extracts to keep the skin comfortable and hydrated.
What does Zinc Oxide do for dry skin?
Zinc oxide is unlikely to help dry skin on its own, because repeated use of this ingredient may increase water loss and lead to a scaly appearance. A product for dry skin needs extra ingredients that lock in moisture and soothe the skin.
What does Titanium Dioxide do for dry skin?
Titanium dioxide sits on top of dry skin to block UV rays without sinking in or clogging pores. A product of this type needs rich, moisturizing ingredients like shea butter to keep dry skin soft and comfortable.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2000Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, 2001
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This sunscreen is applied in the morning as the final step of your skincare routine, right after your moisturizer. It is unlikely to irritate dry skin, though a product of this type works best for dry skin when it includes richer oils and heavier moisturizing ingredients.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this sunscreen in the morning as the last step after your retinol routine is fully absorbed. This product is unlikely to cause irritation on dry skin, but dry skin typically needs extra rich moisturizing ingredients and oils to stay soft and smooth throughout the day.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this sunscreen every morning as the final step of your daytime routine. It is safe for dry skin and is unlikely to cause irritation.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This sunscreen is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry skin, as it has a safe formula without harsh ingredients. To keep dry skin balanced and comfortable, a product of this type needs nourishing oils and deep hydrators like squalane and glycerin.
Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Rosa roxburghii fruit extract and its isolated ellagitannins, strictinin and casuarictin, suppressed poly(I:C)-induced interleukin-8 mRNA expression and release in normal human epidermal keratinocytes compared to stimulated controls.
Journal of Natural Medicines, 2021Rosa roxburghii Tratt fruit fermentation broth protects human embryonic skin fibroblasts from ultraviolet-A-induced oxidative stress and photoaging, with the Lactobacillus Yogurt Starter LYS-20297 co-culture showing the highest overall effect.
Antioxidants, 2024Replacing 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, 2011Chemical 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 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, 2025Nels 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, 2000Topically 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, 2016Microfine 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, 2000Microfine 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, 2006Hyaluronic 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, 2025Replacing 20% of the chemical UV filter octyl methoxycinnamate with urucum oil in solid lipid nanoparticles maintained the skin protection factor without inducing toxic responses or significant skin penetration in human volunteers.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2018Liposomal encapsulation of octyl methoxycinnamate increases its safety, skin affinity, and in vivo solar photoprotection factor while slowing its release and enhancing retention in the stratum corneum compared to a conventional formulation.
International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2013Encapsulation 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, 2011Simulated real-life dermal sunscreen exposure in twenty human volunteers leads to the systemic bioavailability and urinary excretion of the UV filter 2-ethylhexyl salicylate and its metabolite, reaching concentration peaks at 7 to 8 hours with 70-80% of overall excretion within 24 hours.
Archives of Toxicology, 2019The application of a sunscreen formulation containing ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, ethylhexyl salicylate, methyl anthranilate, and octocrylene does not significantly affect critical acne-related species such as Cutibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis, refuting the induction of facial dysbiosis in men.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2024Controlled single dermal exposure to an EHS-containing sunscreen in three volunteers resulted in delayed systemic resorption with elimination half-lives between 6.6 and 9.7 hours, where the parent compound EHS occurred as the dominant urinary parameter.
Archives of Toxicology, 2024
Ingredients
Octinoxate, Octisalate, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Water, Trioctyldodecyl Citrate, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Steareth-2, Silica, Rosa Roxburghii Fruit Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Porphyra Yezoensis Extract Algae Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract Licorice Root Extract, Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Betula Alba Bark Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Extrait Dorge, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract Rosemary Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seedcake Sunflower Seedcake, Gentiana Lutea Root Extract, Yeast Extract, Yeast, Extrait De Levure, Sodium Rna, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Pantethine, Squalane, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Chamomilla Recutita Matricaria, Hexylene Glycol, Peg, Ppg-18, 18 Dimethicone, Caprylyl Glycol, Barium Sulfate, Polyethylene, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Lecithin, Ceteth-2, Peg-40 Stearate, Sodium Stearate, Steareth-20, Sorbitan Tristearate, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Xanthan Gum, Stearic Acid, Aluminum Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Disodium Edta, Bht, Phenoxyethanol, Mica, Titanium Dioxide Ci 77891
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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