Clinique Super City Block Ultra Protection SPF 40 for oily skin
Zinc Oxide
Titanium Dioxide
Octinoxate
Octisalate
Rosa Roxburghii Fruit Extract
High
- HighOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
One of the best sunscreens for oily skin.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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
- Highly suitable for your oily skin, this product utilizes silica and BHT to absorb excess oil and provide antioxidant protection, complementing your goal of reducing oily shine.
- The inclusion of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide offers excellent UV protection, while Saccharomyces Lysate Extract and Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate provide general hydration and soothing benefits.
- The formula is safe for your skin, with no reported risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh or prohibited ingredients.
How to apply
- Apply this sunscreen during your AM routine every single day. Reapply every two hours if you are staying outdoors.
- Apply the sunscreen as the final step of your morning skincare routine after your moisturizer. Allow your moisturizer to absorb fully before putting it on.
- Squeeze a generous amount and pat it gently all over your face and neck. Avoid rubbing the product harshly into your skin.
- Apply the sunscreen directly onto dry skin to ensure it forms an even and protective layer against the sun.
- Avoid getting the product directly into your eyes and stop using it if any irritation occurs.
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
What makes Clinique Super City Block Ultra Protection SPF 40 a great fit for oily skin?
This sunscreen is a great fit because it uses silica to soak up excess oil and reduce shine while providing strong UV protection. It is also very safe for your skin, as it is unlikely to cause irritation.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily skin?
This cream is a great fit for oily skin because silica and BHT soak up extra oil to help cut down on greasy shine. It also features soothing ingredients and dependable UV protection that is unlikely to cause irritation.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025Journal of Controlled Release, 2025
What does Zinc Oxide do for oily skin?
Zinc oxide helps calm oily and breakout-prone skin by reducing redness and targeting bacteria that cause blemishes. It is unlikely to cause irritation and may help balance skin oil production.
What does Titanium Dioxide do for oily skin?
Titanium dioxide acts as a physical UV filter that sits on the outermost surface of the skin without clogging pores or making oily skin feel greasy. When used in sunscreens, this ingredient helps protect your face from sun damage while having a very safe profile on healthy skin.
Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, 2001Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2019
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This cream goes in the morning routine as the final step after your moisturizer. It is unlikely to cause irritation and helps protect your skin from the sun while keeping oily shine down.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025Archives of Dermatological Research, 2024
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this sunscreen in the morning as the final step of your routine, after your moisturizer and before any makeup. It helps protect your skin from the sun while absorbing excess oil to keep your face feeling fresh.
How often should I use this cream?
Use this sunscreen every morning as the final step in your daytime routine to protect your skin from the sun. The formula uses silica to absorb excess oil, and it is safe and unlikely to irritate oily skin.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This product is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on oily skin, as it contains ingredients that absorb excess oil and is made without harsh components. Clinical studies show that similar sunscreen formulas are generally safe and do not negatively affect acne-related skin bacteria.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025Archives of Dermatological Research, 2024
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A topical formulation containing panthenol, niacinamide, and dipotassium glycyrrhizate increased skin hydration by 74.1% and reduced transepidermal water loss by 13.5% at 28 days compared to baseline and untreated control in 35 individuals with xerosis.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026Dipotassium glycyrrhizinate-loaded hydroxypropyl chitosan and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogels applied to wounds in a mouse full-thickness skin defect model resulted in rapid wound closure, efficient tissue remolding, collagen deposition, and decreased inflammation compared to commercial Tegaderm film and 3M dressing controls.
Acta Biomaterialia, 2022Chemical 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, 2025Biomimetic 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, 2025The 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, 2024Topical 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, 2000Replacing 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, 2011Microfine 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, 2006Replacing 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, 2019Controlled 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, 2024Dermal exposure to EHS-containing sunscreen leads to the urinary excretion of EHS as the main biomarker alongside major metabolites 5OH-EHS, 5cx-EPS, 4OH-EHS, and 5oxo-EHS, measured using an extended enzymatic hydrolysis and on-line SPE LC-MS/MS method.
Talanta, 2024Rosa 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, 2021
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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