No7 Early Defence Day Cream SPF 30
The No7 Early Defence Day Cream SPF 30 is a sunscreen. Our analysis of its 41 ingredients (34 low-risk) rates it Excellent (88/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and dry skin. Heads up: it contains fragrance, which can irritate sensitive or reactive skin.
The No7 Early Defence Day Cream SPF 30 is a sunscreen. Our analysis of its 41 ingredients (34 low-risk) rates it Excellent (88/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and dry skin. Heads up: it contains fragrance, which can irritate sensitive or reactive skin.
Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.
The evidence
| EWG | CIR | Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
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Benzophenone-3
(Uv Absorber, Uv Filter) |
Bad for Oily Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
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Octocrylene
(Sunscreen Agent, Uv Absorber, Uv Filter) |
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Water
(Solvent) |
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C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Antimicrobial) |
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Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent) |
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne Trigger
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Tribehenin
(Emollient, Skin Conditioning) |
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Alcohol Denat.
(Antifoaming Agent, Antimicrobial, Astringent, Masking, Solvent, Viscosity Controlling) |
Bad for Dry Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
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Dimethicone
(Antifoaming Agent, Skin Protecting, Emollient, Skin Conditioning) |
Silicone
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Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
(Absorbent, Anticaking Agent, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Cetearyl Glucoside
(Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
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Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter |
Bad for Oily Skin
Fungal Acne Trigger
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Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer
(Viscosity Controlling) |
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Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative) |
Paraben
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Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
(Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
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Methylparaben
(Fragrance, Preservative) |
Paraben
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Fragrance
(Deodorant, Masking, Perfuming) |
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Butylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Solvent, Viscositydecreasing Agent, Humectant, Masking, Viscosity Controlling) |
Good for Dry Skin
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Dimethiconol
(Antifoaming Agent, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Moisturising) |
Silicone
|
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Propylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Humectant, Skin Conditioningagent Miscellaneous, Solvent, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Controlling) |
Good for Dry Skin
|
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Xanthan Gum
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Skin Conditioning, Surfactant Emulsifying Agent, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Gel Forming, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Tocopheryl Acetate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning) |
Bad for Oily Skin
|
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Ascorbyl Glucoside
(Antioxidant) |
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Ethylparaben
(Fragrance, Preservative) |
Paraben
|
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Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A) |
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne Trigger
|
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Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Antistatic Agent) |
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Tetrasodium EDTA
(Chelating Agent) |
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t-Butyl Alcohol
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Solvent, Perfuming) |
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Panax Ginseng Root Extract
(Emollient, Hair Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Tonic) |
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Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol
(Antioxidant) |
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Medicago Sativa (Alfalfa) Extract
(Fragrance, Tonic) |
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Carbomer
(Emulsion Stabilising, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Gel Forming, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Potassium Hydroxide
(Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent) |
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Polysorbate 20
(Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
Fungal Acne Trigger
|
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Morus Alba Leaf Extract
(Skin Conditioning) |
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Silica
(Abrasive, Absorbent, Anticaking Agent, Bulking Agent, Opacifying, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Isopropyl Myristate
(Binding Agent, Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Binding, Perfuming, Solvent) |
Bad for Oily Skin
Fungal Acne Trigger
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Sodium Benzoate
(Fragrance, Preservative, Anticorrosive, Masking) |
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Tocopherol (Vitamin E) |
Good for Dry Skin
|
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Ethylhexylglycerin
(Deodorant, Skin Conditioning) |
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Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
(Skin Conditioning) |
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Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
(Skin Conditioning) |
No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.
EWG flags hazard, not real-world risk — ratings don't account for how much of an ingredient a product contains. Treat these as things to research, not verdicts. How we score →
How to use
General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.
Trust & honesty
Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.
Topical retinoids (retinol, retinaldehyde, retinyl esters) are widely advised against in pregnancy as a precaution. The strongest evidence is for ORAL retinoids; topical absorption is low, but most clinicians err on the side of caution.
This is general information, not medical advice. Pregnancy guidance varies and depends on concentration and your individual situation — always check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist. How we flag this.
The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.
Most studied between 0.1% and 1%. Higher is not automatically better — irritation climbs with dose, so a well-formulated lower strength is often the sweet spot.
Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A)
L-ascorbic acid is usually used at 5–20% (around 10–15% is common). Above ~20% adds little and tends to irritate more; it also needs a low pH to work.
Ascorbyl Glucoside
INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.
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