ULTA BB Cream Beauty Balm SPF 20
The ULTA BB Cream Beauty Balm SPF 20 is a sunscreen. Our analysis of its 37 ingredients (32 low-risk) rates it Excellent (91/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and dry skin.
The ULTA BB Cream Beauty Balm SPF 20 is a sunscreen. Our analysis of its 37 ingredients (32 low-risk) rates it Excellent (91/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and dry skin.
Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.
The evidence
| EWG | CIR | Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
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Zinc Oxide
(Bulking Agent, Cosmetic Colorant, Skin Protecting, Sunscreen Agent) |
Good for Oily Skin
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Cyclopentasiloxane
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Solvent) |
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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Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient) |
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PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
(Emulsifying) |
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Dimethicone
(Antifoaming Agent, Skin Protecting, Emollient, Skin Conditioning) |
Silicone
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Cyclohexasiloxane
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Solvent) |
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Magnesium Chloride
(Viscosity Controlling) |
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Potassium Chloride
(Viscosity Increasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling) |
Bad for Oily Skin
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Sodium Chloride
(Bulking Agent, Masking, Oral Care Agent, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Zinc Chloride
(Cosmetic Astringent, Cosmetic Biocide, Drug Astringent Oral Health Care Drugs, Oralcare Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Oral Care Agent, Soothing) |
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Lysine
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Antistatic Agent) |
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Panax Ginseng Root Extract
(Emollient, Hair Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Tonic) |
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Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
(Skin Conditioning) |
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Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
(Masking, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning) |
Good for Sensitive Skin
Good for Dry Skin
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Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
(Astringent, Skin Conditioning) |
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Phytantriol
(Anticaking Agent, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Humectant) |
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Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
(Antioxidant) |
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Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A) |
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne Trigger
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Tocopheryl Acetate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning) |
Bad for Oily Skin
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Tocopherol (Vitamin E) |
Good for Dry Skin
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Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning) |
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Aluminum Hydroxide
(Emollient, Humectant, Opacifying, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Stearic Acid
(Fragrance, Sufactant, Emulsifying, Surfactantsurfactant Cleansing Agent Is Included As A Function For The Soap Form Of Stearic Acid., Emulsion Stabilising, Masking, Refatting) |
Bad for Oily Skin
Fungal Acne Trigger
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Triethoxycaprylylsilane
(Binding Agent, Binding) |
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Boron Nitride
(Slip Modifier, Absorbent, Opacifying, Skin Conditioning) |
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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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Sodium Dehydroacetate
(Preservative) |
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Palmitic Acid
(Fragrance, Opacifying, Sufactant, Surfactant Emulsifying Agentsurfactant Cleansing Agent Is Included As A Function For The Soap Form Of Palmitic Acid., Emollient) |
Bad for Oily Skin
Fungal Acne Trigger
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Dextrin Palmitate
(Anticaking Agent, Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
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Sodium Hyaluronate
(Skin Conditioning, Humectant) |
Good for Dry Skin
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Butylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Solvent, Viscositydecreasing Agent, Humectant, Masking, Viscosity Controlling) |
Good for Dry Skin
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Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative) |
Paraben
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Methylparaben
(Fragrance, Preservative) |
Paraben
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Propylparaben
(Fragrance, Preservative, Perfuming) |
Paraben
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Iron Oxides
(Colorant, Cosmetic Colorant) |
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Titanium/Titanium Dioxide
(Cosmetic Colorant, Opacifying) |
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.
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
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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