SPF Scout · Product record
CVS Health CVS Pharmacy Sunscreen SPF 45
SPF 45 as labeled
U.S. formulation · record last retrieved 5 August 2026
What is listed
The ingredient declaration stored for this formulation, reproduced exactly as it was recorded from the source below.
22 entries · the stored declaration is recorded as complete.
What each ingredient generally does
Each entry that matched a canonical ingredient, with the function recorded for it. These notes describe the role an ingredient plays in a formulation. They do not assess an ingredient.
Octinoxate
Light stabiliser (protects the formula from light)UV absorber (protects the formula from light, not a sunscreen filter)UV filter (filters UV rays)An organic UV filter that absorbs ultraviolet light. It also acts as a light stabilizer, helping the formula hold up when exposed to sunlight. You'll often see it listed as Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate.
Octocrylene
Light stabiliser (protects the formula from light)UV absorber (protects the formula from light, not a sunscreen filter)UV filter (filters UV rays)An organic UV filter that absorbs ultraviolet light. It also serves as a light stabilizer, helping keep other filters and the formula intact under sunlight.
Zinc Oxide
Bulking agent (adds volume)Colorant (adds colour)Light stabiliser (protects the formula from light)Oral care (CosIng functional class)Preservative (inhibits microbial growth)Skin protecting (CosIng functional class)UV absorber (protects the formula from light, not a sunscreen filter)UV filter (filters UV rays)A mineral UV filter that absorbs ultraviolet light, the core sun-protection job in this product. It also helps protect the skin surface and can add whiteness or opacity. On some labels it appears as CI 77947 when used for colour.
Water
Antiplaque (CosIng functional class)otherSkin conditioning (CosIng functional class)Solvent (dissolves other ingredients)The base liquid that most of the other ingredients dissolve or spread into. It carries the formula and helps condition the skin surface.
An oil-like ingredient that softens and smooths the skin feel. It leaves a light, spreadable finish on the skin.
A silicone that works as an emollient, softening and smoothing skin feel. It gives the product a silky, slippery glide.
Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Surfactant (cleanses or mixes oil and water)An emulsifier that helps oil and water mix. In practice it keeps the water and oil parts blended into one smooth product.
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Skin conditioning (CosIng functional class)Surfactant (cleanses or mixes oil and water)A silicone-based emulsifier that helps oil and water mix. It also conditions skin and can lift away dirt and oil.
An emollient that softens and smooths the skin feel. It leaves skin feeling conditioned and helps the product go on smoothly.
Cera Alba
Emollient (softens and smooths skin)Film forming (leaves a thin coating)Fragrance ingredient (scent)Skin conditioning (CosIng functional class)Surfactant (cleanses or mixes oil and water)Cera Alba is beeswax, used to soften skin, form a film, and help oil and water mix. It smooths skin feel, leaves a thin protective layer, and keeps the water and oil parts blended. It's the Latin label name for beeswax.
listed as “Beeswax”
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient (softens and smooths skin)Skin conditioning (CosIng functional class)Surfactant (cleanses or mixes oil and water)Viscosity control (thickens or thins the formula)A thick oil-based ingredient that softens and smooths skin feel while helping oil and water mix. It also cleanses and adjusts how thick the product is, so it can carry cleansing and texture roles at once.
Sodium Chloride
Bulking agent (adds volume)Fragrance ingredient (scent)Oral care (CosIng functional class)otherViscosity control (thickens or thins the formula)Common table salt, used here mainly to adjust the thickness of the formula. It can also act as a bulking agent to add body, and shows up in oral care products. On labels it's simply salt.
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient (softens and smooths skin)Hair conditioning (CosIng functional class)Skin conditioning (CosIng functional class)Solvent (dissolves other ingredients)This is a lightweight silicone used to condition skin and hair and to soften and smooth skin feel. It also acts as a solvent, helping the product spread and dissolve other ingredients.
Propylene Glycol
Fragrance ingredient (scent)Humectant (holds moisture)Skin conditioning (CosIng functional class)Solvent (dissolves other ingredients)Viscosity control (thickens or thins the formula)A multi-tasker that draws in and holds moisture, dissolves other ingredients as a solvent, and adjusts thickness. It also plays a role in fragrance and general skin conditioning. In practice it helps keep the product from drying out and keeps the texture consistent.
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient (softens and smooths skin)Hair conditioning (CosIng functional class)Skin conditioning (CosIng functional class)Solvent (dissolves other ingredients)This is a lightweight silicone that softens and smooths skin feel and also conditions hair. It works as a solvent too, helping other ingredients dissolve and the product spread easily.
A binding ingredient that helps hold the parts of the formula together. It is often used to coat and bind powders in a mix.
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant (slows the formula oxidising)otherSkin conditioning (CosIng functional class)Tocopheryl Acetate is a form of vitamin E that acts as an antioxidant, helping keep the formula from going off. It also conditions the skin, softening its feel.
This is the juice from aloe leaves, used to condition skin. It helps skin feel smooth and in good condition. On labels it is often called aloe vera.
Diazolidinyl Urea
Preservative (inhibits microbial growth)Diazolidinyl Urea is a preservative. It helps keep the product from spoiling over time.
This is a preservative that also adds fragrance. It keeps the product from spoiling and contributes to its scent. It belongs to the paraben family of preservatives.
Disodium EDTA
Chelating (binds metal ions in the formula)otherViscosity control (thickens or thins the formula)An ingredient that binds trace metals that would otherwise spoil the formula, and helps adjust its thickness. This keeps the product stable over time.
A preservative that keeps the product from spoiling, and it also plays a role in the scent. In practice it helps the formula stay stable over time.
Checking this against your own list
SPF Scout's Personal Ingredient Check runs in the app, on your device. This page cannot see a personal avoidance list. Your selections are stored on your phone and are never sent to this website — there is nowhere on our side for them to go.
In the app you choose the ingredients you already avoid, and every entry in this declaration that matches one of them is shown to you with the alias path that produced the match.
This comparison does not predict whether your skin will react.
Source quality
- Source
- DailyMed drug label
- Source record
- https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=5abcf2fe-e713-4007-943b-900591a8b238
- Retrieved
- 5 August 2026
- Market
- United States
- Formulation date
- Not recorded
- Version
- v2 of this U.S. formulation
- Verification confidence
- High
- Entries recorded
- 22
- Record checksum
- sha256:160fc96a61eb1b21f07e9d2a8f4709dfd62326e51d3e3280c3f79dc99ebca086
Earlier readings of this document
We have read this product's source document twice, and kept each reading. The earlier reading is ours: a change in how we read the document, not a change the manufacturer made to the formula.
Always compare this record with your current package.