The Mineral Sunscreen Buying Guide
It’s Skin Cancer Awareness Month! With the summer season approaching and the continued spotlight on sunscreen in beauty routines, there are more face sunscreens to choose from than ever — especially sheer and tinted mineral SPFs. While clean beauty diehards have long-preferred these, they have not always provided the best user experience or catered well to skin of color. With recent safety concerns raised about chemical sunscreens, the demand for sheer mineral sunscreens has increased. So while chemical formulas were typically the gold-standard for sheerness that left no white cast on the skin, a new guard of mineral SPFs changes that. So as you get ready for some fun in the sun, here’s an overview of this expanding category as well as a round-up of our current faves.
The DL on Mineral Sunscreens
Before we get started, check out our May 2021 issue for a summary on the difference between mineral/physical and chemical sunscreens. Team Skindie recommends prioritizing the use of sunscreen over the type of formula, and it mostly comes down to personal preference. However, mineral sunscreens are often recommended for sensitive skin and may be less irritating to the eyes. The two key sunscreen filters found in mineral SPFs are the inorganic compounds zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2).
ZnO and TiO2 work by forming a physical shield on the skin to reflect sun’s rays (which includes UVA and UVB rays, but not visible light) that can cause sunburn and premature aging. As a note: there is chatter in the influencer sphere that mineral sunscreens also protect skin by absorption, like chemical sunscreens, but more data and science is needed to support this. In the US, of the FDA-approved ingredients for sunscreens, they are the only two considered “generally recognized as safe and effective” (GRASE, as reflected in a May 2019 FDA proposal to re-evaluate the safety of ingredients used in chemical sunscreens).
ZnO (derived from the mineral zincite) and TiO2 (sunscreen grade is TiO2 derived mainly from rutile) typically have a white, powdery consistency and are insoluble in water. ZnO has a long history of use in cosmetics, personal care (think calamine lotion and diaper rash ointments), and healing products as a bulking agent, colorant, and skin protectant in over-the-counter (OTC) drug products. TiO2 also forms a white pigment and has a similar history especially in cosmetic makeup, paints, plastics, and certain foods.
Innovation & Eco-toxicity
The chemical composition of ZnO and TiO2 prevent mineral SPFs from being truly invisible. But the surge in more sheer and tinted products is due in part to innovation driven by nano-sized (i.e., very tiny and fine) materials that help reduce their white appearance on the skin. Although we’ve seen this technology in existing products, it has been refined to meet growing demand. Color tints through iron oxides (which happen to offer visible light protection) are also added to offset the whiteness and enhance transparency. However, due to emerging concerns about skin penetration, as well as environmental impact around nanoparticles, the trend now has been to shift toward more balanced non-nano materials (i.e., less tiny particles). For those reasons, we’re seeing more reference to “non-nano zinc” and “reef-safe” (both terms are unregulated) on packaging and product descriptions. Newer formulations rely on better uniform particle size optimization through sheer premade micronized TiO2/ZnO dispersions (instead of using powder material), and a combination of better pigment coating/wetting agents, SPF boosters and water resistant film formers. This allows achievement of higher SPF values while utilizing lower concentration of mineral filters, leading to reduced white cast and delivering elegant formulas.
Our Product Recs
Now the fun part! We’ve rounded up the latest and greatest in mineral SPFs ranging across a wide range of price categories. Interestingly, you’ll notice that it’s rare to find a product with TiO2 only as the sole mineral filter as it lacks performance in the UVA range. So either you will have a combination of TiO2 and ZnO or ZnO alone since it protects in both the UVB and UVA range. Since the key sunscreen filters are largely the same, we’ve focused quite a bit on texture and feel vs. formula. Additionally, these have been used and tested on a medium/tan complexion, so sheerness will vary by skin tone. For that reason, we made a distinction between the universal tints (flesh tone vs. peach/pink hues) to help you figure out what’s best for you. That said, here it goes:
The All-Arounds
hers Multi-Screen Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+ ($22, 1.0 oz; ZnO-12%). We loved this for its moisturizer-like feel and skin-like finish.
Blue Lizard Sheer Lotion for Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 ($15.99, 1.7 oz; TiO2-9%, ZnO-6%; 80 minute water resistant). New to our arsenal, this brand has been making waves in the drugstore sunscreen space and we can see why. Less actively moisturizing than some of the others featured here, it still has a lightweight and satin finish.
Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Broad Spectrum SPF 50 ($14, 1.7 oz; ZnO-12%; 80 min water resistant). This is everything we always wanted the La Roche-Posay’s Anthelios range to be — truly lightweight with a “milky,” non-sticky glide (thank dimethicone and isododecane for that) and a non-greasy finish.
Biossance Squalane + Zinc Sheer Mineral Sunscreen ($30, 1.7 oz; ZnO-14%). We still find this to be the most transparent mineral formula out there, and the only one that provides a long-lasting, glowy sheen.
Farmacy Green Defense Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 ($36, 1.7 oz; ZnO-18.23%). This silicone and mineral oil-free formula felt the most like a traditional mineral SPF in that it could feel a touch dry by day’s end, but it also worked well no matter what moisturizer we used underneath. If you like the brand overall, you’ll be happy with this.
The Universal Tints - Flesh tones
Above image depicts before and after images of the 5 products and shows their sheer blending into skin without any white residue.
CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 Face Sheer Tint ($16.49, 1.7 oz; ZnO-10%, TiO2-5.5%). This drugstore classic is still hard-to-beat given the price point and because it combines some of the best attributes of all the products mentioned above.
M-61 Perfect Tinted Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 ($48, 1.7 oz; ZnO-12%). We were blown away by this little-talked about and underrated sunscreen. A more fluid formula than those below (which are more mousse-like in texture), this lightweight product has a slight glow comparable only to the one from Biossance.
Paula’s Choice Resist Super-Light Wrinkle Defense SPF 30 ($28, 2 oz; ZnO-13%). This Reddit-fave leaves a smooth finish and a blurring effect which makes it feel like both skincare and makeup. The slightly ashy tone blends away and it features anti-aging antioxidants not commonly found in sunscreens, like Resveratrol.
Peter Thomas Roth Max Mineral Tinted Sunscreen SPF 45 ($34; 1.7 oz; ZnO-19.24%, TiO2-1.93%). This shares many of the same attributes as Paula’s Choice, although we think it may blend better on darker skin tones.
SuperGoop Mineral Mattescreen SPF 40 ($38, 1.5 oz; ZnO-17.42%, TiO2-1.33%). This brand made sunscreen cool for good reason, and this is one of its classics. It has a primer-like feel, a natural (not dry) matte finish perfect for oilier-skin days, and a slightly blurring effect similar to Paula’s Choice.
The Universal Tints - Peach/pink hues
LiveTinted Hueguard SPF 30 ($32, 1.7 oz; Non-nano ZnO-18%). This lives up to the hype. A touch creamy, it works as a standalone moisturizer in a pinch. Like all the products in this bucket, the peach hue makes it more universal than some of the flesh-tone products.
Tatcha The Silk Sunscreen Mineral Broad Spectrum SPF 50 ($60, 1.7 oz; ZnO-10%). While the price is sky-high for a sunscreen, it sure performs. The mineral-only option to the brand’s best-selling Silken Pore Perfecting Sunscreen (which is a hybrid formula that also includes ZnO), it also features silk protein for its smoothness and glide.
Versed Guards Up Daily Mineral Sunscreen Broad Spectrum 35 ($21.99, 1.7 oz; Non-nano ZnO-15.2%). This product was unique to drugstore aisles when it launched, and it had us at hello. Although it’s the greasiest of those featured here, it allows for a healthy sheen.
SuperGoop Zincscreen 100% Mineral Lotion SPF 40 ($42, 1.7 oz; ZnO-13%). Although the texture is different from Mattescreen (more fluid), it’s yet another standout from the brand.
So there you have it — fourteen options across brands, formulas, and price points. We’re glad to see so much variety in mineral SPFs, especially as sunscreen ingredients and data continue to be reviewed and updated by the FDA and research continues to evolve. With all this variety, we hope our list helps narrow down what truly stands out and what doesn’t. We’d love to hear what mineral sunscreens are working for you, so drop us a line about your current favorite or let us know if we missed any outstanding launches!