All the Non-Whitening Mineral Sunscreens We Love

Strategist writer Arielle Avila, who tested out all thenewish mineral sunscreens, is a big fan of Korres Mineral Milk Fluid Sunscreen, which she describes as having a “perfect texture — lightweight but not too runny, similar to a serum.” While she notes that it can be worn under makeup and preps the skin nicely for foundation without any pilling, she even likes it for no-makeup days: “I didn’t need to rub it in too vigorously for it to sink into my skin. Instead, it absorbed after just a few swipes and left the most subtle glow.”

Avila also tested Babo Botanicals’ new mineral face sunscreen on a recent trip to Puerto Rico. “It’s much more watery than the Korres formula, but surprisingly, it blended in well and didn’t leave my skin looking greasy,” she writes, even after a day full of surfing, snorkeling, and sunbathing.

According to Strategist contributor Mbiye Kasonga, “Mineralsunscreenhas always been a no-go for me as aBlack womanbecause its active ingredient — zinc oxide — makes me look ghostly white no matter how long I rub it in.” That is, until she discovered this tinted option from RMS. Thanks to the coppery tint and slight shimmer, the zinc oxide is disguised. “All in all, this is the first mineral sunscreen I’ve found that I can wear with confidence,” she adds, “and as long as it’s available, I’ll be steering clear of the chemical variety and using this instead.”

“There’s a lot to love about this product, but here’s the most important bit: The scent-free formula, made of non-nano zinc oxide, is somehow at once lightweight and substantial to the touch, so you don’t accidentally overapply. But even if you do end up using too much, it leaves not a trace of whiteness,” saysStrategist contributorChadner Navarro. The “saffron-esque” tint even blends into his beard. Strategist writerKitty Guohas also been using it all summer:“It’s like a moisturizer, primer, and SPF all in one.”

One way to prevent white casts is to look for a mineral sunscreen with smaller mineral particles, like this one from Colorescience. Dr. Melanie Palm, a dermatologist, likes this one from Colorescience, which she notes uses “extremely small-particle zinc,” making it transparent even on deep skin tones.

Our all-time-favorite powder-sunscreen crown goes to Colorescience. In addition to zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, it contains iron oxide — a holy trinity of UVA and UVB blocking. While powder sunscreens should not be your first line of defense, they are a superconvenient way to reapply throughout the day, especially over makeup. It’s available in four shades to help it blend seamlessly into the skin.

Strategist writer Brenley Goertzen has been testing this Prequel sunscreen for months and really loves its “airy, soft texture” and lightweight feel: “It goes onto my skin smoothly, and its peachy hue offsets the ashy tone of mineral filters, leaving hardly any white cast.” In addition to zinc oxide, it contains bisabolol plus Centella asiatica to reduce the appearance of redness, so it’s a great option for those with rosacea or sensitive skin.

This is also the summer of thesunscreen stick— both mineral and chemical. Strategist beauty writer Krista Bennett DeMaio tested out quite a few and highly recommends Bubble’s: “It contains 25 percent zinc oxide, so there’s a slight white cast at first, but it rubs in clear.” It’s especially great for kids and tweens (it caught the attention of her 8-year-old right away).

“This 100 percent mineral formula also contains ceramides andhyaluronic acid, so it’s moisturizing and has a nice slip to it,” writes Bennett DeMaio. “Like theBubble stick, it leaves a bit of a white cast initially, but it disappears with a little rubbing. It layers well under makeup and feels lightweight on the skin.”

Avila crowned Dune’s “by far the best SPF stick I’ve tested,” either mineral or chemical, because “it was completely undetectable from the first swipe.” Even after she really slathered it on, the formula is so lightweight her skin was left feeling nicely hydrated and not overly greasy. “It’s also meant to protect the lips,” she says. “I was hesitant as someone who’s very sensitive to new glosses and balms, but it left my lips moisturized, no irritation.”

And, of course, never forget to protect your lips. Denton-Hurst was frustrated that all herlip-SPFoptions were limited to chemical filters: “This is because mineral sunscreen is usually thicker and chunkier and zinc oxide is a haunting shade of iridescent purple. The options I had tried left my lips with a ghostly glow or were available only in a flat, strange color to mask the zinc.” But then she discovered Good Weather Skin’s Sun Gloss. “After wearing it out for a couple of days in place of my regular lip gloss, I was surprised to find how normal things felt; I often forgot it wasn’t my standard balm,” she writes. “The texture is nice and thick without being gloopy, and the shine level is pretty standard — closer to Tower 28 than an ultrashiny option like Ami Colé (RIP).” The gloss is available in two shades: Ripe Berry and Iced Coffee.

“I’ve tested a bunch of mineral formulas, and even though they all proclaim their ‘zero white cast,’ none lives up to the claims. Some apply nicely and get close, but none is as invisible as this one. It’s also cosmetically elegant; it feels like an oilylotion, which helps it to absorb a bit better,” writesDenton-Hurst. The formula contains zinc oxide alongside antioxidants like sunflower extract and green-tea oil. “For years, this has been the only mineral sunscreen that actually rubs all the way in and disappears,” she adds. “Granted, it takes a little rubbing, as all mineral sunscreens do, but within 15 seconds, it’s gone. What I like is that after I apply it, my skin still looks like mine.”

In addition to the Colorescience facial sunscreen above, I would strongly recommend the brand’s body SPF counterpart, which I’ve been testing recently. The coverage is quite sheer but stays put, even after an afternoon spent swimming in the ocean.

Anthelios is a longtime classic and for good reason. The almost runny texture is quick to dry down and leaves the skin looking and feeling like skin. “I like the La Roche-Posay because it’s suitable for the face and body,” dermatologistYoram Harthtold us. “It contains vitamin E, herbal extracts, and antioxidants to soothe stressed-out skin and shield you from the sun.”

EltaMD shows up time and again in our sunscreen stories. This one was named our top mineral pick in our roundup of thebest body sunscreens. It contains both zinc and titanium dioxide to protect skin, as well as vitamin C.

Strategist writer Amelia Jerden has been using both the Freaks of Nature spray and stick all summer long. While Jerden notes the stick does leave behind a slight white cast — which is not a deal-breaker for her — the spray does not and is superconvenient to apply.

Strategist senior editor Crystal Martin has been a fan of Good Karma since last summer. It’s an oil-based mineral sunscreen, so it rubs in quite easily for a 100 percent mineral formula. Good Karma has a dry-oil finish that makes skin look and feel hydrated but not sticky or extremely shiny (as with sunscreen sprays).