We Tried Zouck’s Fancy New $75 Sunscreen
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The summer ofmineral sunscreencontinues. One of the newest is from a brand called Zouck, which no fewer than three Strategist editors flagged the day it launched. The brand promises “a truly cast-free mineral sunscreen powered by high-quality actives and designed to make suncare feel as indulgent as skincare.” The collection includes four products: two mineral SPF formulas, one lotion and onestick, plus a face oil, and a nighttimemoisturizer. We were intrigued by the doodle-y packaging (and the high price point), so three of us decided to put the sunscreen through its paces. Our thoughts, below.
The three products we tried
Brenley Goertzen, writer
I’ve altogether switched over tomineral sunscreen, mainly the tinted variety, but I was intrigued by the Zouck formula. It features a generous percentage of zinc oxide (15.4 to be exact), plus a solid amount of skin-care ingredients. I’ve been using tretinoin sparingly in my nighttime routine this summer and wearing lots of sunscreen during the day. Since my skin can still feel sensitive and leans drier, I did notice that there was a slight stingy sensation with Zouck, which might be the green tea or tara extract, or admittedly an indicator that my skin barrier is compromised. It always stopped after a few seconds and it was nothing that prevented me from using this sunscreen on a daily basis for two weeks. During my testing, I preferred how the formula performed on my face compared to my body. It was difficult to spread across my entire chest and arms, and I noticed that after taking a dip in our family’s saltwater pool, the finish began to flake ever so slightly. On the face, it wears very well and feels lightweight and hydrating thanks to snow mushroom and rice germ; meanwhile, under makeup, it never felt like my liquid products (foundation, concealer, blush) were sliding off. I have a paler complexion, so I didn’t find this to have too noticeable of a white cast on my face. On my body (which is tanner than my face), I could make out a grayish hue. And I can’t go on without noting that the size of the bottle is honestly laughable. It’s a great size to pack into a small bag, but for $72 you’ve got to be kidding me. After just one weekend of relaxing by the pool and taking a cruiser boat out on the river with our family friends, I’d probably used over half of the 2.03 fluid ounces. Is it a nice formula with arty packing? Sure. Is it worth $72? I’ve tried sunscreens that are just as good, if not better, for a quarter of the price.
Tembe Denton-Hurst, beauty writer
I’m always wary of “cast-free” mineral sunscreens because they’re very often cast-full. It’s the nature of mineral formulas. I don’t fault them for this, but I always interpret it as marketingspeak, but I was curious about this formula, mostly because I like the Picasso-esque packaging. I tried three things — Re:Screen, Screen Screen SPF, and the Screen Screen Oil. I tested the stick first and was a fan of the texture. It’s smooth and moisturizing, which I’m crediting to the inclusion of coco seed and shea butter. It definitely has a white cast, even after I rubbed it in, so I don’t think its earned its cast-free marketing claim, but it does feel nice. My experience with the liquid Screen Screen was similar, though that rubbed in a little better. After a while it fades but it still has a slightly whitish tint. To its credit, it doesn’t turn purple, which to me is the worse glow, but it definitely doesn’t disappear on my skin. I also tried the antioxidant-rich oil, which is designed to help protect skin against blue light and pollution. I liked it okay but I already have a bunch of face oils in rotation, so I don’t know that this has earned a spot in my rotation quite yet.
Dominique Pariso, senior writer
I agree with both Brenley and Tembe that the Screen Screen SPF is super-lightweight, moisturizing, and wears very well throughout the day. Upon first applying it, I didn’t love the smell but it wore off quickly enough that I didn’t notice it once it was rubbed into my skin. I thought it was nearly transparent on my medium skin, which is more than I can say for most mineral-only formulas.
But, of all the Zouck products I tested, I loved the Re:Screen SPF the most. As we already established,everyone and their mother is making a sunscreen stickand I’m a sucker for them every time. I suppose I’m not alone, since the Re:Screen SPF is currently sold out on the Zouck website, though you can sign up to be notified when the brand restocks. The stick was actually cast-free on me, which I was really impressed with — most sunscreens with that concentration of zinc do end up going gray or purple on me. It was also super-moisturizing without ever feeling greasy and I think held up pretty well after a dip in the pool, though I did reapply afterward just to be safe. Yes, the price point is high, but I think when it comes to zinc-based sunscreens, you often get what you pay for. And in this case, that is a cast-free experience (at least for fair to medium complexions) with a very nice texture.
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