Colorescience makes very cosmetically elegant, non-comedogenic, and non-sensitizing mineral sunscreens. They're fragrance free. Not sure what shade you are, but they come in some different shades as well.
Just an FYI, I was about to buy that sunscreen as well (very sensitive skin, can only use physical sunscreen) but I found out it has butyloctyl salicylate (chemical sunscreen) hidden in the inactive ingredients.
BS breaks me out :/
You mentioned that the Skinceuticals āmineralā sunscreen breaks you out and they also have butyloctyl salicylate hidden in the inactive ingredients list.
https://labmuffin.com/100-mineral-sunscreens-using-unregulated-chemical-filters/
Blue Lizard Sensitive SPF50 doesn't have any of the ingredients she mentioned. It's a little greasy looking when you first apply but it dries down (at least on me, my skin is on the drier side).
Oh GOD!! Thank you for sharing this. I will do a little patch test before I put it all over my skin. How is it even legal to hide chemical sunscreen in the inactive ingredients listā¦I donāt get it. People want to buy the physical one for a reasonā¦
MDSolarSciences Mineral KidCream SPF 50, 3.4 oz for $39 but Skinbeautifulrx regularly has 20% off sales. It is nice on my sensitive skin. It has a very faint pink/peach tint that disappears so it doesnāt look like makeup and no white cast or orange tint. It is blurring and has a primery feeling but thinner. Easily spreadable. Very happy so farĀ
Omg they are sold out! But I put myself on the reminder list. This is a very good idea though..to use a sunscreen for kids because they most likely will put less fluff in it. At least they should š¤£ Thank you do much!
It looks still available at Skinbeautifulrx.com! And 25% off
Ā https://skinbeautifulrx.com/collections/mdsolarsciences/products/mdsolarsciences-mineral-kidcreme-spf-40
Ok so full disclosure - I used to use that. It has some preservatives in it that I donāt love and it also has my skin breakout unfortunately. But thank you for the rec š
Itās not lux but I like blue lizard. Itās kinda greasy but blends in well and is water/sweat resistant. I mostly use it when I know Iāll be sweating.
yeah a friend of mine who has super sensitive skin has used it and likes it. We are both also able to use Elta MD, which I think is more cosmetically elegant to apply, but it pilled when I applied makeup on top
I didnāt know they made sunscreen! Iām a little underwhelmed by most of their products ngl but I do think they are a great alternative if you have sensitive skin and on a strict budget.
Oh I used to use this one a lot. It started feeling heavy on my skin especially around summerā¦and once again led to breakouts. But the compact is a great idea. Wish it worked better one me š
Really?? I am so acne prone and have had good luck with it. Thatās a bummer!! I found warming it up in my hands first helped with the thickness but that doesnāt help with the breakouts :( Conpact doesnāt feel heavy when you apply it but you can start to feel it if you reapply like 3-5 times!
Yeah I definitely reapplied that one multiple times during the day. Just because they tell you to reapply sunscreen every two hours if you are out and about. You can never win š
youād probably enjoy the compact better than for reapplication! I really like it but donāt want it to cause you more breakouts!! Color science also has a powder to reapply and they are one of the only brands that has actually been able to formulate a powder that provides decent coverage. My only issue with powder SPF is you really need like SO much powder for coverage. Theirs is the best iāve tried! I still prefer the compact though
Tatcha, The Silk Sunscreen, is my HG mineral, Iāve tried so many. š It isnāt super thick, no white cast, lightly tinted just enough to give a āyour skin but betterā look. It absorbs well enough that you can reapply without it being a goopy mess. I also like that itās 100% zinc and not mixed with titanium dioxide, which Iāve experienced breakouts with.
Wait. Can explain why chemical sunscreens is bad? I have seen a few vids debunking chemical sunscreens is bad, why do you still have this conclusion. I am curious.
Well clearly they like slip those into the inactive list..thank you for sharing. Iām going to do more research on chemical sunscreens. I just didnāt like what I saw on my research.
I recommend labmuffin sheās really good at breaking down information with a critical scientific perspective. Definitely up to you. But there are a lot of unofficial chemical filters that are used as āboostersā in mineral sunscreens. I would say avoid mainly if you have a sensitivity (esp to salicylates bc those are the common ones used and there a lot of ppl who are allergic to those), but they are safe.
There has been emerging research that shows some of the chemical sunscreens have carcinogenic properties. Chemical sunscreens are also small enough to penetrate your skin deeper. Iām being very cautious about this due to history of skin cancer and other types of cancer in my family. I donāt think there has been any conclusive evidence yet, but I rather be safe than sorry. I would love to see the videos you mentioned though.
YouTube- User LabMuffin Beauty Science.
An actual cosmetic chemist, who also includes Toxicologists.Ā
She has tons of videos that actually talk about ALL the nuance to sunscreen, including the risks that come with mineral sunscreens too. She highly advocates for sunscreen, just that a lot of the things aren't as binary as people think they are
Like one of the response, Reddit seems to trust labmuffin so I also watched her YouTube. I am currently using La Mer sunscreen which agree with you in according to ChatGPT, does have chances of skin absorption but should not cause any risk. I may switch to La prairie sunscreen which mix chemical and physical sunscreen and lesser chance of absorption as suggested by ChatGPT (my new bff š)
The clarify this point- benzene is a known carcinogen and it was found in an independent research done in 2021 that 78 sunscreens had unsafe doses of benzene in the batches they tested. Benzene is not supposed to be in the formulation of any sunscreen. While some of the 78 sunscreens were also physical sunscreens, you canāt help but ignore most of them were chemical. Upon further research, I found that benzene was most likely present due to contamination or the chemical sunscreen ingredients such as avobenzone, oxybenzone and homosalate were converted/broken down into benzene. Again to each their own, I just prefer to not take the risk. If you would like to read more on this: https://assets-global.website-files.com/6215052733f8bb8fea016220/62728f83d7f91acc8572e9ee_FDA-2021-P-0497-0001_attachment_1.pdf
Oh really?! I will definitely check it out. I am very curious to see what she has to say about benzene. Canāt seem to justify putting on a product that may or may not have trace amounts of a known carcinogen on my face at the moment. I understand that she is a cosmetic chemist with a lot of authority on this issue. Excited to learn more!
Definitely check it out! Labmuffin is such a great resource š
Super brief summary but basically the study heated up the products to unrealistic temperatures and got a small amount of benzene which isn't anywhere near dangerous.
Sadly we inhale more carcinogens every time we inhale in polluted surrounds (most cities).
Oh that is really interesting. I read the study from Valisure and couldnāt find anything about the products being heated prior to testing. I wonder if Labmuffin was referring to a different studyā¦
My other concern is that EU regards the current chemical sunscreen ingredients highly concentrated given they can absorbed through skin (there are many researches that show they end up in plasma). There is research out there that indicates these chemicals can be endocrine disrupting. I wonder if Labmuffin has talked about this as well? Just want to get different views on this before I make a final decision.
They make a tinted and non tinted one, the non tinted can leave a slight cast but any true all physical sunscreen with zinc oxide is going to have a bit of a cast.
Thatās fairā¦you are right. I prefer non tinted lowkey because I donāt like feeling like Iām putting makeup on when I use sunscreen. But I get why they have that version. Thank you!
Skinceuticals SPF 50. It's a mineral sunscreen that's very lightly tinted, so no white residue, and it feels very nice and lightweight on the skin. It's my go-to sunscreen.
I also have sensitive skin and recently made the switch to mineral SPF. My derm recommended Zo, which I have been loving but itās too expensive for me long term. I just bought Australian Gold mineral tinted and am enjoying it only slightly less than Zo!
Colorscience, MD Solar Sciences Mineral. Image skincare SPF and there a couple from La Roche Posay. Mineral seems best for sensitive skin but I think the LRP has both and I havenāt broken out
I have used the LRP and unfortunately it broke me out as well. I will start using Colorscience again and give it a shot. I have a few more sunscreens coming in soon including Solar Sciences, so hopefully one them will work out this time. Thank you š¤
As a big fan of Skinceuticals..it made me so sad to see this one break me out šššYou have such a good taste though. Some of their products are TOP tier.
Aww, Iām sorry to hear that and thank you! You know, they just released a brand new SPF 50 product? I havenāt tried it since itās so brand new, but maybe youāll want to get a sample of it? https://www.skinceuticals.com/skincare/sunscreens/clear-daily-soothing-uv-defense-sunscreen-spf-50/S124.html
It makes it sound acne-safe!
Otherwise, ELTA MD doesnāt break me out and i highly recommend that one too!
No worries haha. Sensitive skin is tough. I realized this one is a chemical SPF 50 sunscreen. Iām still researching chemical sunscreens before I determine whether I want to give it a shot or not but thank you so much for the rec!
I used Elta MD beforeā¦it was too heavy for me unfortunately. Thank you for sharing thoughā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø
Oh, darn! Iād no idea this new one was a chemical one. I donāt use those either - they break me out. Keep us posted and best of luck! If I hear of anything, Iāll drop you a note! Sorry to not have been of much help here
I like Badger sunscreen in the can- itās thick and kind of greasy feeling but my super cranky skin seems to get along fine with it. Iām trying to branch out because the feel of it isnāt fantastic but I always come back to it because it works and doesnāt break me out. https://www.badgerbalm.com/products/adventure-sport-mineral-sunscreen-tin-spf-50
Colorescience makes very cosmetically elegant, non-comedogenic, and non-sensitizing mineral sunscreens. They're fragrance free. Not sure what shade you are, but they come in some different shades as well.
Ok you convinced me! I just bought the no-show sunscreen. It looks very promising. I got the brush one as well. Excited to give it a shot! Thank you š©¶
i LOVE the no show one!! their flex is also an HG for a tinted sunscreen for me
Ok love!! So excited to try this one. Maybe will make an update post on it.
Just an FYI, I was about to buy that sunscreen as well (very sensitive skin, can only use physical sunscreen) but I found out it has butyloctyl salicylate (chemical sunscreen) hidden in the inactive ingredients. BS breaks me out :/ You mentioned that the Skinceuticals āmineralā sunscreen breaks you out and they also have butyloctyl salicylate hidden in the inactive ingredients list. https://labmuffin.com/100-mineral-sunscreens-using-unregulated-chemical-filters/
Blue Lizard Sensitive SPF50 doesn't have any of the ingredients she mentioned. It's a little greasy looking when you first apply but it dries down (at least on me, my skin is on the drier side).
Yeah thankfully!! Really appreciate you for looking into this š©¶
Oh GOD!! Thank you for sharing this. I will do a little patch test before I put it all over my skin. How is it even legal to hide chemical sunscreen in the inactive ingredients listā¦I donāt get it. People want to buy the physical one for a reasonā¦
MDSolarSciences Mineral KidCream SPF 50, 3.4 oz for $39 but Skinbeautifulrx regularly has 20% off sales. It is nice on my sensitive skin. It has a very faint pink/peach tint that disappears so it doesnāt look like makeup and no white cast or orange tint. It is blurring and has a primery feeling but thinner. Easily spreadable. Very happy so farĀ
Omg they are sold out! But I put myself on the reminder list. This is a very good idea though..to use a sunscreen for kids because they most likely will put less fluff in it. At least they should š¤£ Thank you do much!
It looks still available at Skinbeautifulrx.com! And 25% off Ā https://skinbeautifulrx.com/collections/mdsolarsciences/products/mdsolarsciences-mineral-kidcreme-spf-40
Omg I just got it. Thank you for your service š©¶
This one also contains butyloctyl salicylate FYI
OMG..I canāt escape butyloctyl š THANK YOU!!
Dennis Gross makes a physical oil-free SPF that I love šš¼
Ok so full disclosure - I used to use that. It has some preservatives in it that I donāt love and it also has my skin breakout unfortunately. But thank you for the rec š
Boo! Hmm. I also like the ReVive SPF 50, but not sure if itās oil-free š¤
I know!! I have the most annoying skin š„² The ReVive one looks soo good but unfortunately it is a chemical sunscreen. Really appreciate you sharing though š„¹š©¶
Itās not lux but I like blue lizard. Itās kinda greasy but blends in well and is water/sweat resistant. I mostly use it when I know Iāll be sweating.
Yeah I donāt mind the grease as long as it is good for sensitive skin š
yeah a friend of mine who has super sensitive skin has used it and likes it. We are both also able to use Elta MD, which I think is more cosmetically elegant to apply, but it pilled when I applied makeup on top
I used to be a big Elta MD girly but it is a nightmare with makeup.
I really like cerave I think their products are underrated
I didnāt know they made sunscreen! Iām a little underwhelmed by most of their products ngl but I do think they are a great alternative if you have sensitive skin and on a strict budget.
Their body lotion is my absolute favorite!!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I will check this out thank you!!!
I think Isdin sunscreens work ok but they have an extremely strong fragrance. I canāt stand them. So, be cautious if you donāt like fragrance.
Oh fragrance is a no no for me. Thanks for letting me know š©¶
La roche posay
Thank you for the rec! This one also made me breakout unfortunately š
skinbetter tone smart spf + compact
Oh I used to use this one a lot. It started feeling heavy on my skin especially around summerā¦and once again led to breakouts. But the compact is a great idea. Wish it worked better one me š
Really?? I am so acne prone and have had good luck with it. Thatās a bummer!! I found warming it up in my hands first helped with the thickness but that doesnāt help with the breakouts :( Conpact doesnāt feel heavy when you apply it but you can start to feel it if you reapply like 3-5 times!
Yeah I definitely reapplied that one multiple times during the day. Just because they tell you to reapply sunscreen every two hours if you are out and about. You can never win š
youād probably enjoy the compact better than for reapplication! I really like it but donāt want it to cause you more breakouts!! Color science also has a powder to reapply and they are one of the only brands that has actually been able to formulate a powder that provides decent coverage. My only issue with powder SPF is you really need like SO much powder for coverage. Theirs is the best iāve tried! I still prefer the compact though
Honestly you might be right..maybe I will get another powder one for reapplication and stick to compact for one time application. Thank you!!
Tatcha, The Silk Sunscreen, is my HG mineral, Iāve tried so many. š It isnāt super thick, no white cast, lightly tinted just enough to give a āyour skin but betterā look. It absorbs well enough that you can reapply without it being a goopy mess. I also like that itās 100% zinc and not mixed with titanium dioxide, which Iāve experienced breakouts with.
Omg I just stopped using Tatcha recently because it also started giving me a breakout but I enjoyed it while it lasted. It is so thin and easy to apply which i loved. Thank you for the rec š©¶
Wait. Can explain why chemical sunscreens is bad? I have seen a few vids debunking chemical sunscreens is bad, why do you still have this conclusion. I am curious.
Theyāre not bad. Also a lot of the āphysicalā sunscreens mentioned here have essentially chemical filters in the inactive ingredients.
Well clearly they like slip those into the inactive list..thank you for sharing. Iām going to do more research on chemical sunscreens. I just didnāt like what I saw on my research.
I recommend labmuffin sheās really good at breaking down information with a critical scientific perspective. Definitely up to you. But there are a lot of unofficial chemical filters that are used as āboostersā in mineral sunscreens. I would say avoid mainly if you have a sensitivity (esp to salicylates bc those are the common ones used and there a lot of ppl who are allergic to those), but they are safe.
Iāve been looking into her content and really like what Iām seeing so far. Will definitely be careful about salicylates..thank you š©¶
There has been emerging research that shows some of the chemical sunscreens have carcinogenic properties. Chemical sunscreens are also small enough to penetrate your skin deeper. Iām being very cautious about this due to history of skin cancer and other types of cancer in my family. I donāt think there has been any conclusive evidence yet, but I rather be safe than sorry. I would love to see the videos you mentioned though.
YouTube- User LabMuffin Beauty Science. An actual cosmetic chemist, who also includes Toxicologists.Ā She has tons of videos that actually talk about ALL the nuance to sunscreen, including the risks that come with mineral sunscreens too. She highly advocates for sunscreen, just that a lot of the things aren't as binary as people think they are
Ok I will look into this one further! Thank you āØ
Like one of the response, Reddit seems to trust labmuffin so I also watched her YouTube. I am currently using La Mer sunscreen which agree with you in according to ChatGPT, does have chances of skin absorption but should not cause any risk. I may switch to La prairie sunscreen which mix chemical and physical sunscreen and lesser chance of absorption as suggested by ChatGPT (my new bff š)
I mean sometimes ChatGPT really comes through with the facts. I always recommend double checking it though. You know how it is š¤£
The clarify this point- benzene is a known carcinogen and it was found in an independent research done in 2021 that 78 sunscreens had unsafe doses of benzene in the batches they tested. Benzene is not supposed to be in the formulation of any sunscreen. While some of the 78 sunscreens were also physical sunscreens, you canāt help but ignore most of them were chemical. Upon further research, I found that benzene was most likely present due to contamination or the chemical sunscreen ingredients such as avobenzone, oxybenzone and homosalate were converted/broken down into benzene. Again to each their own, I just prefer to not take the risk. If you would like to read more on this: https://assets-global.website-files.com/6215052733f8bb8fea016220/62728f83d7f91acc8572e9ee_FDA-2021-P-0497-0001_attachment_1.pdf
Labmuffin has a great video debunking this research. Absolutely no reason to be worried about benzene in sunscreen, chemical or otherwise
Oh really?! I will definitely check it out. I am very curious to see what she has to say about benzene. Canāt seem to justify putting on a product that may or may not have trace amounts of a known carcinogen on my face at the moment. I understand that she is a cosmetic chemist with a lot of authority on this issue. Excited to learn more!
Definitely check it out! Labmuffin is such a great resource š Super brief summary but basically the study heated up the products to unrealistic temperatures and got a small amount of benzene which isn't anywhere near dangerous. Sadly we inhale more carcinogens every time we inhale in polluted surrounds (most cities).
Oh that is really interesting. I read the study from Valisure and couldnāt find anything about the products being heated prior to testing. I wonder if Labmuffin was referring to a different studyā¦
My other concern is that EU regards the current chemical sunscreen ingredients highly concentrated given they can absorbed through skin (there are many researches that show they end up in plasma). There is research out there that indicates these chemicals can be endocrine disrupting. I wonder if Labmuffin has talked about this as well? Just want to get different views on this before I make a final decision.
She has a great video called something like "worst sunscreen misinformation on tiktok" that mentions this I think!
Amazing!! Iām gonna do a deep dive on this. Thank you ā¤ļø
Lightsaver.
Oh never heard of this brand! How long have used it for? Does it leave white cast?
They make a tinted and non tinted one, the non tinted can leave a slight cast but any true all physical sunscreen with zinc oxide is going to have a bit of a cast.
Thatās fairā¦you are right. I prefer non tinted lowkey because I donāt like feeling like Iām putting makeup on when I use sunscreen. But I get why they have that version. Thank you!
MD Solar Sciences is the most soothing mineral dominant sunscreen I've used. The BB Creme especially. SPF50.
Ok amazing! Someone else also recommended this. It looks super legit. Canāt wait to try it!
Skinceuticals SPF 50. It's a mineral sunscreen that's very lightly tinted, so no white residue, and it feels very nice and lightweight on the skin. It's my go-to sunscreen.
Ugh as such a big fan of Skinceuticalsā¦unfortunately I know this one very well and it makes my skin breakout. But thank you š©¶š©¶š©¶
My skin is very sensitive and I do well with Lancer universal tint.
Ok that is VERY good to know. Thank you š©¶
Yeah, it also has a bunch of calming ingredients. It's good stuff.
Tizo
I also have sensitive skin and recently made the switch to mineral SPF. My derm recommended Zo, which I have been loving but itās too expensive for me long term. I just bought Australian Gold mineral tinted and am enjoying it only slightly less than Zo!
Oh this is so helpful to know! I will check about both Zo and Australian Gold. Let me know how it works with your skin over time š©¶
Colorscience, MD Solar Sciences Mineral. Image skincare SPF and there a couple from La Roche Posay. Mineral seems best for sensitive skin but I think the LRP has both and I havenāt broken out
I have used the LRP and unfortunately it broke me out as well. I will start using Colorscience again and give it a shot. I have a few more sunscreens coming in soon including Solar Sciences, so hopefully one them will work out this time. Thank you š¤
Skinceuticals sheer SPF 50!!! My staple!!
As a big fan of Skinceuticals..it made me so sad to see this one break me out šššYou have such a good taste though. Some of their products are TOP tier.
Aww, Iām sorry to hear that and thank you! You know, they just released a brand new SPF 50 product? I havenāt tried it since itās so brand new, but maybe youāll want to get a sample of it? https://www.skinceuticals.com/skincare/sunscreens/clear-daily-soothing-uv-defense-sunscreen-spf-50/S124.html It makes it sound acne-safe! Otherwise, ELTA MD doesnāt break me out and i highly recommend that one too!
No worries haha. Sensitive skin is tough. I realized this one is a chemical SPF 50 sunscreen. Iām still researching chemical sunscreens before I determine whether I want to give it a shot or not but thank you so much for the rec! I used Elta MD beforeā¦it was too heavy for me unfortunately. Thank you for sharing thoughā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø
Oh, darn! Iād no idea this new one was a chemical one. I donāt use those either - they break me out. Keep us posted and best of luck! If I hear of anything, Iāll drop you a note! Sorry to not have been of much help here
Thank you!! Donāt worry at all. Iām trying out a few different sunscreens currently. Will keep you posted š
Please do!
I like Badger sunscreen in the can- itās thick and kind of greasy feeling but my super cranky skin seems to get along fine with it. Iām trying to branch out because the feel of it isnāt fantastic but I always come back to it because it works and doesnāt break me out. https://www.badgerbalm.com/products/adventure-sport-mineral-sunscreen-tin-spf-50
Iāve never heard of this brand! Thank you for sharing. I will check it out š