Hey, Mineral Sunscreen Doesn't Have to Suck—These 10 Picks Are Proof

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

Listen, I'm gonna be the beauty editor here for a moment and tell you that you've gotta wear sunscreen every single day. (Quick reminder that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70 and having five or more sunburns doubles your risk for melanoma, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.) So, my school of thought is generally as follows: The sunscreen you're excited to slather on every a.m. is the best one for you—whether that's a non-comedogenic sunscreen for your acne-prone skin, an oil-free sunscreen for oily skin, or a glowy sunscreen to counteract dryness. But if you have sensitive skin, are pregnant, and/or just prefer to opt for "clean" beauty formulas, you should prob look for the best mineral sunscreen. Here's why.

"With mineral sunscreens, you really cut down the potential for any reaction," dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD, previously told Cosmo. This is because mineral formulas protect by reflecting UV light on skin's surface as opposed to chemical sunscreens, which sink into skin and absorb the light; that can be irritating for some skin types. Not to mention, the star of the show is usually zinc, which is anti-inflammatory all on its own to help soothe skin whether you've got breakouts, eczema, keratosis pilaris, or rosacea.

Not surprisingly, nearly every dermatologist I've ever spoken to recommends mineral sunscreen over chemical ones for the above reasons. However, they're pretty notorious for having a heavy consistency that leaves your face ghostly (all thanks to that magic zinc oxide, FYI), which is why many people steer clear. But (!) in 2024, leaps and bounds have been made to bring mineral sunscreen into the 21st century, with formulations that feel lightweight and gentle, and just as importantly, don't leave a white cast behind. I've been testing them nonstop for the last few months, include brand-new picks and old favorites loved by dermatologists, to narrow down exactly which formulas are worth your time.

Keep reading for all of my picks, including some favorites from other Cosmo testers with before and afters and texture shots for your viewing pleasure. Now, just sit back, relax, and decide which mineral sunscreen you're gonna try (dw, we've got a full guide to help you below).

Mineral Sun Glow Broad Spectrum SPF 43 PA +++

You're gonna have to pry this mineral sunscreen out of my cold, dead hands, because I refuse to use anything else now that it's sunny and warm outside. It makes my skin look so dewy and fresh, with a radiant glow that isn't loaded with chunky glitters. It also comes in two shades (light/medium and tan/deep), both of which completely counteract any white cast whatsoever.

And if you don't believe just me (rude!), lemme tell you that every single person I've asked about this—including other beauty editors, aestheticians, and dermatologists—all share the same sentiments that this is the GOAT.

✨ Try it if: You like to look v glowy and wear your sunscreen alone and/or under makeup

• Key ingredients: Vitamin C, peptides

• Active ingredient: Zinc oxide (14.2%)

• SPF Level: 43

• White cast? None (comes in two tinted shades)

Glowing customer review: "This is the first mineral sunscreen I’ve used that feels lightweight on the skin and doesn’t make my face feel like it’s covered in a film like many mineral sunscreens do. Love the glow & feel!"

See how glowy and smooth this makes my skin look (even in the midst of a breakout)? I'm obsessed.

Daily SPF

This clean mineral SPF 32 from Cocokind is my go-to recommendation for anyone looking for a mineral sunscreen. It uses a whopping 21 percent zinc oxide filter to protect your skin from the sun (FYI, this is v high), so it does look white and thick when I squeeze it into my palm. But after using some elbow grease to rub it in, I'm left with a slightly glowy finish that doesn't feel tacky and blends out without a white cast. It's also chock-full of moisturizing oils and soothing aloe vera, which I <3.

✨ Try it if: You're new to mineral sunscreen and don't mind blending in a little bit

• Active ingredient: Zinc oxide (21%)

• Key ingredients: Argan oil, aloe, sunflower seed oil

• SPF Level: 32

• White cast? None, so long as you take your time blending in

Glowing customer review: "It feels nice to the skin and doesn't feel sticky. There's no white film. It blends in nicely."

ShadeDrops Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Mineral Milk Sunscreen

"My makeup/morning routine changed for the better after I started using these Summer Fridays ShadeDrops," says associate shopping editor Daisy Maldonado, whose acne-prone, sensitive, and oily skin normally hates a moisturizing sunscreen. But, she says, "The milky formula of this serum quickly became a fave of mine because of how well it melts into the skin with no white cast," noting that the glowy finish it gives her skin is so dreamy under makeup or alone for enhancing her natural ~radiance~. "Catch me wearing this on its own alllll summer," she says.

✨ Try it if: You like a moisturizing, rich sunscreen that gives your skin a dewy finish

• Key ingredients: Squalane, vitamin E, shea butter, bisabolol

• Active ingredient: Zinc oxide (9.4%)

• SPF Level: 30

• White cast? Might have a slight cast on very deep skin tones, but has a slight, transparent tint to help counteract it on light to tan skin

Glowing customer review: "I absolutely love this product. It’s the only mineral sunscreen I have ever tried that sets and does not feel tacky despite putting a lot on. It’s a satin finish but not greasy at all. The tint is perfect for me. Doesn’t really give coverage but it removes the white cast."

Maldonado (pictured stunningly here) loves how the Summer Fridays ShadeDrops SPF makes her skin look so radiant and glowy, whether she's wearing it alone or layered with foundation, as she is here.

transparent Mineral Sunscreen Stick

This itsy-bitsy sunscreen stick is the GOAT for reapplying when you're gonna be outside all day. It glides on easily without tugging at my skin, and once I rub it in, it just adds a sheen but no white cast or sticky residue. Easy-peazy, SPF stickzy. Or however the saying goes. And! This budget-friendly formula is less than $10 and easy to track down at practically any drugstore in your area.

✨ Try it if: You need an easy method to reapply SPF throughout the day

• Key ingredients: Vitamin E, beeswax

• Active ingredient: Zinc oxide (4.7%) and titanium dioxide (6%)

• SPF Level: 50

• White cast? A little when you first rub it on, but blends out on light to tan skin tones

Glowing customer review: "I bought this product for our trip abroad and it definitely came in handy. It’s very easy to apply and what I love the most is that I don’t have to use my hands to do so. I never got a sunburn, so I’m very happy about that."

Mineral Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40

The O.G. Unseen Sunscreen is a hero at Team Cosmo (legit, we've got it on nearly every "best of" sunscreen list we've written). So I was v intrigued when they launched this mineral version. This one has a cream, not gel, texture that looks white when I squeeze it out of the tube, but as I blend it in, the white dissipates into my skin. It still gives me that matte, blurred finish that I love under makeup so much, just in a slightly heavier texture. But IMO, the zinc-infused formula is actually fab for my oily, acne-prone skin, since zinc is a powerful anti-inflammatory that can help regulate sebum production.

✨ Try it if: You like a matte, smooth finish from your sunscreen

• Key ingredients: Dimethicone, bamboo extract

• Active ingredient: Zinc oxide (21%)

• SPF Level: 40

• White cast? Might have a slight cast on very-deep skin tones, but can be blended out for fair to tan skin

Glowing customer review: "As someone who has given up on sooo many mineral face sunscreens (always too heavy, too greasy, feel generally icky sitting on top of my skin) this stuff is incredible. It’s so lightweight and goes on insanely smooth — it has a silky, powder-like feel to it that slips right over my skin with zero effort. I personally don’t experience any white cast, albeit I’m quite fair. No smell, works great under makeup, and doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin."

Peep the texture of Unseen Sunscreen Mineral here—it's definitely much thicker than the O.G. with a white, zinc-based formula, but with some rubbing, it dissipates and blends into my skin with a blurring, matte finish.

UV AOX Elements Tinted Mineral Face Sunscreen SPF 50

Yoooo, this tinted mineral SPF is an award winner... A Cosmo Holy Grail Award winner, that is. But it's not just approved by our team—dermatologists freakin' swear by EltaMD. Truly, I have yet to meet one who didn't sing the praises of their gentle, effective formulas, including this new mineral option.

“This 4-in-1 formula has majorly streamlined my mornings," deputy beauty director Lauren Balsamo says. "A few pumps provide antioxidant protection, thanks to vitamin C and E, hydration courtesy of hyaluronic acid, and UV damage protection with zinc-based SPF." She loves how it offers a transparent, universal tint to help even out some discoloration on her face, but still doesn't feel heavy or cakey.

✨ Try it if: You're all about a Cosmo editor/derm recommendation and/or love a lightweight, transparent tinted formula

• Key ingredients: Vitamin C, vitamin E, hyaluronic acid

• Active ingredient: Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide

• SPF Level: 50

• White cast? Possibly on deep skin, since the tint only comes in one medium shade (FWIW, if you're okay with a hybrid chemical/mineral formula, the new EltaMD UV Clear Tinted Sunscreen comes in two shades and our beauty editor-at-large Julee Wilson swears by it)

Glowing customer review: "I love this tinted sunscreen... The color is perfect on my skin and spreads in easily. It is not greasy and makes my complexation even. EltaMD is the best tinted sunscreen I have used out of a total of four I previously tried."

Mo'Bay Mineral Sunscreen Drops SPF 30

Confession: I wasn't all that excited to try these (I'm a skeptic about mineral sunscreens that claim to be lightweight—because, like, how?). But then I swatched it at Sephora and immediately got a tube and started dousing myself in it. The thin, liquid consistency is white when I drip a few drops in my palm, but it immediately disappears into my skin with a light hydrated, soft finish. Winnie Harlow (model extraordinaire and founder of Cay Skin) made a winner with these bbs.

✨ Try it if: You like a lightweight, barely there SPF

• Key ingredients: Squalane, sea moss, argan oil

• Active ingredient: Zinc oxide (9.4%)

• SPF Level: 30

• White cast? None

Glowing customer review: "I have never been a daily spf user because I have never found an spf that I dont feel and that layers under my makeup well. This sunscreen feels like NOTHING after its rubbed in and layers perfectly with makeup. Its like nothings there at all. I have been using daily with absolutely no issues."

Hueguard Skin Tint SPF 50 Mineral Sunscreen Broad Spectrum

Let's be real: Most tinted sunscreen formulas come in one or two light shades that would simply never work on deep skin. But not this Live Tinted option. It comes in a whopping 10 shades that range from fair to deep. The coverage is minimal (transparent to medium, if you really build it up), but it's perf to massage over my skin with my fingers, then dab on concealer wherever I want more opacity. And the glow? Unmatched. I look like a radiant, dewy goddess when I've got this on—so much so that I usually tap on a little setting powder in my T-zone to keep oil at bay.

✨ Try it if: You wanna combine your foundation and sunscreen step

• Key ingredients: Allantoin, seabuckthorn oil, bisabolol

• Active ingredient: Zinc oxide (9.5%)

• SPF Level: 50

• White cast? None (tinted formula)

Glowing customer review: "I have been on the hunt for a combination SPF and skin tint, and was thrilled when I found Live Tinted! I was even more thrilled when I tried it—it's truly perfect! If you don't use a setting powder, yes, it will make your face SUPER glowy, but I pat a bit of loose powder into my skin, and voila! Skin that looks like skin, imperfections are (mostly) hidden, and my skin is protected from the sun."

Activated Mineral Sunscreen

Sometimes—just sometimes!—I simply want an SPF that protects my skin and doesn't add a tint or radiant finish. Like gimme the basics, baby. And my answer to those such days is this untinted mineral sunscreen from Lightsaver. Developed by dermatologist David Kim, MD, this formula has a lightweight, almost-whipped consistency that immediately sinks into my skin—no white cast, no residue, no glow, no nothin'. And that's exactly how I like it! But don't worry if the lack of glow makes your dry skin crack just thinking about it—the formula's squalane adds some hydration, while niacinamide helps soothe skin.

✨ Try it if: You have medium to deep skin, since there's no white cast once you blend this in (!!!)

• Key ingredients: Niacinamide, squalane, lingonberry (antioxidant)

• Active ingredient: Zinc oxide

• SPF Level: 33

• White cast? None

Glowing customer review: "This nontinted mineral sunscreen blends in perfectly. It has a super lightweight texture even for my oily skin and it doesn't feel like I am wearing sunscreen at all. The white cast completely disappeared in 15 seconds (I have Asian skin). I love it and highly recommend."

Rio Radiance SPF 50 Mineral Body Lotion Sunscreen

If you thought a ghostly white sunscreen face was bad, imagine rolling up to the pool in your 'kini covered in a white paste like a 10-year-old whose mom just slathered 'em up in SPF. But this Sol De Janeiro pick is the antithesis of that. It's lightweight, oil-based texture leaves my skin feeling so glowy without any thick, white residue on my skin. And it even uses niacinamide to help smooth and soothe my body. I also have recently been experiencing some chest and back acne, and this is a great SPF to slather on without worrying about it clogging my pores too.

P.S. It also features the Cheirosa '87 Rio Radiance fragrance, which has notes of coconut, vanilla, and solar florals for a creamy, bright, and sweet scent. I personally love it for beach and pool days, or just pretending I'm on a tropical vacay when I'm simply lounging at the park.

✨ Try it if: You have sensitive or acne-prone skin from head to toe, or you prefer clean, mineral SPF formulas for your body

• Key ingredients: Niacinamide, Cupuaçu butter, coconut oil

• Active ingredient: Titanium dioxide

• SPF Level: 50

• White cast? None

Glowing customer review: "Love it helps with all my acne and helped me to smell great! Lightweight and easy to wear over makeup I adore the fact it’s recyclable, cruelty-free and uses 100 percent mineral SPF!"

How can you tell the difference between mineral and chemical sunscreen?

The difference between a mineral and chemical sunscreen lies in the filters that are used. Usually, you'll see this in the "drug facts" section of the ingredient label (so long as you're in the U.S.). A mineral formula will contain physical filters—usually zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide—that act as a reflective shield for your skin, reflecting the light away from your skin like a mirror. Chemical sunscreens, however, use chemicals—including oxybenzone, avobenzone, homosalate, octinoxate octisalate, and/or octocrylene—to absorb the light so that your skin doesn't.

Is mineral sunscreen really better?

Mineral sunscreen isn't "better" than chemical sunscreen, per se, but it's more often recommended by dermatologists. Here's the deal: Mineral filters aren't absorbed into your skin like chemical ones, which neutralize and convert UV rays into heat before they're released from your body. “This process is usually problematic for those with sensitive skin, so opting for a completely mineral sunscreen is best,” says esthetician Ivey Rogers. Instead, mineral formulas act as a physical block between your skin and those UV rays, which is much more gentle.

Not to mention, zinc-based sunscreens are actually soothing and anti-inflammatory on their own, making them so, so good for sensitive skin types. Plus, if you're all about green beauty, they're reef-safe, meaning they don't use the chemicals that are known to damage coral reefs.

But mineral sunscreens aren't all sunshine and rainbows, as they can reflect the light and give your skin a strong white cast, dermatologist Dendy Engelman, MD, previously explained to Cosmo. But! But! But! Not all hope is lost, as there are hella advanced mineral sunscreen formulations now that are made with transparent zinc or tinted versions to help counteract the white, ghostly look.

How to choose the best mineral sunscreen for you:

Make sure it's SPF 30 or higher.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, you should be using an SPF 30 or higher every single day—no ifs, ands, or buts. While you're at it, make sure you opt for a formula with broad-spectrum protection, meaning it protects you against UVA (which is what can cause sunburns and skin cancer) and UVB rays (a major culprit for premature aging, including fine lines and wrinkles, saggy skin, hyperpigmentation, and skin damage). Obvi, all of my top formula picks above meet this requirement.

Look for tinted or clear formulas.

I get it: Mineral sunscreens get a bad rap for the annoying white cast they cause. If you're concerned, opt for a tinted or clear formula. Tinted sunscreens usually have a bit of pigment added to cancel out the white cast, helping the formula to blend into your skin. Clear mineral sunscreens, instead, will usually have a white look just out of the tube, but disappear as you blend them in. If you have deep skin, make sure to read the reviews (feel free to toggle to reviews that mention a white cast or dark skin tones) to get an idea before buying. I noted the opacity levels of all of my picks above.

Assess your skin type.

Sunscreens are more than just SPF these days. To find a formula you're gonna <3 putting on every day, you've gotta look for one that matches your skin type. So if you deal with an oily T-zone and the occasional zit, go with a matte mineral sunscreen that'll help control sebum. But if you have dry patches that you wanna moisturize and smooth, try a hydrating formula filled with vitamin E, squalane, shea butter, or oils.

Meet the experts:

• Ivey Rogers is a licensed aesthetician in Charlotte, NC and the lead aesthetician with Urban Skin RX. She's an expert in working with all skin tones and types.

• Dendy Engelman, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist at Shafer Clinic Fifth Avenue in New York City. She was previously interviewed about sunscreens without white cast.

• Mona Gohara, MD, is a dermatologist and associate clinical professor at the Yale School of Medicine practicing in Hamden, CT, and Branford, CT. She was featured in a story about pregnancy-safe sunscreen.

Why trust ‘Cosmopolitan’?

Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with six years of experience researching, writing, and editing skincare stories, including sunburned lips, moisturizers for acne-prone skin, and products for hyperpigmentation. She's an authority in all skincare categories, but is an expert when it comes to the best mineral sunscreens after interviewing dermatologists and testing dozens of formulas on her own skin. She regularly tests and analyzes mineral sunscreens while working with the industry's top dermatologists to assess new formulas and brands.

You Might Also Like

• Here’s What NOT to Wear to a Wedding

• Meet the Laziest, Easiest Acne Routine You’ll Ever Try