The 5 Best Mineral Sunscreens

Original review: November 28, 2020

Last updated: March 5, 2022

Sunscreens are important and everyone can benefit from using them. Period.

I tried different mineral sunscreens and 1 hybrid (mineral and chemical) with an outside demonstration so you can see if they leave a white cast.

What’s the difference between mineral and chemical sunscreens? There’s a lot to it and goes really in depth but here's a very brief summary:

Mineral:

• Many consider more “natural”
• Zinc and iron oxides create a layer to block UVA & UVB rays
• Can leave a white cast
• Great for sensitive skin
• Requires more reapplication as it's not as sweat/water resistant

Chemical:

• A lot of discussions about hormone disrupters. Many dispute this and many agree with it and there are clear and unclear answers
• Ingredients like avobenzone, octinoxate and oxybenzone absorb the UV rays, converts them into heat, and release them from the body
  
• Blend into the skin much easier
  
• A “chemical” in itself is not bad. For instance, zinc is considered a chemical 
  
• Some chemicals (such as oxybenzone) effect the ocean corals and other marine life. Many manufactures have opted out of using said ingredients but some still do

If you’d rather watch the video to see how they apply, click below:

Green Beaver SPF 27 Natural Sunscreen Spray

SHOP | $22 CAD

Pros:

• Non drying, very hydrating
• smooth texture
• blends into the skin really well

Cons:

• Oil based sunscreen, depending on your skin type you might want to avoid
• If apply too much I ended up looking oily
• Can't purchase if outside of Canada 
• I found it best when applied to slightly damp skin. If I applied it to dry skin it didn't feel as moisturizing
• Low SPF. Dermatologists recommend 30 SPF or more 

Am I Still Using It?

• Yes and no. I'm currently using up one of my other sunscreens below, but as soon as I finish that I will be repurchasing this for the 3rd time. 

​*Ingredient List:

Medicinal Ingredient (W/W): Zinc Oxide 24%
Non-Medicinal Ingredients: Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl carbonate, Glyceryl Isostearate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Silica, Jojoba Esters, d-alpha Tocopheryl acetate, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Seed Oil* 100 % of the total ingredients are from natural origin *34% from organic farming Certified by Ecocert Greenlife according to Ecocert standards available on http://cosmetics.ecocert.com

SHOP | $21 CAD

​Sunprise Airy Finish SPF50+ PA+++ 55ml

Pros

• ​Nice watery texture
• Love the design

Cons

• Fragrance (orange/tangerine scent)
• Slight grey cast if over apply 
• Chalky feel

​Am I Still Using It?

No. Due to the fragrance and the slight grey cast. However, my mother in law loves it and says it looks great under her make up and gives her a nice glow.

*Ingredient List:

Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Zinc Oxide, Alcohol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Dipropylene Glycol, Titanium Dioxide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Viscum Album (Mistletoe) Leaf Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Extract, Carex Humillis Root Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Pinus Sylvestris Leaf Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Malpighia Emarginata (Acerola) Fruit Extract, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Hyaluronic Acid, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Magnesium Sulfate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Methicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Aluminum Hydroxide, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Octyldodecanol, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Butylene Glycol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Cellulose Gum

​

SHOP | $20 CAD

PURITO - Comfy Water Sun Block SPF50+ PA++++

Pros:

• Beautiful soft, light texture
• Amazing formulation
• Great spreadability
• Provides a nice glow to the skin

Cons:

• It irritated my skin and caused some breakouts (only for me, everyone is different)
• Can pill/ball on the skin by creating little eraser-like remnants when you rub the skin. Probably not the best for make up application. I found this only happened if I overapplied or didn't apply it in layers
• Takes time to blend into the skin

Am I Still Using it?

No. I ended up giving it away due to the irritation and sometimes drying effect it had on my skin. I really wanted to love it though

*Ingredient List:

​Water, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Zinc Oxide, Silica, 1,2-Hexanediol,
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Titanium Dioxide(CI 77891), Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Cetearyl Olivate,
Sorbitan Olivate, Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Stearic Acid, Lauroyl Lysine, Disodium EDTA,
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Adenosine, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

SHOP | $22 CAD

Shiseido - Senka Mineral Water UV Protector SPF 50 PA+++

Pros

• Really nice watery and lotion texture
• Blends in easily
• Great under make up
• Very buildable

Cons

• Leaves a subtle powdery like feel on the skin (I don't mind but something to note)
• Can burn/irritate the eye area when eyes get wet
• It's a "hybrid" sunscreen. It has chemical & mineral sunscreen ingredients 
• The product itself is in Japanese so some things could be lost in translation
• Tends to be unavailable online or out of stock
• Has a slight amount of alcohol and can be drying by the end of the day

Am I Still Using it?

Yes and no. I have one more bottle to use. This product is still my favourite, close behind the Green Beaver. I plan to finish this bottle then will stick with mineral sunscreens.

*Ingredient List:

Cyclomethicone, Water, Isododecane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Alcohol, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Octocrylene, Polysilicone-15, Zinc Oxide, Ppg-17, Peg-9 Dolydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate, Sucrose Tetrastearate Triacetate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Sodium Chloride, Calcium Chloride, Talc, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Isostearic Acid, Triethyloxycapriylylsilane, Trisodium Edta, Orange, Bht

SHOP | $20 CAD

Benton Mineral Sun Stick

Pros

• Easy buttery smooth application
• Moisturizing
• Great for reapplication throughout the day

Cons

• Hard to tell if you're getting adequate coverage with sunscreen sticks
• Tends to be out of stock or unavailable 

Am I Still Using it?

No, only because I ran our and have purchase the cream version below instead (see below). I do plan on repurchasing though because it was so easy to apply

*Ingredient List:

Coco-caprylate/caprate, sunflower seed wax, propylene glycol dicaprylate, H-di/trimethylol hexyllactone cross polymer, C12-15 alkyl benzoate, titanium dioxide, dicaprylyl carbonate, Synthetic fluorphlogopite, vinyl dimethicone, microcrystalline wax, aluminum stearate, polyhydroxystearic acid, purslane extract, centella extract, sodium hyaluronate, hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, sodium Acetylated hyaluronate, caprylic/capric triglyceride, polyglyceryl-4diisostearate/polyhydroxystearate/sebacate, silica, alumina, pentylene glycol, allantoin, panthenol, Glycerin, Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Xylyl Glucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Glucose, Glyceryl Caprylate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Stearic Acid, Tocopherol, Purified Water, 1, 2-hexanediol, ethylhexylglycerin

I’m still testing it out before I give my full review as I only started using it February 2022.



What’s your favourite sunscreen?

*Ingredients subject to change at manufacturer's discretion. For the most complete and up-to-date list of ingredients, please refer to product packaging.