14 Best Mineral Sunscreens, According to Dermatologists

Best Splurge: This might be one of the priciest ones on the list, but it’s well worth it, according to one SELF editor: “My job involves testing a lot of beauty products, especially sunscreens, and this one lives rent-free in my head because it’s just that good. It has a thin, runny consistency, so it’s super easy to blend into my skin, and its dewy finish looks great alone or underneath makeup. I plan to repurchase it once I run out!”

• Mineral SPF ingredient: zinc oxide
• Other notable ingredients: squalane, vitamin E, and shea butter to hydrate
• Fragrance-free | Non-comedogenic | Vegan

Editor Pick: Two SELF editors recommend picking this one up, and they say the word “glow” in the name shouldn’t scare you away: “I always worry that products like this will be too shimmery or make me look like a disco ball, but it’s perfect and hydrating,” one editor says. It comes in two flexible shades (fair/medium and medium/deep) that are more about mitigating a white cast than providing coverage.

• Mineral SPF ingredient: zinc oxide
• Other notable ingredients: vitamin C to brighten and protect; skin-firming peptides
• Fragrance-free | Non-comedogenic | Vegan

Soothing Formula: The combo of anti-inflammatory colloidal oatmeal and niacinamide makes this SPF a great option if you’re consistently dealing with redness or other signs of irritation. “As a sensitive-skin girlie, I love that this Olay one is SO lightweight and soothing,” one SELF editor says. “My favorite part is that this sunscreen has a cooling effect on my face, which is perfect for those really hot summer days or when I’m going through a rosacea flare-up.”

• Mineral SPF ingredient: zinc oxide
• Other notable ingredients: hydrating glycerin, peptides
• Fragrance-free | Oil-free

Best Scent: This body sunscreen doesn’t leave behind that tacky, greasy feeling. “It dries down within seconds and leaves behind a more matte-like finish, so no stickiness, no white cast, no pilling,” one SELF editor says, adding that she skips perfume on days when she applies it, thanks to its delicious scent that’s “coconuty with a hint of banana sweetness.”

• Mineral SPF ingredient: zinc oxide
• Other notable ingredients: aloe vera, shea butter, glycerin, niacinamide, vitamin E
• Water-resistant for up to 80 minutes | Vegan

Best for Sweaty Activities: Here’s a great option to toss into your hiking backpack or sports bag, since it’s in a compact tin and has a thicker water-resistant formula that’ll stay put even when you start to sweat (of course, you’ll still need to reapply, but it won’t slip-slide around as much). “It’s a bit heavy for everyday use, but that’s what makes it perfect for outings like hiking or surfing because it stays on so, so well,” one 2022 Healthy Beauty Award tester wrote. And once you’ve gone through it, you can easily reuse or recycle the metal tin.

• Mineral SPF ingredient: zinc oxide
• Other notable ingredient: vitamin E
• Water-resistant for up to 80 minutes

Best for Dry Skin: This 2023 Healthy Beauty Award winner is “creamy and dreamy” according to one tester, who also says it’s like a “moisturizer that makes you instantly feel better about yourself.” Along with protecting your skin from the sun, this sunscreen gives your complexion a pretty glow, according to our tester, and works to minimize dark spots and even out your skin tone with the help of tranexamic acid.

• Mineral SPF ingredient: zinc oxide
• Other notable ingredients: aloe vera, hyaluronic acid
• Oil-free | Water-resistant for up to 80 minutes

Best Stick SPF: Easy to take on the go? Quick and mess-free to apply? Great for your face and body? This 2022 Healthy Beauty Award winner checks all the boxes. “It’s like a grown-up version of the face stick we all grew up with,” one tester wrote. “I really like the size and how portable it is to throw in a bag or backpack. It rolled on smoothly and my face enjoyed the process of applying sunscreen—a rarity!”

• Mineral SPF ingredient: zinc oxide
• Other notable ingredients: cacao seed and shea butters to hydrate, bisabolol (a soothing and skin-softening ingredient)
• Water-resistant for up to 80 minutes | Fragrance-free | Oil-free

Best Spray SPF: You still need to rub spray sunscreen into your skin to make sure you get adequate coverage, but there’s something about spritzing it on that makes it feel a little less high-maintenance (and, as a nice bonus, this formula isn’t sticky or greasy either). Dr. Garshick says this is an especially great option “for people who are active and spend a lot of time outdoors,” since it’s easier to apply and is water- and sweat-resistant for up to 80 minutes. Just make sure to apply an even layer, even if that means asking a friend to get your back!

• Mineral SPF ingredients: zinc oxide, titanium dioxide
• Other notable ingredients: aloe vera, glycerin, bisabolol
• Vegan

Best for Deeper Skin: Biossance’s face SPF earns major points from Mona Gohara, MD, associate clinical dermatology professor at the Yale School of Medicine and president of the Women’s Dermatologic Society. “This sunscreen is particularly good for those of us with melanin-rich skin, as I’ve found it does not leave a white cast,” she tells SELF.

• Mineral SPF ingredient: zinc oxide
• Other notable ingredients: squalane, glycerin, bisabolol, ectoin
• Fragrance-free | Vegan

Best for Oily Skin: This tinted sunscreen is a solid choice for folks with sensitive, oily, and/or acne-prone skin, since it’s free of potentially irritating fragrances and oils and is formulated to not clog pores. “It offers a fast-absorbing, easy-to-apply, lightweight texture that leaves behind a matte finish,” Dr. Garshick says.

• Mineral SPF ingredients: zinc oxide, titanium dioxide
• Other notable ingredients: vitamin E
• Water-resistant for up to 40 minutes | Fragrance-free | Oil-free | Non-comedogenic

Best Powder SPF: A powder sunscreen shouldn’t be your first line of defense against the sun but it’s an easy way to touch up your SPF throughout the day—and this one from Colorescience is a super-popular option. “It has a very subtle shimmer that helps give that enviable glow yet still manages to mattify on a hot summer day,” Rachel Westbay, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Marmur Medical in New York City, previously told SELF.

• Mineral SPF ingredients: zinc oxide, titanium dioxide
• Other notable ingredients: hyaluronic acid, glycerin
• Fragrance-free | Water-resistant for up to 80 minutes | Non-comedogenic | Oil-free | Vegan

Best Lip Balm With SPF: Your lips need sunscreen, too! This balm delivers a pretty, glossy pop of color in addition to sun protection. You’ll get a moisture boost thanks to mango, shea, and murumuru butters too.

• Mineral SPF ingredient: zinc oxide
• Other notable ingredients: peptides, bisabolol
• Vegan