You likely already know the many reasons to wear sunscreen every day: It protects your skin from skin cancer, prevents sunburn, and defends your skin from photoaging. No matter your age, lifestyle, or skin color, sunscreen is a must.
Generally, we opt for mineral sunscreen formulas with zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide because they don’t raise concerns that some chemical sunscreen ingredients do. Take oxybenzone, for instance. This chemical is absorbed by the body, and it shows up in breast milk, urine and blood samples. There’s some evidence that oxybenzone may be capable of disrupting the endocrine system, too. But mineral sunscreens don’t have these issues, so we feel more confident using them.
Besides, have you tried some of these new mineral formulations? They’re so buttery and smooth, and—finally—there are solid options that don’t leave behind a Casper-like gray tint. Ahead, check out five of our favorite mineral sunscreens that we’ll be applying (and reapplying) all summer long.
Here’s what our sunscreen picks have in common:
- They use titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide to protect skin
- The provide broad-spectrum protection of SPF 30
- The formulas are cruelty-free
- They don’t leave a white cast (with the exception of one—you’ll see why we recommend it below)
- The formulas are a pleasure to use, so you’ll look forward to applying sunscreen
