Dreamy Sunscreens!
Let's get straight to it - here are my thoughts on the mineral and chemical sunscreens I decided to test out this year. I read through many reviews and selected products that were most highly recommended or most discussed, and picked from that list (what I could find in Canada) to compare. This means that all the options below are great sunscreens, I've just provided my personal thoughts on each one. I'd love to hear what you think of any of these, and if you have other favourites I should try!
Notes:
Shine level is rated out of 5 stars: 1 star is matte (*), 5 stars = super shiny (*****)
Photos with pink backgrounds are my favourites, and I would buy again
The following may include affiliate links to products - I really appreciate your support if you decide to try something out!
In each category (mineral vs chemical) I've put them in order of most to least liked
Prices are in CAD
MINERAL SUNSCREENS
Australian Gold
Botanical 50 Tinted Face Mineral Lotion (Fair to Light)
Absorption: quick
Application: smooth + creamy
Broad spectrum, SPF 50
Cost: $20/88mL ($17 with discount below)
Extra benefits: BB cream (light coverage with skin benefits)
Finish: matte
Fragrance free
Hypoallergenic
Oil free
No eye stinging
Perfect skin matching tint
Shine level: *
Water resistant 80 minutes
Active ingredients: Titanium dioxide, zinc oxide
Overall thoughts: Light, airy and with a skin-matching tint (comes in three different shades), I love the smooth matte finish and light coverage. No oxybenzone, parabens, phthalates, PABA, petrolatum, sulfates (SLS) or dye. For more details check out my instagram post, and if you decide to try this one out, you can use CHELSEA15 at Australian Gold Canada for 15% off!
La Roche-Posay
Anthelios Mineral Ultra-Fluid Lotion SPF 50 Tinted
Absorption: fast
Application: smooth + watery
Broad spectrum, SPF 50
Cost: $29/50mL
Extra benefits: light tinted coverage
Finish: invisible
Fragrance free
No eye stinging
Perfect tint - once rubbed in and absorbed, colour is seamless
Recognized sun protection from Canadian Dermatology Association
Shine level: **
Water resistant 40 minutes
Won't clog pores
Active ingredient: Titanium dioxide
Overall thoughts: Paraben free and safe for sensitive skin, this super fluid, quick-absorbing sunscreen leaves a healthy glow and feels invisible on the face.
MDSolarSciences
Mineral Tinted Creme SPF 30
Absorption: quick
Application: smooth lotion
Broad spectrum, SPF 30
Cost: $40/50mL
Extra benefits: vitamin C, green tea, cranberry fruit and pomegranate extracts
Finish: greasy then velvety
Fragrance free
Hypoallergenic
Oil free
No eye stinging
Perfectly blended tint
Shine level: **
Water resistant 80 minutes
Active Ingredients: Titanium dioxide, zinc oxide
Overall thoughts: Invisible protection with a sheer finish, this sunscreen is creamy and smooth. It does eventually feel matte, however for the first 15 minutes or so it felt greasy on my skin. Safe for sensitive skin, including rosacea- and acne-prone.
Neutrogena
Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Absorption: slow
Application: thick cream
Broad spectrum, SPF 50
Cost: $13/59mL
Finish: tacky
Fragrance free
Hypoallergenic
No eye stinging
Oil free
Recognized sun protection by Canadian Dermatology Association
Shine level: ***
Slight white cast (will likely be more noticeable on darker skin tones)
Water resistant 80 minutes
Won't clog pores
Active Ingredient: Zinc oxide
Overall thoughts: Although this initially feels hard to spread on the skin, it does blend with some effort into a lightweight finish (but still felt a bit tacky for me). It's a good option for sensitive skin and has no parabens, phthalates, or dyes. It also claims to layer invisibly under make-up (I didn't try this).
Sun Bum
Mineral SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion
Absorption: quick
Application: smooth lotion
Broad spectrum, SPF 50
Cost: $20/88mL
Finish: tacky
Fragrance STRONG
Hypoallergenic
Mineral oil free
Shine level: ****
Slight white cast
Unknown eye stinging (didn't use on face)
Vegan
Water resistant 80 minutes
Active ingredient: Zinc oxide
Overall thoughts: A lightweight almost "fluffy" feeling application (if that makes sense?), it goes on smoothly and absorbs nicely for a body sunscreen. Skin still felt tacky, and I really did not like the scent (too strong for me). Does not contain oxybenzone, octinoxate, parabens, gluten, PABA, propylene glycol, retinyl palmitate, silicone or dyes.
CHEMICAL SUNSCREENS
Olay
Complete UV 365 Daily Moisturizing Lotion SPF 15 - Sensitive
Absorption: quick
Application: velvety lotion
Broad spectrum, SPF 15
Cost: $9/120mL
Extra benefits: moisturizer (8 hours of hydration), antioxidants (vitamins E, B3 and C)
Feel: invisible!
Finish: matte/slightly dewy
Fragrance free
Oil free
No eye stinging
Recommended Skin Cancer Foundation Daily Use
Shine level: **
Won't clog pores
Active ingredients: Zinc oxide (physical) + octinoxate (chemical)
Overall thoughts: This one is my favourite "chemical" sunscreen - it's actually a combination of physical (zinc oxide) and chemical (octinoxate) sunscreens. It's a great pick for that "doesn't even feel like sunscreen" option - basically a lightweight moisturizer with SPF, what a bonus! They say the best sunscreen is THE ONE YOU WILL USE - this is the perfect place to start. It helps that it is the most affordable product on the page at ~$9 a bottle!
La Roche-Posay
Anthelios Ultra Fluid SPF 50+ Facial Sunscreen
Absorption: quick
Application: smooth + watery
Broad spectrum, SPF 50+
Cost: $29/50mL
Feel: slight tackiness
Finish: invisible
Fragrance free (faint sunscreen smell)
Hypoallergenic
No eye stinging
Oil free
Recognized sun protection from Canadian Dermatology Association
Shine level: *****
Water resistant 80 minutes
Won't block pores
Active ingredients: Mexoryl XL, bemotrizinol, octisalate, octocrylene, avobenzone, homosalate, ensulizole
Overall thoughts: Ultra-light and watery, this absorbs easily with no white cast. However, it is shinier/greasier than the similar mineral version (I prefer a more matte sunscreen).
La Roche-Posay
Anthelios XL Lotion SPF 60
Absorption: quick
Application: smooth lotion
Broad spectrum, SPF 60
Cost: $30/150mL
Does sting eyes
Feel: almost unnoticeable
Finish: glowy/shiny
Fragrance free (faint smell of sunscreen)
Oil free
Recognized sun protection from Canadian Dermatology Association
Shine level: ****
Water resistant 40 minutes
Won't clog pores
Active ingredients: Homosalate, octocrylene, octisalate, avobenzone, Mexoryl XL, Mexoryl SX
Overall thoughts: Formulated for face + body with powerful SPF coverage and almost invisible feel once absorbed. I found it did sting my eyes so I wouldn't continue to use on my face, but otherwise a good lightweight option that's safe for sensitive skin. Also paraben free.
Supergoop!
Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40 PA+++
Absorption: ultra fast
Application: gel
Broad spectrum, SPF 40
Cost: $45/50mL
Cruelty free
Extra benefits: smoothing, blue light protection
Feel: soft + invisible
Finish: matte
No eye stinging
Oil free
Shine level: *
Stronger chemical scent
Vegan
Water resistant 40 minutes
Active ingredients: Avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene
Overall thoughts: An Allure 2019 Best of Beauty award winner, this Clean at Sephora sunscreen has a velvety-smooth finish with a super fast drying time. It truly is invisible and weightless; however, although "scentless" I found it did have a chemical smell that lingered, and at a steep $45 per 50mL I just cannot justify repurchasing.
There you go, some great picks for staying sun-safe this summer. If you want to see what each sunscreen looks like on the skin, check out my Mineral Sunscreens or Chemical Sunscreens quick reels on Instagram. Still want the perfect summer glow WITHOUT the UV damage? My favourite sunless tanner is Beauty By Earth Self Tanner (Lotion)! Happy sunny summer everyone!
DISCLAIMER: The contents of this blog are for educational purposes and are not intended as medical advice. I enjoy researching but the information is general and not comprehensive. Please seek the advice of your healthcare provider (pharmacist/physician etc) with any questions you may have regarding your personal health. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read online. Any mention of specific products or personal recommendations are my opinion and not to be taken as medical advice.
