The 20 Best Mineral Sunscreens, From a Silky Serum to an Acne-Safe Option

Best Newcomer

If you combined your most hydrating moisturizer with sunscreen, you'd get this newly-launched mineral formula. Featuring a triple-ceramide complex of three plant-based lipids that strengthen your skin's moisture barrier and non-nano zinc oxide, it leaves your skin fully protected with broad spectrum SPF 60. The subtle vanilla scent and dewy finish make it a downright delight to wear.

Best Overall

Calling all skincare obsessives: Think of this formula as a three-for-one. It protects against the sun, environmental pollution and blue light. Even better, the mineral formula absorbs quickly and actually feels refreshing on the skin—all without a chalky finish.

Best for Acne-Prone Skin

We were first introduced to this brand by a dermatologist years ago following a particularly bad bout of hormonal acne in our twenties. It’s non-comedogenic (read: it won’t clog your pores), has niacinamide (aka vitamin B3) and lactic acid to help clear up and calm your skin. As far as the user experience goes, it’s creamy to the touch, blends easily and has no trace of fragrance. Which is why, eight years later, it’s still in our medicine cabinet.

Best Anti-Aging

This lightweight sunscreen combines zinc oxide with a blend of antioxidants and peptides to tackle existing sun damage, while protecting against further UV damage. The texture is incredibly silky and thinner than most other formulas, which makes it easy to spread evenly over your skin.

Best Texture

Tennis star Venus Williams partnered with clean beauty leaders Credo Beauty to create two mineral sunscreens that could withstand the elements. We were particularly impressed by the “sun serum” here because of its sheer texture and elegant application. The dropper top dispenses a silky fluid that sinks into your skin nicely, leaving a semi-matte finish.

Best for Makeup Wearers

Despite being just under a month old, this buzzy new sunscreen from Tatcha has already earned rave reviews for having a silky application and satiny finish. Created with silk extracts, it can easily double as a primer because it creates a smooth, even surface for makeup and won’t pill underneath. (Tip: Give the bottle a good shake beforehand to ensure the liquid formula is fully mixed before you put it on.)

Best Spray

Beloved by derms and countless celebs, this mineral sunscreen now comes in an easy-to-use spray, but the lightweight formula remains unchanged. It still blends sheer and is completely oil-free and non-comedogenic, so any fellow bacne sufferers or even those with eczema can get the sun protection they need without having to worry about causing breakouts or flareups.

Best for Dark Skin

Murad’s newest 2-in-1 product features a broad-spectrum, mineral sunscreen and an antioxidant serum that prevents and treats hyperpigmentation. With a sheer, satin formula that was clinically tested on Fitzpatrick skin types 1 to 6 (the official scientific scale used to classify skin type according to the amount of pigment your skin has and how it reacts to sun exposure), it earned high marks for, well, not leaving any marks. Rather than a white cast, the hybrid sunscreen has an invisible finish.

Best for Kids

If you’re looking for a super gentle option for your kids, this mineral spray is a safe bet. Formulated with non-nano zinc oxide to protect against UV rays, it’s also free of any potentially irritating fragrance and has ingredients like aloe vera and calendula extract to soothe skin. The spray application is appreciated, too, because trying to get sunscreen on a squirming child is no easy feat.

Best Powder

This convenient powder makes it easy to keep your SPF intact, thanks to its retractable brush that dispenses sheer mineral sunscreen onto your skin in a few passes. Plus, it’s exceptionally lightweight. Formulated with silica, ceramides and olive glycerides, it also helps set your makeup and reduce shine.

Best for Body

Unscented and vegan, this sunscreen is free of harsh chemicals, non-greasy and full of antioxidants. With organic ingredients like green tea extract, cucumber extract and pomegranate seed oil, it’s a formula your skin will appreciate from tip to toe.

Best Drugstore

Let us count the reasons why we love CeraVe’s sunscreen: It’s a mineral formula, it gives great coverage and it provides the moisture we didn’t realize we needed, with three essential ceramides that work to restore your skin’s natural barrier.

Best for Oily Skin

Midday shine is the worst, but that’s nothing this SPF 30 sunscreen can’t solve. It’s mattifying formula means you won’t look the slightest bit greasy, and because it’s made with fast-absorbing, clean zinc oxide, it won’t irritate or clog pores.

Best for Outdoors

Neutrogena was our first ride-or-die face sunscreen. And now we can add this sheer zinc oxide formula to our list of drugstore must-haves. Not only is the water-resistant SPF 50 sunscreen made with natural zinc oxide, but it also contains Purescreen Technology which absorbs, scatters and reflects UV rays, without any chemicals.

Best Splurge

OK, this one’s a relative splurge. But it’s also vegan and certified organic, full of all the good stuff (aloe vera, shea butter) and subtly tinted to even out your skin tone. It’s basically a sunscreen, moisturizer and foundation in one…so kind of a steal when you think about it, really?

Best for Dry Skin

If you haven’t been able to get on board with mineral sunscreen, try the Organic Mineral Sun Silk Creme from Coola. It’s so lightweight, that it feels like a regular moisturizer and it rubs in with ease. Plus, it’s made with more than 70 percent organic ingredients and features the brand’s plant-derived Full Spectrum 360 complex, which also helps mitigate the effects of blue light, infrared light and pollution.

Best for Sensitive Skin

This talc-free SPF 20 powder from Ilia won’t just protect you from the sun, it’ll enhance your skin too. Aloe leaf extract, passion fruit and rosemary oil combine to soothe and fight inflammation while you wear it. And we love the fact that you can easily remove and clean the brush head to ensure there’s no buildup.

Best Stick

The minute it’s safe to travel again, you bet we’ll be booking a tropical vacation for at least two weeks. And when that time comes, we’ll be tucking this solid mineral sunscreen stick from Beautycounter in our suitcase. It’s TSA-friendly, reef-friendly, ultra-hydrating (thanks to cocoa butter) and super sheer, so it won’t leave behind a chalky residue.

Best for Daily Wear

This SPF 30 mineral superstar blocks both UV and HEV light from penetrating your skin, thanks to zinc oxide. It also has vitamin B3 and amino peptides, which help support your skin’s natural renewal process, so it actually improves your complexion while protecting it over time. The moisturizing formula also applies like a dream.

Best Tinted

If you like a product that works as both daily SPF and makeup, look no further than this super-popular skin tint from Ilia. It features zinc oxide sunscreen, light to medium coverage and a whole slew of beneficial skincare ingredients (think: hyaluronic acid, plant-based Squalane and Niacinamide). Plus, it leaves a dewy finish, for the best version of your natural skin.