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Summer is all fun and games until you get that first sunburn of the season. It’s painful, inconvenient, and harms your skin for the future. Sunscreen is meant to protect your skin, but sometimes, it fails to adapt for all skin types and textures. Whether you’re acne-prone, darker complexion, or looking for a sunscreen that doesn’t smell like straight coconuts in a bottle, finding the right one can be tricky. 

We’re on a hunt for a mineral sunscreen that isn’t visible, allowing you to be barefaced or glammed up.

The Players

From white cast to the scent, we broke down the top 5 face sunscreens for this season:

• Cay Skin Mo’Bay Mineral Sunscreen
• Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen
• Elta MD Pure UV sunscreen
• Summer Fridays Shadedrops
• innisfree Daily UV Defense Mineral Sunscreen

Which one allows you to have suncare and skincare all in one? 

White cast

Sunscreen, though beneficial for all skin types, is not always inclusive. Many sunscreen brands contain ingredients that leave a white cast, ignoring varying skin tones. Sunscreens without a white cast can allow anyone to protect their skin from harmful UV rays without being obvious. 

Supergoop goes on as a clear gel.

Contrary to typical sunscreens, Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen goes on as a clear film, eliminating the white cast. With a stickier consistency, it works as primer and SPF all in one. This makes it strictly better for wearing under makeup, especially if you’re using the mineral unseen sunscreen, which leaves a slight white cast.  

Elta MD contains both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. 

Elta MD is the thickest consistency of the sunscreens. With the presence of both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, it actively reflects UV rays, but leaves a white cast that is hard to blend in and wash off. 

Summer Fridays, innisfree, and Cay Skin contain Zinc Oxide. 

Summer Fridays ShadeDrops is a mineral milk sunscreen. The only white-casting-causing ingredient is Zinc Oxide, so there is minimal white cast. However, the milky consistency creates slight coverage that some users use in place of foundation. 

Innisfree Daily UV Defense Mineral Sunscreen is a color-correcting sunscreen. The green tint neutralizes redness, but has the risk of leaving a tint depending on your skin tone. Additionally, their mineral sunscreen includes zinc oxide, which can contribute to the white cast. 

Cay Skin Mo’Bay mineral sunscreen contains 9.4% zinc oxide for daily protection, but not enough to leave a white cast. Most sunscreens take on a lotion texture, but Cay Skin has a fluid, serum-like texture that allows it to melt into the skin and easily blend. With no white cast, it can be standalone for daily UV protection or worn under makeup. Its lightweight formula makes it a day-to-day sunscreen for every skin type. 

SPF Factor

SPF factor comes in a variety of numbers. The higher the level, the more UV protection. However, SPF Factor alone cannot protect you from sunburn. 

Both Cay Skin and Summer Fridays have an SPF of 30. 

Summer Fridays meets the dermatologist standard SPF of 30. The only additional ingredient outside of SPF and zinc oxide for sun-related risks is the blend of Vitamin E and Ethyl Ferulate. These ingredients work to protect the skin against free-radical damage that contributes to visible signs of aging, but you’re still at risk of sunburns. 

Cay Skin meets the SPF recommended by dermatologists but also includes fermented guava and sea moss. The fermented guava is antioxidant protection that increases the strength of UV and free radical protection. Sea moss is a nutrient-rich seaweed that strengthens the skin’s barrier. 

Supergoop, innisfree, and Elta MD have a higher SPF factor. 

Supergoop unseen sunscreen has 40 SPF with red algae to strengthen skin against visible light. Innisfree daily UV defense mineral sunscreen has 45 SPF, but that is the extent of sun protection ingredients. 

Elta MD has the highest SPF of 47 and has zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, and Vitamin C ester to protect against the sun and free radicals. However, there is a downside to having these mineral-based ingredients, including a medicinal smell and white cast. 

Skin Care

No one wants a sunscreen that compromises other factors of skincare health for sun protection. When finding a sunscreen that is versatile and suited for daily wear, it’s important to look for no pore-clogging ingredients and a hydrating formula. 

Supergoop contains two primary soothing ingredients.

Supergoop contains Frankincense and Meadowfoam Seed Oil Complex. Frankincense is known to soothe skin and Meadowfoam Seed Oil Complex nourishes skin and helps lock in moisture. The consistency is reminiscent of makeup primer so rather than being primarily moisturizing, it’s more glowy to lay a foundation for makeup. 

Elta MD has no additional beneficial skincare ingredients. 

Elta MD is primarily a sunscreen. There are no active hydrating ingredients. However, it’s not as thick as pure sunscreen and it’s noncomedogenic, meaning it’s not pore-clogging. It’s good for people with acne-sensitive skin, but don’t need hydration. 

Summer Fridays and innisfree contain hydrating squalane.

Summer Fridays is also hydrating, but only contains Squalane. Squalane is a plant-derived lipid that is lightweight yet super moisturizing, It’s effective in creating softer, smoother, plumped-up skin. The mineral milk sunscreen makes your skin appear brighter and nourished. However, some users have noted an allergic reaction to using this sunscreen. If you’re someone with sensitive skin, another sunscreen might be a better fit. 

Innisfree has a higher concentration of olive-derived squalane alongside eight types of, allowing for deep hydration and nourishing. Innisfree also has cica, a leafy green herb, to soothe skin. 

Cay Skin has the highest anti-acne formula. 

Cay Skin Mo’Bay mineral sunscreen also has squalane, but on top of that, has sea moss and fermented guava. Sea moss strengthens the skin’s moisture barrier, creating all-day hydration. Fermented guava is an anti-oxidant that promotes both UV and free radical protection that helps with aging. This is also a non-nano sunscreen, meaning it’s lightweight and leaves a natural finish on the skin — best for acne-prone individuals. 

Wearability 

Whether you’re going bare-faced or full glam, SPF is needed throughout the whole day. Depending on the weight of the sunscreen, sunscreen can ruin your makeup look. The right sunscreen is wearable with or without makeup. 

Elta MD has a thicker consistency — ideal as a standalone sunscreen. 

The Elta MD Pure UV sunscreen is a thicker consistency. Due to this, makeup could pill or not blend as easily. Elta MD is good for day-to-day wear if you’re looking for higher SPF, but can’t be worn under makeup. Similarly, the white cast is hard to get rid of, causing you to wash your face vigorously to get rid of it. 

Innisfree and Supergoop are better for under makeup. 

Due to innisfree and Supergoop having formulas dedicated to evening out redness or acting as a primer, it’s best to wear them under makeup rather than as a daily SPF. Innisfree lays a good foundation to neutralize your makeup finish due to the green tint that gets rid of redness. However, this means, by itself, it might leave an obvious hue. 

Supergoop is clear and glowy, so it can be worn by itself. However, it has a stickier, gel consistency because it’s both a primer and sunscreen. It would work best if it’s worn under makeup. Otherwise, the sticky consistency might be uncomfortable or give an unwanted sheen. 

Summer Fridays and Cay Skin are lightweight and good for day-to-day wear. 

The ideal sunscreen is wearable at any time of the day and feels virtually weightless. Both Summer Fridays Shadedrops and Cay Skin Mo’Bay mineral sunscreen offer that. 

Summer Fridays is easy to blend and work under makeup and by itself. However, it has a liquid consistency so it takes longer to absorb into the skin. Cay Skin is lightweight, but easy to absorb. This allows for flawless makeup application or a subtle sunscreen for day-to-day wear. 

Scent 

A sunscreen smell is something you love or hate. Though a scent might transport you back to the beach, a sunscreen that is fragrance-free is actually the best bet because often fragrances can irritate your skin (and your senses). 

Elta MD has a strong medicinal smell.

The high percentages of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide in the Elta MD sunscreen are great for sun protection, but leave an unpleasant medicinal smell. 

Innisfree, Supergoop, and Summer Fridays have a slight scent. 

To be fragrance-free means a product doesn’t contain masking scents, such as cocoa. This means that there still might be chemical smells to neutralize odors. 

Innisfree, Supergoop, and Summer Fridays are fragrance-free and void of the overbearing sunscreen smell. However, some reviews have noted a slight scent. The scents are manageable and minor, but there’s a slight chemical smell if you’re sensitive to that. Supergoop has been noted to have an initial, very subtle smell, but once you rub the product in, it goes away. 

Cay Skin has no discoverable chemical scent. 

Cay Skin is fragrance-free and has no chemical smell. Some reviews have noted that there is a slight smell that is pleasant. You get to enjoy the product without the smell of sunscreen smacking you in the face or the presence of chemicals overloading your senses. 

Bottom Line – Winner: Cay Skin

	Cay Skin	Supergoop	Summer Fridays	Innisfree	Elta MD
White Cast			Minimal	Minimal with a green tint
SPF Factor	30	40	30	45	47
Beneficial Skincare Ingredients	Squalane, Fermented Guava, Sea Moss	Frankincense & Meadowfoam Seed Oil Complex	Squalane	Hyaluronic acid, olive-derived squalane, Cica	N/A
Wearability	High	Moderate	High	Moderate	Low
Scent	No Scent	Slight scent that goes away quickly	Slight scent	Slight scent	Medicinal Smell

You shouldn’t have to compromise skincare for suncare. The best sunscreens are the ones that are wearable, acne-sensitive, lightweight, and protective. Cay Skin Mo’Bay mineral sunscreen checks all these boxes. Its lightweight formula is enjoyable to rub on and easily absorbs into the skin, making it a perfect base for makeup. There is no white cast so any skin tone can wear the sunscreen and it has no overbearing sunscreen smell. It’s versatile and effective in enhancing your skin while protecting against harmful UV rays.