When picking between chemical vs physical (mineral) sunscreens, there are a lot of options out there on the market. However, high-quality mineral sunscreens are harder to come by at drugstore price points. These tend to be thicker, chalkier, and can leave a white cast, so finding an elegant formula is important! You want to find a sunscreen that you love and are willing to wear every single day. So today I’m sharing my thoughts on some popular mineral sunscreen drugstore picks and which ones are worth picking up.
First off – what is a mineral sunscreen? Mineral sunscreens use zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as their sunscreen filters. These tend to be better for more sensitive skin, but they’re more likely to leave a white cast. I’ve tried my fair share of “impossible to blend” sunscreens at all price points, and there are some of those on this list. However, drugstore mineral sunscreens have come a long way, so there are a few good contenders at a lower price point. Here are the ones I’ve tried from most to least favorite:
Mineral Sunscreen Drugstore Reviews
Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Liquid SPF 50
This sunscreen caught my eye when it first launched a few months back. It’s one of the most high quality mineral sunscreens I’ve tried. It has a thinner texture that feels smooth and silky on the skin (IG Try-on video). It does take a little bit of time to blend in, but it works great under makeup! Like most mineral sunscreens, this would leave a white cast on darker skin tones. It’s important to remember that basically all physical sunscreens have at least a slight cast because of the zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. I personally think that the white cast on this sunscreen is not awful, but not the best. It’s one of my personal favorite mineral sunscreen drugstore picks, but I don’t think the cast will work for all skin tones.
Price: $11.99 for 1.7 oz/50 ml
Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Sunscreen Stick
This is my go-to sunscreen for reapplying! I’m you’re looking for a mineral sunscreen drugstore option for reapplying, this is my pick. It’s smooth, easy to apply, and much larger than most sunscreen sticks. I personally keep this sunscreen stick in my purse and use it to reapply on the go (IG video how-to). It doesn’t cause any irritation around my eyes and doesn’t feel heavy or greasy on the skin. It is a pretty sheer formula that blends in easily, but like most mineral sunscreens, this will likely leave a white cast on deeper skin tones. This white cast is also why this isn’t my personal pick for using to reapply over makeup. I prefer using a powder SPF or spray SPF instead! It’s overall one of my favorite mineral sunscreen picks and I’ll continue to repurchase!
Price: $12.99 for 1.5 oz/42 g
Coppertone Pure & Simple Face SPF 50
This is one of the most affordable sunscreens I’ve ever tried, and it’s not bad considering the price point. This mineral sunscreen has a pretty high % of zinc oxide, but it honestly blends in okay! It takes longer to blend than the above sunscreens but leaves a nice natural finish on the skin. I like that it leaves my skin feeling smooth and isn’t greasy or heavy. This definitely leaves more of a cast than the Cetaphil sunscreen and wouldn’t work well for darker skin tones. It really isn’t a bad choice for $5, but the white cast limits who can actually use it.
Price: $4.99 for 2 oz/59 ml
Purchase from: Target
Walgreens Baby SPF 50
This is definitely my least favorite of the bunch. It’s super thick and takes forever to blend. The white cast is really intense and it’s really almost impossible to work with. I picked this up on a whim during a BOGO 50% off sale at Walgreens, but it’s so unpleasant to use it isn’t worth it to me. This has a very high percentage of zinc oxide, which is likely why this feels so chalky. I understand that baby sunscreens are meant to be very gentle on the skin, but this takes so much effort to blend that I felt like I was tugging on my skin. I’d definitely recommend staying away from this one…
Price: $2.99 for 3 oz/89 ml
Purchase from: Walgreens
Overall, there are a lot of mineral sunscreens at the drugstore now, and there are a few solid options. The Neutrogena and Cetaphil sunscreens are two that I really enjoy! However, I think it’s important to note that mineral sunscreens are not very darker skin tone friendly, and these drugstore options are not an exception. Are there any mineral sunscreen drugstore picks you’re loving? Let me know down below, I’d love to try them!
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~ Annie
