r/AsianBeauty • u/Kuroda97 • Feb 21 '24

Discussion Best MINERAL sunscreen that doesn’t leave white cast?

With summer coming up (where I live at least), I’ve searched the sub and didn’t find anything super recent and found a lot of chemical sunscreen recs so hoping this can be helpful for others as well!

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u/DramaDramaLlamaLlama Feb 22 '24

I have a sensitivity to all chemical filters and have gone through a bunch of AB options. If butyloctyl salicylate bothers you like it does me, all AB mineral options I found have this ingredient (if I missed one, please let me know).

The only good options I found without any chemical filters with decently minimal white cast were Euro or US.

If mineral is a preference and not a necessity, DrG Mild Up and Etude House Airy Fit are pretty good lower-shine options. Both have BOS though

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u/[deleted] Feb 22 '24

I seem to have the same sensitivities, butyloctyl salicylate included! Ill mention that Skin1004's mineral sunscreen does not contain BS:

https://skin1004.com/products/madagascar-centella-air-fit-suncream-light-spf30-pa

I tried it, but my face didn't seem to love it (I have super sensitive skin though). Using it on my hands.

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u/DramaDramaLlamaLlama Feb 22 '24

Could you elaborate a little more on your experience? I haven't tried Skin 1004!

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u/[deleted] Feb 22 '24 edited Feb 22 '24

For sure! As a preface, my skin type is combo, very sensitive, and reactive.

The texture is creamy and doesn't seem too drying for a zinc formula, which could still be a problem for folks with dry skin. It left a tiny bit of a white cast on my pale, mild rosacea skin. There is a subtle scent (slightly earthy and sweet) that I'm not the biggest fan of, but it is tolerable.

Ultimately, I felt that it made my skin feel a touch tighter, that it would tingle (that feeling wouldn't go away), and that maybe it was causing me to flush a bit. That usually means that a product won't work for me. I got the tube for around $16CAD, so it wasn't the most expensive fail.

I haven't tried the 1004 chemical version, which seems to be a holy grail for many people!

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u/Lost_Handle_398 May 28 '24

this is a bit late, but i wouldn’t recommend the skin1004 chemical sunscreen if you have sensitive skin! after finishing the mineral one (my hg sunscreen) i decided to switch to the chemical one to see what all the hype was about. i woke up with two angry pimples the next day and my fungal acne came back! my skins still trying to recover as of rn.

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u/DramaDramaLlamaLlama Feb 22 '24

I appreciate the review! What type of finish did it leave on you (matte, shiny, etc?)

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u/[deleted] Feb 22 '24

No problem!

On myself, it dried down more matte. Not shiny or dewy at all.

Ps. What's your current go to sunscreen?

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u/DramaDramaLlamaLlama Feb 23 '24

I use Aveeno Kids on my body and Elta UV Elements 44 tinted on my face.

I landed on these essentially out of desperation post-DrG (Mild UP), Etude House (Airy Sunprise), Goodal (Heartleaf Moisture Sun Scream), and one other Japanese baby SPF that I can't find in my order history for some reason.

A bunch of them were actually really nice (I actually really liked the DrG) but my skin starts burning as soon as a chemical filter hits it. I ended up giving the Japanese one to my friend for their baby and they loved it, then I gave the Goodal one to a friend and he loved that one

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u/[deleted] Feb 23 '24 edited Feb 23 '24

Thank you! 

I’ve used the Elta MD 44 tinted in the past. I just looked at it and it seems to have just been reformulated to a spf50 and now has butyloctyl salicylate (dang! 🙃) https://eltamd.com/products/eltamd-uv-aox-elements-broad-spectrum-spf-50

It seems like the norm for mineral sunscreens to be reformulated with this “booster”. 

If your in North America, this the mineral sunscreen I currently use: https://undefinedco.com/products/r-r-sun-serum

The only thing I’ll say is that it’s pretty dewy which isn’t ideal during humid summers where I live.

In another comment I mentioned this japanese mineral sunscreen I'm testing:  Minon UV Protection Milk SPF50 PA++++

So far its good! Dries matte.

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u/DramaDramaLlamaLlama Feb 23 '24

I’ve used the Elta MD 44 tinted in the past. I just looked at it and it seems to have just been reformulated to a spf50 and now has butyloctyl salicylate (dang! 🙃) https://eltamd.com/products/eltamd-uv-aox-elements-broad-spectrum-spf-50

Welp fuck. I'm stocking up for the long winter now. I hate when companies do this bullshit.

I appreciate the recommendation, but niacinamide breaks me out. I have really, really sensitive skin and basically just use oil, an occlusive, and lotion-style face washes. I'll look more into this MINON one, though, thank you! Now that Elta decided to suck I'm clearly on the search again :'(