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The struggle to find a mineral sunscreen for the face that doesn’t leave a horrid white cast is real. I discovered this firsthand when I tested around a dozen body mineral sunscreens earlier this year. There’s a reason why mineral—a.k.a. physical—SPFs can be a drag to wear: “They’re almost like a jacket,” says Dr. Evelyn Jones, a spokesperson for the Skin Cancer Foundation and a dermatologist practicing in Paducah, Kentucky. “They sit on top of the skin.” This is because physical sunscreens create a shield over the skin using zinc oxide and (sometimes) titanium dioxide and deflect the sun’s UVA and UVB rays.

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Chemical sunscreen, on the other hand, absorbs into the skin and converts rays into heat before releasing them back into the air. Both types are adequate for sun protection, but mineral sunscreens gained popularity because they are typically reef-safe and less likely to irritate sensitive skin types.  

Even though many mineral-based sunscreens are notorious for leaving a filmy white cast due to their “jacket”-like nature, Jones notes that innovations in recent years have led to the micronization, or shrinking, of the active ingredients’ particles. In turn, some mineral sunscreens now absorb better into the skin, like their chemical sunscreen counterparts. My goal during testing was to find one with that quality.

I searched for the most popular sunscreens from well-known brands and ended up trialing 16 by applying them on sunny days and following up with reapplications every two hours and by wearing them each under makeup on a separate day to see how well they paired with cosmetics. I dealt with plenty of duds, but was able to find a couple gems in the mix, too. Below are the top 10 I tested.

The Summer Fridays ShadeDrops Mineral Milk Sunscreen earned the spot as my favorite mineral sunscreen due to its lightweight, silky texture and the soft, supple feel that it left on my skin. Furthermore, I didn’t experience any issues when working a quarter-sized amount into the skin, with the exception of a subtle white cast on my jawline—nothing that would have been noticeable if I wasn’t inspecting my skin during testing.

What made this dream of a formula even better is how beautifully it sat under my makeup, lending a smoothness to my skin. My skin also felt moisturized while I was wearing this, perhaps thanks to the inclusion of ingredients like vitamin E and squalane. While I didn’t test the effectiveness of the sunscreen beyond wearing it on bright days, I felt protected from the sun’s rays all day long.

The Pipette Mineral Sunscreen is a steal at a fraction of the price of others on this list. It shares the thick, traditional consistency that many of its competitors have, but it glides well onto the skin. Similar to the Summer Fridays Shade Drops, this sunscreen made my skin feel like it was being treated to a tall glass of water, which can be credited to moisturizing ingredients like squalane and glycerin.

This has a thick texture, so I was afraid that it wouldn’t play nicely with makeup, but to my pleasant surprise, it ended up not interfering with it after all. My only qualm with the formula left a ghostly hue around my hairline, but that drawback was outweighed by its moisturizing feel and smooth finish under makeup.

Makeup with a matte—meaning not glowy—finish tends to clash with my combination skin, so I was doubtful that I'd like the Supergoop Mineral Mattescreen Sunscreen. My perception changed, however, once I gave the sunscreen a go and noticed how it minimized the appearance of the large pores on my cheeks.

Still, I have my qualms with the formula, specifically the fact that it pilled around the driest area of my face—the skin around my mouth—and because it produced a subtle white cast along the edges of my forehead. Furthermore, its matte finish was too much for my liking, given that it made my face look flat. Plus, the formula was also only OK with makeup—it caused my go-to concealer, the Benefit Boi-ing Cakeless Full Coverage Waterproof Liquid Concealer, to pill under my eyes. 

One layer of the Versed Guards Up Daily Mineral Sunscreen went on beautifully and made my skin feel hydrated and look dewy. It was a whole different story after my second reapplication (three layers total). The peach-tinted formula appeared streaky even after I thoroughly rubbed it in. Therefore, this mineral sunscreen didn’t climb as high up the ranks as I thought it would when I first began blending it into my face. 

It may be fine for a few hours of wear, with only one reapplication, but I wouldn't recommend relying on this if you'll be out in the sun all day and needing multiple layers to keep your skin protected.

I thought that the runny consistency of the SkinCeuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense meant that good things were on the horizon (maybe it'll feel like a hydrating serum!), but boy, was I wrong. As much as I loved the brightening effect it provided my skin, I deplored the dry patches it left around my mouth and forehead more. Evidently, this sunscreen is not the best for folks who have finicky areas of dry skin like me. If that's not an issue for you, you may find it suitable.

The EltaMD UV Clear Facial Sunscreen isn’t for me, despite its explosive popularity, thanks to celebrities who’ve touted their love for the brand, like Hailey Bieber. Contrary to Supergoop’s Mattescreen, this matte-based formula wasn’t compatible with my combination skin and created a layer of what looked like crust around the contours of my nose. The dry formula also felt like I was putting a thin veil of chalk on my face.

Using the ISDIN Photo Eryfotona Actinica was a messy experience, to say the least. For starters, it left a chalky sensation after the first round of application, and then it clung to dry patches on my face, including the skin between my eyebrows, the contours of my nostrils, the corners of my mouth and the bottom of my chin. To top it off, the sunscreen has a chemical-like aroma that closely resembles the smell of Clorox wipes—a scent that I’m not smitten with, especially for my face. 

Even though it has a lightweight consistency, the Cetaphil Sheer 100% Mineral Liquid Sunscreen isn’t up to snuff in the white cast department, which was made apparent when it left my skin looking two shades lighter post-application. As if it couldn’t get any worse, it gripped onto my dry patches, making them look as noticeable as possible. The formula even clung on despite me washing my face in the shower. Needless to say, washing this sunscreen off my face was no easy feat. 

The La Roche-Posay Anthelios 50 Mineral Ultra-Light Sunscreen Fluid was another matte option that didn’t get along with my skin. Though it was easy to wash off, its serum-like formula latched on to the fine lines below my eyes and the skin around my mouth. The sunscreen also made my skin tone appear one shade lighter with its ghostly veil. 

Blue Lizard’s Sheer Face Lotion made its way at the bottom of the list for having one of the most unbearable white casts that I have ever experienced. It gave my skin a blue-purple tint that revealed itself after I applied just one layer. This unpleasant experience continued when it pilled up primarily around the contours of my nose. 

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