MDSolarSciences Mineral Creme SPF 50 - UV Resistant, Hydrating Mineral Cream - Daily Use Sun Defense And Skin-Boosting, Vitamin-Infused, Reef-Safe Formula - Vegan, Oil Free and Unscented - 3.4 oz

Product Information

What We Love: The formulation includes natural ingredients that are safe for sensitive and acne and rosacea prone skin.

The testing panel included someone who self-identified as each skin type except type V, so we were able to see how each product performed across a wide range. The rule of thumb is to look for SPF 30 or higher. It can be easy to forget to reapply sunscreen after going in the water, so you’ll want to make sure you add more sunscreen after two hours or 80 minutes in the water.

It's a really promising candidate (see below), but while reading all the goodness about it in a minute, do not forget that derivatives not only haveto be absorbed into the skin but also have to beconverted to pure vitamin C (ascorbic acid or AA) and the efficacy of the conversion is often unknown. In addition,vitamin C's three magic properties (antioxidant, collagen booster, skin brightener) are all properly proven in-vivo (on real people), but for the derivatives, it's mostly in-vitro studies or in thecase of THDA, it's in-vitro and done by an ingredient supplier. Speaking of damage, MDSolarSciences’s products are all fully recyclable to diminish their negative impact on the environment. If you are going to a destination with a markedly different climate — cold and snowy to tropical and humid — you will want to account for that,” says Dr. Chan.

We recommend waiting a minute or two before applying this sunscreen over your facial moisturizer, as we noticed slight pilling when the two were blended together without letting the first layer dry first. We each followed the same steps to test the sunscreens, applying approximately 2 teaspoons of each to an arm and a leg. After applying, we rated each product for the following criteria: ease of application, feel, finish and scent on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent). We reapplied 2 hours later and rated each formula on that, too. Despite being labeled as fragrance-free, we did notice a scent. However, we found the fragrance to be pleasant and gentle, not overpowering, but it’s something to consider if you suffer from allergies.

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This mineral sunscreen replaces many harsh chemicals found in regular sunscreens with natural and plant-derived ingredients, like vitamin C and green tea, cranberry fruit, and pomegranate extracts, which earned it a spot on this list as our selection for best reef-safe sunscreen. The soft, creamy texture feels light to the touch and rubbing it onto our face felt as natural as applying a gentle moisturizer. The application feels a bit like you’re putting a regular body lotion on, but it takes a minute or two longer to fully absorb. We found that it’s easier to apply on smooth skin (versus hairy arms), yet once it absorbs, it disappears into your skin, leaving a matte finish.