I thought that your reviews were super-informative and in general really fantastic. However, I wish that companies that are using butyloctyl salicylate or other "sunscreen boosters" (aka unapproved chemical sunscreens) in their formulas would stop labeling them as being "mineral" since those are actually hybrids. And I do find that all the sunscreen boosters (BOS, tridecyl salicylate and ethyl ferulate) are just as irritating to my sensitive skin as the regular chemical sunscreens. I checked the ingredients for all of the products you reviewed and the following are the true "mineral only" products: Bubble Plus One; Live Tinted Hueguard SPF30; Saint Jane; Supergoop MIneral Mattescreen; First Aid Beauty; Cotz; Vanicream SPF30; Drunk Elephant; Neutrogena; Naked Sundays; Kora; Cocokind. Thanks for doing this project - you have given me some good ideas of which products I should try next! ❤
Thank you for checking for the other "boosters". I didn't realize they existed either. I'm so glad my top 3 (Bubble, Live Tinted, and Saint Jane) are all in the clear!
I only found out about the booster issue about three months ago and since then have found some sunscreens that I have liked: The Outset (brand new), Lion Pose, Saint Jane and (for the body) Necessaire. I am looking forward to trying the Bubble Plus One and the Live Tinted next!
I haven't researched this, but I'd bet that "mineral" isn't a word with a legal definition in the US. So brands are free to use the word on labels and in advertising as they please. If you're sensitive to the boosters, your only option is to check ingredients labels zealously.
This series has been great. I did want to add to the information you gave in the introduction that for people that have had skin cancer, mineral formulas are thought to be advantageous over chemical. Also, people need to keep in mind the UV index for when they are looking for protection. Many weather apps have the info. A % difference of a large number is a big difference. Anything is better than less or nothing. Thanks Jen!
Absolutely, 1% can make a difference! 🥰 But I guess the point I was trying to make but didn't say, is that I would also rather see someone choose an SPF 30 if they like the texture and are more likely to wear it every day vs. buying an SPF 50 that they don't wear because it's too thick and it sits in a drawer. Some is better than none. 💞💞
I bought the Bubble on a whim because my 7 year old kept saying she wanted to try anything Bubble. A lightbulb went off in my head! Try Bubble sunscreen! It was another guaranteed solution to ensure she wears sunscreen! She loved it and I tried it and loved it too! On our third tube already! Thanks Jen for yet another amazing and informative video!!!!!❤
Fabulous concise summary! REALLY appreciate you didn’t bury the winning formulas at the end. That you started with those… made me gladly watch the entire vid. Bravo, girl. You make the crowded field of mineral sunscreens less mysterious, more inviting. Take a victory lap… you earned it.
That was me that mentioned the hidden UV chemical filters in mineral sunscreens!!! ❤️You explained it so well!! 🙌It was such a shock to me! Chemical sunscreens from the US kept breaking me out and burning my eyes so I switched to all mineral but still kept having the same thing happen. I was like what the heck? So I was doing some research and that’s how I found out about hidden chemical filters! Lab Muffin is such a great resource!!! Like you said, I’m not someone who is against chemical sunscreens. But, I was avoiding certain ones because they break me out and burn my eyes and octisalate was one of those, so finding out butyloctyl salicylate was in all the “100% mineral” sunscreens that were breaking me out and irritating my eyes was such an eye opener! Always appreciate all your hard work you do for your videos!!! ❤❤❤
Up until this point, I have literally been avoiding sunscreen all together bcuz the side effects r SO unbearable! I jus figured ALL sunscreens , mineral or not were going to burn my eyes & break me out, but now I know what to look for!!! I'm so grateful for this video & the info! Tysm!
I cannot thank you enough for this wonderful series of reviews on mineral sunscreen! You have saved us all SOOO much money. Great reviews, loved your candid assessment. Again, thank you!
As someone who for whatever reason can’t use chemical sunscreen (yes even Korean, they’re all like pepper spray to my eyes and make them water so badly they crack 🥴) I appreciate this so much!!!! Thank you for doing the investigative work for us! 😊❤
Jen, if you didn't earn respect from me long ago, you certainly did NOW. Not saying you haven't, fyi. This is one of the reasons I love watching your videos because you do your best to keep us informed on beauty products whether its skin care, makeup, or haircare. Your videos are like "Infomercials" that play late at night. Thank you for being our guinea pig. You are certainly well-loved. Have a wonderful day.
I really enjoyed this series. I picked up a few of the sunscreens that seemed to work for you. Most were the thinner formulas…I decided to keep an old 1/4 tsp in the bathroom to see if my two finger method was close to the recommended amount and was SHOCKED to find I was applying about 1/2 of what I should have been applying. It was an eye opener. Thanks for such a detailed test of mineral sunscreens.
I enjoyed this series tremendously! I too have had skin cancer removed, along with family members. This was super helpful because I have been on the hunt for a great mineral sunscreen. This was so informative. You did an amazing job with this video. I cannot thank you enough!
you explained SO well why people might want mineral sunscreens!! i kind of want a Short of you explaining it for people who just don't get it 🙂 i personally think it's important for people with allergies and preferences to have options in life - in food, makeup, skincare, medicine. helping people find options that might work for them or might be more accessible to them is just doing the Lord's work. you're the best 🥺
Thanks for doing this series Jen! Every year I look forward to Angie Hot & Flashy's video on mineral sunscreens but, even though she's closer in age to me, she has a very different skin type and skin tone than I. Like you, my skin tends to be dryer and I have a cool pink undertone. I know this was a ton of work but I hope you make this an annual set of shorts and summary video! ♥️
A+ Jen! So glad you mentioned Butyloctyl Salicylate. I have found it in some BB & CC creams and other foundations w sunscreen as well. Now I check the inky list before every purchase. FYI, BS is in IT Cosmetics Nude Glow CC cream so I had to stop using it. I thought the retinols I was using were the culprit but after watching Angie Hot and Flashy I discovered it was this additive. Her skin was reacting as well
Concerning BOS (Butyloctyl salicylate), I just read that ‘some argue that BOS shouldn’t be used to reduce the concentration of UVA absorbing filters like zinc oxide, as it can create UVB biased sunscreens that are dangerous for users’. A fam member’s military dr said chemical SPF’s may end up fatal for him bc his face looked as if acid hit it. I can not wait to share this video w/him + his wife. Thank you so much for ur in-depth research on that. I had the ‘Hero’ one in my cart for them but I’ll now pick a diff top 10 of urs :). Ur June reviews were so interesting… so fun to watch + it nicely gave us so much more if u 🥰.
Saint Jane's SPF is one of the best sunscreens I've ever used. Chef's kiss. I don't know why more people don't talk about it. Also, Agency Skincare has a Sheer tint mineral SPF that is wonderful with an SPF 50.
Thank you so much for this review! I hadn’t heard of some of those brands. Glad you found out about the sunscreen boosters so that if they bother you, you’ll know why. There are a few other boosters as well, like Tridecyl salicylate and ethyl ferulate. Do you watch Lisa Petrison Beauty reviews? She has studied sunscreens too, and has started a nice list of mineral sunscreens that do not contain the boosters.❤😊
I'm thankful to Lab Muffin Beauty Science for that video. I stopped wearing any sunscreen thinking I could no longer wear mineral sunscreen either. Turns out I just became sensitive to butyloctyl/tridecyl salicylate . So thankful my skin can still tolerate mineral filters. This distinction is important for those of us with extremely reactive skin. Thank you so much for a well researched video and information!
Great info Jen! I also follow " Geek out of water" ( Shelly ) and she also explained everything about sunscreens.. US has to get on board with not putting BS in sunscreens period! Thx for doing this review an testing 30 SPF's ❤❤
Bravo! This is probably one of the most well researched and well presented videos I’ve ever seen on sunscreen. I’m glad you took the time at the beginning of the video to explain everything. Very, very helpful.
I have found that two finger lengths is not even close to 1/4 tsp, especially for the thinner formulas. I’ve started keeping a 1/4 teaspoon at my vanity that I use everyday
Thank you for this video! I watched all the shorts but it's nice to have a summary! Also good to know about the BS hiding in "all mineral" sunscreen so thank you for sharing that info as well!
Thank you for taking the time to do all of this testing and research! I’m subscribed to Michelle’s Lab Muffin channel and agree that her explanations for anything sunscreen and/or chemical are terrific.
Lab Muffin Science explains it best, concerning , spf 50 vs spf 30. One gets 1 & half times more UV coverage with the higher SPF. And that is if one applies it evenly & at the right amount. People tend to miss spots and don’t apply enough. To get the most UV coverage, the higher spf is the way to go.
Huge undertaking. Thank you. Great to see how all applied and then critiqued. Appreciate this wrap-up video with all ratings listed; and on top of it all, the sunscreens with chemical boosters. Enormous amount of information. I’m ordering your 3 top ones to see which I like the best or to use for different reasons.
I'm shocked and yet, not shocked that companies are able to add a chemical filter and still call it a 100% mineral formula. I've always wanted to love the Hero Force Shield sunscreen because Jessica Braun recommended it and it gave me such a bad reaction. Now I'm wondering if it's this ingredient because I don't usually have a problem with mineral SPF.
Yes it definitely is that ingredient. I can’t use the Hero spf either. It burned and itched my face so bad 😮. I’ve been so shocked nobody on RU-vid has had a bad reaction to those sunscreens 🤷🏻♀️ I’ve been waiting to see if other people have problems with the Hero spfs
I love your level of research and investigation with this! I am an educational researcher so kudos to you! I can’t tolerate chemicals of any kind so for me this was the best sunscreen video I have seen this year!
Wow, eye opening! I checked the ingredients on my favourite sunscreen. I thought, hmm yes it's very thin... and sure enough, there it was, the second inactive ingredient! I'm so happy I saw this video. Now I've ordered the Hueguard Live Tinted, because that one had higher zinc than the Bubble one. Thank you again! xx
BS makes me instantly itchy and-found out the hard way with 8 weeks of a rash-once you have a reaction to something, subsequent exposures to that ingredient can have increasingly severe reaction. My dermatologist suggests always trying anything new on your arm for a few days first. I think we get used to seeing our favorite content creators try new products on their faces every day and we forget it can be risky. Thanks for taking it for the team!
I loved this series and watched every single short, often more than once! It is such great information, especially combined with this video, and I appreciate all of the hard work and the expense! Thanks Jen! 💕
I watched every short and enjoyed each one. I'm on my 2nd tube of Bubble. I also have the Saint Jane but haven't yet used it. I do plan on trying about 3 others. Sunscreen is so hard to wear when it's hot and humid. I hate the feel, but it's a necessity. Thank you for all of this.
Thank you for the in-depth test, super helpful 🫶 the “two finger rule” though is not exactly right, the SPF amount should depend on weight not volume. For more dense and weighty formulas that would be one finger, and for very lightweight watery formulas it could go up to 2,5 fingers or more
Hi Jen, thanks for testing out all of these sunscreens. I have ordered so many sunscreens that I had to return. Some had a terrible fragrance, some were too thick or had a white cast. I was able to find a sunscreen that I really liked thanks to you. I did order the Good Molecules, it’s nice, no white cast, no fragrance and looks nice under makeup. Thanks again! 🌷🌷
There are more unregistered sunscreen filter chemicals that are used in mineral sunscreens apart from butyloctyl salicylate to make them more cosmetically elegant. Lab Muffin mentions several of them in her video. Butyloctyl salicylate only happens to be the most common. In essence if the mineral sunscreen is white in the tube and doesn’t give a white cast it will most likely contain a chemical unregistered sunscreen filter in the formula. Also if it’s not thick. Mineral sunscreens need to contain quite high percentage of the mineral filters to be able to offer spf 50. And since these filters are powders it will make the formula thick. If a mineral sunscreen is thin it contains chemical sunscreen boosters. The main culprit with these boosters, and especially with butyloctyl salicylate is that it has the ability to delay the skins redness reaction to the sunscreen rays as it is can make the skin react more slowly - thus making it take longer before the skin reacts when conducting spf testing. This will help make the sunscreen product pass the tests more easily and can end up being misleading when you use it in real life. As your skin will get irritated and affected by the sun long before you notice the skin becoming red. In essence you cannot trust the spf on a mineral sunscreen with butyloctyl salicylate in it, in my opinion. Another important thing with mineral sunscreens it that they do not offer as high uva protection. ❣️
This has to be the most comprehensive set of reviews I’ve seen on YT in a while! You really went so in depth and were actually critical! Really appreciate you reading my comments on your shorts and looking in the Butyloctyl salicylate in the various sunscreens. Especially appreciate that you called out which ones in each tier had this ingredient. Any chance you can indicate in your video description which ones had this ingredient with a sign or smth ? I wanted to screenshot for reference
Hi Jen thank you for your hard work. As you know I live in Switzerland 🇨🇭 and we have different filters in our sunscreens that are so far not FDA approved ! I know that from different dermatologists like Shereen Idriss for example. I found on Amazon different sunscreens called P20 with different textures. They seam to have the highest UVA INDEX . I'm so concerned about wearing sunscreen every day, also because I lost my oldest sister with skin cancer 😢 Sorry for my long message Jen, God bless 🙏🥰🥰
Hi Jen, I enjoyed watching this video, and all of your shorts sunscreen rantings on each day of June , i found that some of the sunscreens ( high end ones) are sold here in Australia, Jen this series was great, I really appreciate all your hard work that you put into all your shorts ,the information that you provided for us in each short,as well in this video,thank you for everything. Love Katherine xoxo
I’m sooooooo happy you did this!!!! I had melanoma a couple years ago so sunscreen is VERY important to me too! I also have rosacea and zinc oxide is helpful for that too.
I know I’m late to the party (was travelling) but just want to say that I’m so glad you liked the Cotz prime and protect!! I’ve been using it every day for the past 8ish years or so, it is SO slept on!!
Wowza this most excellent in its width and breadth of use, ingredients, and protection. Jen the amount of work you put into your videos, but especially this one is incredible!. Thank you for doing this amount of work researching, plus the expense on a very important subject. You’ve quickly become one my favorite YTubers (I hate the influencer moniker) because of your level of dedication to your job. So thank you again. I’ll rewatch this when the Benadryl hasn’t hit so hard. 😂 You’re a gem!
Thanks Jen for doing these reviews and putting in the research! Also, I was really happy to see you reference Lab Muffin! She's a chemist debunking false, misleading, and dangerous internet claims about beauty products. I consult both of your sites when I make decisions on new beauty products.
Thank you for doing mineral sunscreens only!! June’s video series and shorts were exactly the perfect videos for me. I haven’t tried Korean sunscreens because every other (3 or so) Korean skincare items I have tried have definitely NOT worked for me. Thanks!
Hi Jen, you are my HERO! Thank you so so much for your diligence, dedication, professionalism, this whole month long project dedicated to sunscreens is so helpful & truly needed. Saving this one in my SKINCARE playlist to refer to when I need to re-up on these. I totally agree on St. Jane's as a 10, I've been loving it since trying it in the last Sephora sunscreen samples kit. Looking forward to trying the Bubble Plus One & Hero one next. Bless you!! ❤
Wow! This was just so very interesting. Thanks for sharing your final thoughts & your rankings. Thank you also for explaining & exposing the b.s. as I did not know about it. I appreciate you immensely for being here for us !
I loved this series. I loved the daily short form content and I love the wrap up video (which I am sending to many friends to watch). Thank you for your research. My only sad concern is that we do not have many of these in Canada 🇨🇦. Sometimes they eventually come. Our Health Canada guidelines are very strict. However, I took notes and had a list ready when I went to Bangor Maine last weekend 😜.
I can't thank you enough for this video and all of the shorts you posted for each sunscreen. This was incredible detail without making my head spin. I feel more informed and really appreciate the fact that you took the time to put this together. Wonderful job, and thank you again! 😊
Thank you so much for all the information. I’ve always worn sunscreen even though I’m olive skinned. It’s so easy for everyone to remember the high spots … face, neck, shoulders, but please don’t neglect it on your legs. I had basal cell carcinoma on my lower leg 2 years ago. Put it everywhere ladies!
@@neneg.4264 Most people or many I know have always associated Skin cancer to those that burn easily. I was only emphasizing that it doesn’t matter color of skin… white, black, yellow, orange, or purple… not to neglect areas we often see as not as important for sun protection.🤯
Jen I have had skin cancer on my lip. I bought the super goop powder. Always get checked and I am an olive tone. THANK YOU!! This is a great deep dive.
You might want to watch some videos of people applying the spf powder with a uv light. They provide no spf protection and the only reason they’re available in the US is because they’re regulated as cosmetics and not drugs like actual sunscreens. I’m sorry you’ve been through this and I hope you don’t get another scare.
So very helpful!!!! The reels and this final wrap up are excellent! Thank you for going to all of the hard work and expense for us!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I'm so excited! I've been waiting for this video - thanks so much, Jen! I also want to apologize if one of my comments on one of your shorts offended you. I just didn't realize you were trying only mineral-only suncreens and why you were doing it. You rock! Editing to add, WOW. You rock, Jen. What a fantastic job you did in investigating the so-called "B.S." ingredient! (Very aptly named)!
I picked the Bubble as soon as you reviewed it, sounded exactly what I was looking for- and I can say I love it! Thank you Jen, very grateful for your incredible work!🙏💕
Wow! I watched every short (most several times), and wondered if you would do a recap. Boy, was I surprised at this recap...so in depth. I LOVE how much info you give in your videos. You are like an investigative reporter! I truly learned a ton and now I know why some sunscreens burn my eyes and what to avoid, and the differences in SPF 30 vs. 50. TY, TY, TY so much!!! Appreciate you ❤
Thank you so much for testing all of these. I have kind of a mineral sunscreen hoarding problem because I’m always searching for the best ones. My favorites are the Kinship SPF 32 in winter and the EltaMD UV Physical SPF 44 in summer. It has enough of a tint to serve as skin tint for me. Neither of those contain that incognito chemical sunscreen ingredient. I also like the Vanicream SPF 30. Next time I buy a new sunscreen I’m going to give the LiveTinted Hueguard a try.
This was so helpful in rounding up what you liked best and didn't. Also, thank you for shouting out Michelle's channel. I've found her really helpful. I did miss the video about the butyloctyl salicylate, though! One mineral sunscreen I'd recommend is the Bliss Block Star Sheer Liquid SPF50. I double checked - no "BS." 😄 And it's great for drier skin. Sinks in well, wears well under makeup, not hard to blend in, and very minimal white cast. It would probably be 10/10 if it had the teeniest, tiniest tint.
Jen, this is SO HELPFUL. In my early 40's I developed photosensitive dermatitis and spending any time in the sun meant my eczema would flare terribly and I'd have redness, peeling and bumps/papules. I've got sensitive skin in general and rosacea on my face so there were lots of chemical sunscreens that would also irritate my skin. But there were several hybrids and mineral versions that worked great in general without irritation. However, I learned that only mineral sunscreen - because it creates an actual barrier on top of skin - keeps the photosensitive dermatitis at bay. I've been trying a bunch of different mineral sunscreens trying to find one that truly protects my skin the way I need it to but that doesn't irritate anything, doesn't leave a white cast and works well under makeup. I think you and I have very similar skin types on our faces and similar preferences in our makeup and complexion products so I feel pretty confident that if you like it so will I! Definitely going to try a few of these. Thank you so much for doing such a thorough review of so many options!
Hmm very sneaky of these companies and deceptive if you ask me. I have the hero sunbeam and I think it breaks me out. And chemical sunscreens besides the Korean ones break me out and burn my eyes. Wow, the US really needs to step it up when it comes to sunscreen. That would explain why I sometimes still have issues with mineral sunscreens. I can use Korean ones so far no issues. Thank you for sharing that info with us!
Thank you for this comprehensive video! I was waiting patiently for this. You explained clearly why there are consumers who seek out mineral sunscreen.
Jen, thank you so much for doing this! The video from start to finish was packed full of useful information and thank you for uncovering and sharing the last part of the video. I can't believe I have not heard of this before. This is really upsetting to hear because I love the Good Molecules sunscreen - as it's affordable and I like the formula. I highly dislike the deceptive nature of what the companies are doing. In my opinion, they should say it's chemical/mineral sunscreen then, but they won't. If they keep the percentage of it under 5, then it qualifies as an inactive ingredient. I have been in the skincare industry and I have seen a lot. What I've noticed is that it appears to be the wild west when it comes to skincare companies (and supplement companies too) - they do whatever they want. You would be shocked with the lack of accountability and companies can often put anything in their products. Many people don't realize this and even if the ingredient hasn't really been studied, they can put it in their products without any issues. There is very little monitoring of the many companies and products. But, sunscreens are generally quite regulated. I have a friend who is a skincare formulator and I am going to ask him about this ingredient. There are a lot of unknowns and I'd prefer to stick with pure mineral sunscreens. More people should be aware of what they're using - so I cannot thank you enough. I will share this with my channel too. PS - I have also had skin cancer and it's quite an ordeal that I would not wish on anyone.🙏
These prices are insane. I will always love and stick to my Cetaphil sheer face mineral sunscreen. I think it’s the best and way cheaper than all of these.
Thank you very much for doing this series. It's been very informative. I have learned a great deal. If you decide to do another one on something, I'll be watching those too
Thanks for this. I am careful in the sun last few years since both my parents hitting their 80s have had a lot of skin cancer removed from their face and body. Doesn’t matter how deep or light your complexion is, It can impact anyone. Your reviews have helped a lot. ❤
I can’t wear any sunscreens that have BS in them. That stuff burns my skin sooo bad. My skin will get red and swollen and burns. The Hero spf are the worst at burning my skin from that ingredient. This is another reason I love Asian sunscreens so much!! 😊
I would recommend using a 1/4 of a teaspoon to measure your sunscreen. Used to use the two finger method but I still wasn’t getting enough. I found this out by squeezing my sunscreen on to my hands and then measured the amount with the 1/4 teaspoon. I was still getting about HALF of what I needed with the two finger method.
I learned so much from this video!! As someone with eczema I really appreciate that you tested out mineral sunscreens. And I am so glad to be informed about “BS”- in fact today I was wearing sunscreen and my arms were so itchy. I didn’t know why because it was a mineral sunscreen with the eczema seal. After watching your video I looked at the ingredients and there was the BS- near the top of the list. Probably what made me itchy!
Appreciate all the hard work on this video. I have been using the FAB one for awhile and like it a lot. Agree with the 9/10 rating. I bought a mini of the super goop matte, haven’t tried it yet tho. Definitely interested in ur top three also. Thank u!😊
Holy moly! I had no idea! I just ordered more sunscreen from YesStyle because I ran out on vacation of my favorite. However, shipping takes forever and I watched your shorts to find out be that can get to me quicker. Life got in the way so I hadn’t ordered yet (I had a few sample sized SPFs lying around to use in the meantime). I was going to order the green Hero-but now I will buy the Bubble! Thank you so much for all your hard work for us. I know I really appreciate all you do. And so does my wallet!
Hi Jen, thanks for the video! I looked at the ingredients lists for your top 3 selections, and it appears that only 1 of them is definitely fragrance free and suitable for sensitive skin. It's the Hueguard 3-in-1 Mineral Sunscreen, Moisturizer, Primer SPF 30. The Saint Jane Beauty Luxury Sun Ritual Pore Smoothing Face Sunscreen SPF 30 contains jasminum officinale (jasmine) extract and hibiscus sabdariffa flower extract, both of which are fragrant ingredients. Re the Bubble Plus One Tinted Daily Mineral Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40: It contains syringa vulgaris (lilac) extract, and I'm not sure if this is a fragrant extract. I looked it up on the Internet and couldn't find information about that. I did find a description of it that called it "tonic" which suggests to me that it produces a tingling effect on the skin. Not good for those with sensitive skin! So I wouldn't risk using it.
Such a valuable & important summary of info & (UNSPONSORED) personal experience/research! I GREATLY appreciate YOU, for all the time, $, & research you gave to help us all make better decisions! 😊
This series was great, it really helped me pick a good mineral sunscreen. I try to stick to cruelty free brands so I’m glad you had relatively good things to say about Good Molecules sunscreen so I bought it. It’s one of the best skincare brands I’ve tried.
