The best mineral sunscreens for dark skin, tested by our editors
After testing over 100 sunscreens for our SPF 100 list, we chose these mineral formulas as our favorites for dark skin, and the best part? No white casts in sight.
Texture and longevity were some of the other factors we kept in mind while testing sunscreens that don't leave behind a white cast. Kara Birnbaum / NBC News
Herbivore Botanicals Star Seed Sheer Glow Mineral Sunscreen
Mineral sunscreens all contain zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide, which are the active ingredients that help protect your skin from UVA and UVB rays (more about these ingredients below). Besides avoiding the dreaded white cast, I kept a few other things in mind while compiling this list:
Minimum SPF of 30: SPF, also known as sun protection factor, measures a formula’s protection level against the sun’s rays — the American Academy of Dermatology recommends an SPF of 30 or higher. The SPF number indicates the amount of time the sunscreen will prevent UV damage compared to the amount of time with no sunscreen; for example, while wearing a sunscreen with an SPF of 30, it would take you 30 times longer to burn than if you weren’t wearing sunscreen at all.
Zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide: These are the key active ingredients in mineral sunscreens.
Water-resistant options: Water-resistant sunscreens are great for workouts, swimming, and any other activities where you may be sweating or getting wet. I included options that provide a water resistance of at least 40 minutes.
Our editors tested formulas across brands, tints and SPF levels to find the sunscreens that blended best on a range of darker skin tones.Kara Birnbaum / NBC News
Our NBC Select staff tested over 100 sunscreens for six weeks to find the very best formulas for summer (and beyond). While testing, we tried dozens of mineral sunscreens and of those, we found some brown skin-friendly formulas for different skin types and activities. We tested on a range of brown skin tones and skin types, including dry, oily, sensitive and acne-prone skin, and wore the sunscreens to work, to the gym, outdoors, and more. Here is some of the key criteria we kept in mind while testing:
Consistency: What’s the sunscreen’s texture like? Is it invisible? Which skin type does it work best for?
Appearance: Is there any white cast upon application? If so, how long does it take to absorb/fade? Does it reappear when sweating?
Usage: How often did you use the sunscreen? What did you do while wearing it? Which activities are the sunscreen best suited for?
Wear over time: Did the sunscreen drip or melt throughout the day? Did it get greasy as the day went on?
Price: Would we rebuy these formulas with our own money? Would we purchase them at full price, on a discount, or not at all?
Below I gathered our favorite mineral sunscreens for dark skin, including tested picks from NBC Select staff, products from previous coverage, and top-rated options from bestselling brands across the web.
Type:mineral | SPF level:30 | Broad spectrum:yes | Active ingredients:zinc oxide, prebiotics, vitamin C | Tinted:yes | Water-resistant:yes, for 40 minutes
What we like
No white cast
Works as a primer
No greasiness
Something to note
Tinted
When a sunscreen claims to have a “universal tint”, my guard automatically goes up, but Herbivore’s Star Seed sunscreen proved my doubts wrong. It’s formulated to work with all skin types, hydrates the skin’s moisture barrier with prebiotics, and evens skin tone with vitamin C, according to the brand. It has a creamy texture that feels more like a primer than sunscreen, and a light, orange-ish tint. Although I can’t speak to exactly how universal the tint is, the sunscreen absorbs within minutes and gives me zero white cast while blending really well into my skin. I also love how well it holds up on my oilier skin — even on my shiniest days, the most I’ll get is a soft glow as my oil starts to break through after a few hours of wear. The sunscreen can also double as a primer.
The Herbivore Star Seed sunscreen quickly became one of my favorite formulas because of how well it keeps excess oils at bay.Courtesy Ashley Morris
This sunscreen is another one of my mineral favorites, but fair warning — you may need to wait a little bit for this one to absorb. NBC Select commerce editor Cory Fernandez was also initially worried by the sunscreen’s subtle tint, but says it blended into his skin and around his facial hair perfectly within a few minutes, sans white cast. It has a very fluid, lightweight texture that sits on your skin without feeling too heavy, and is gentle enough to use on sensitive skin. Fernandez, who has combination skin, likes that it doesn't cause irritation or burn his eyes while walking outside. I especially recommend this sunscreen for anyone with drier skin, since it’s full of hydrators, including hyaluronic acid and niacinamide.
Fernandez likes that this sunscreen has a non-irritating formula that doesn't bother his combination skin.Courtesy Cory Hernandez
Both NBC Select commerce editor Jordan Bowman and NBC Select editorial operations associate Jem Alabi were pleasantly surprised by how well this sunscreen worked for their skin tones. “It has a purple or pink colored hue and I thought it would leave a noticeable white cast as I applied it to my face, but it blended in fairly easily,” says Bowman. He also likes that it didn’t leave much of a cast over his facial hair, which he says has been an issue with other formulas he’s tried, and that the sunscreen didn’t run white during his sweaty, intensive tennis games. Alabi, who’s used and loved Dr. Loretta’s products in the past, says the sunscreen’s light, moisturizer-like texture is one of the few American formulas that doesn’t leave her greasy. It has ectoin, for added hydration, and antioxidants to shield your skin from free radical damage, and protects against UVA, UVB, and HEV blue light rays, according to the brand.
Bowman and Alabi were surprised when this sunscreen’s pink hue blended well into their skin.Kara Birnbaum / NBC News
Cerave is an NBC Select-favorite brand brand — this sunscreen comes recommended by board-certified dermatologist Dr. Michelle Henry in our roundup of the best sunscreens for dark skin. The sunscreen has a blend of yellow, red and black iron oxides, which together create a tint that blends out on all skin tones, according to the brand. It’s also noncomedogenic and fragrance-free, making it great for sensitive skin, and uses ceramides to hydrate and plump the skin.
Alabi first saw this Good Weather Skin option in an ad starring one of her favorite Black models, which instantly made her curious about the sunscreen’s effectiveness on darker skin. She has since tried it, and says the sunscreen’s fluid texture and dewy finish is “perfect for summer.” She also loves that it blends in quickly. The sunscreen is made with niacinamide and seabuckthorn oil to help improve the texture and appearance of your skin, and squalane for hydration, according to the brand. As someone who prefers a very matte look, Alabi says she likes to use a bit of setting powder over this sunscreen to help diffuse the shine a bit.
Alabi likes to use setting powder or hypochlorous acid spray over this sunscreen to control shine and help the formula sink into the skin.Kara Birnbaum / NBC News
This sunscreen has a tinted finish that’s designed to seamlessly absorb into skin of all tones, according to the brand. Along with the usual mineral active ingredients, Dr. Few’s formula includes green tea to reduce free radical damage and avocado oil to add moisture to the skin. It has a lightweight cream texture and is also great for oily skin, with reviewers saying it helps to reduce shine as the day goes by.
Good Molecules’ Sheer Mineral Sunscreen has a hydrating formula that uses hyaluronic acid, grapeseed oil and tucuma seed butter to lock moisture into the skin, according to the brand. Although its lightweight, non-greasy formula may take a few minutes to fully absorb, it dries down into a dewy finish that former NBC Select reporter Bianca Alavarez says sits well under makeup. It’s also noncomedogenic, making it a solid and affordable option for acne-prone skin.
As with any other skin care product, it’s important to keep your skin type and concerns in mind when picking a mineral sunscreen. Here are a few more tips to consider while shopping for one:
Choose sunscreens with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 30, which the Skin Cancer Foundation says protects against 97% of the sun’s rays.
For oily or acne-prone skin, be sure to check for “noncomedogenic” labels, which means the product doesn’t contain ingredients that are more likely to clog pores, like mineral oil or petroleum.
For dry skin, keep an eye out for hydrating formulas that include ingredients like hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, aloe vera and more.
If you’ll be swimming or sweating, choose sunscreens labeled as water-resistant, with at least 40 minutes of resistance for good measure.
Lastly, to avoid a white cast, look for lightweight, sheerer formulas that are more likely to seamlessly absorb into your skin (and always check reviews).
Frequently asked questions
Mineral sunscreens typically leave a white cast because of key active ingredients zinc oxide and titanium oxide, which tend to reflect light in a way that leads to a white-ish finish, especially on darker skin. The ingredients themselves are also naturally white, which is why many mineral options come in tinted versions to help counteract the ingredients’ powdery coloring.
Mineral sunscreens are sometimes referred to as physical sunscreens, because they sit on the skin and shield it physically from UV rays, according to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Hadley King. Chemical sunscreens, on the other hand, penetrate the skin, rather than sitting on top of it, to absorb UV rays like a sponge.
In a word — yes. There’s a huge misconception that those with darker skin don’t need sunscreen, which is largely due in part to inaccuracies about the protection that melanin provides. Though melanin, which is the pigment that determines your skin color, naturally provides sun protection, it’s very minimal — meaning that regardless of skin color, you absolutely still need to use sunscreen.
Dermatologists and estheticians have told us multiple times that sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours, no matter your skin tone. If you’re using a water- or sweat-proof formula, check the suggested reapplication times, which tend to last a bit under two hours in the 40-80 minute range.
I’m an associate SEO reporter for NBC Select, covering skin care and wellness topics like sunscreens for dark skin and acne spot treatments. For this piece, myself and the NBC select staff tested dozens of mineral sunscreens to find the formulas that work best for dark skin.
