Mineral sunscreens may not be the best for all skin types, but if you’re well informed on what aspects of sunscreen may irritate your skin, you can make the best choice.
Dry skin: Use mineral sunscreens that contain natural, moisturizing ingredients including aloe leaf juice, pomegranate seed oil, sunflower oil, jojoba oil or various fruit extracts. Sunscreen can be added on top of moisturizer or on its own, depending on how dry your skin is.
Oily skin: Make sure to use mineral sunscreens that are oil free. Powder sunscreen might be the best, depending on how oily your skin is. If you choose a liquid or creamy mineral sunscreen, look for products that say noncomedogenic on the bottle, meaning it won’t clog pores.
Acne-prone skin: As with oily skin, pick sunscreens that are noncomedogenic, oil free, fragrance free, paraben free and irritation free. Thick mineral sunscreen often sits on the skin and clogs pores, so choose a lightweight or liquidy sunscreen.
Sensitive skin: I also have sensitive skin. I look for sunscreens that have minimal ingredients and are, first and foremost, free of fragrance. It also helps if the sunscreen is dermatologist tested, oil free, paraben free, irritation free and noncomedogenic.
