Sheer Zinc Sunscreen Lotion Dry-Touch SPF 30

8 Reviews

1. 

   joyfulGarlic9

   Reply

   This is a great sunscreen, and it feels fine on my upper chest and arms. I am looking for a good high-zinc sunscreen for my face, though, and this does not work for me! I can feel it on my face all day, and it leaves a definite white cast to my skin, even though I’m pretty pale to start with. I think that it did last all day, but on my face this wasn’t great, because it meant that I could still see that white tinge to my skin. This is less noticeable on other parts, and I don’t feel like it’s as itchy on my arms.

   It’s still a good price for sunscreen with this much zinc, but I’m going to keep trying other brands to use on my face.

2. 

   empathicPaella9

   Reply

   This is very thick and difficult to spread. Goes on like paste. I am using it up by mixing it with St. Ives body lotion, about half and half, and then applying it to my arms and legs. I know that I am not getting the full SPF 30, since I’m diluting it, but my only other choice is to throw it out, since I can’t use it as is. I couldn’t imagine anyone smearing this stuff on their face (I’m looking at you, Jennifer Garner).

3. 

   alertBittern3

   Reply

   I am definitely in the minority here but I really like this sunscreen. I used to use Neutrogena dry touch with helioplex sunscreen but after researching the benefits of mineral sunscreen I made the switch to this.

   Mineral sunscreens in general are much less cosmetically elegant than chemical ones and this one is no exception. It does go on white but this cast fades after a few moments. It is sticky at first but dries to a smooth, mostly matte finish on my face. I wear it over my moisturizer and then top with concealer and powder foundation and find that I stay matte longer when I use this sunscreen vs. other mineral sunscreens (aveeno sensitive skin was much more sticky and hard to spread and made me super shiny less than an hour after application).

   All in all, after trying a couple of other brands I came back to this and will stick with it. I find it a little hard to wash off at night which I don’t mind because mineral sunscreens remain effective unless wiped or rubbed off, so I know I’m getting sun protection even if I don’t reapply throughout the day.

4. 

   thrilledCur5

   Reply

   This sunscreen was a success as I don’t believe it broke me out and it CERTAINLY worked as a sunscreen–no sun got through! However, it’s so thick and greasy; applying and wearing it was a drag. I even avoided sunscreen because the thought of having it on was so unpleasant, rather defying the purpose.

   Really, really, really don’t recommend this for oily skin, or for darker skin tones.

5. 

   outlyingFlamingo4

   Reply

   Zinc oxide is the most gentle, non irritating sunscreen for sensitive skin so I was excited to try this. Most mineral sunscreens have titanium and zinc oxide so I thought this would be great for my sensitive skin, particularly my face. I wanted to like this but it’s just too thick and hard to rub in. It also leaves a white cast. It burned my eyes really badly too so I don’t recommend this. It does protect your skin but there are better formulas out there that don’t apply looking like paint.

6. 

   excludedBasmati0

   Reply

   An almost perfect mineral sunscreen. The percentage of zinc, just over 18%, is high enough to be effective, and the lotion goes on easily. I’ve been using it on my face, spreading it on relatively generously and patting it to even it out without rubbing it around too much (which can spread it too thinly). It dries mostly evenly, but does leave a white cast. Once dry, it has a slightly waxy feel, but not sticky or oily.

   The product works better if I apply it on dry-ish skin, rather than over a still-damp moisturizer. I can apply it over a moisturizer that has had time to dry, but applying one right after the other means that the sunscreen swims around a bit on my face, doesn’t apply as evenly, and then settles into fine lines.

   After drying, the sunscreen stays put on my face and doesn’t rub onto clothing. The other side of that coin is that this product is really hard to wash off. I tried a few different cleansers, and finally found that Neutrogena’s new Ultralight Cleansing Oil will remove it, but you have to use a lot of the cleanser and massage for a bit. The process leaves my skin rather dry. (Pond’s cold cream also works, but then you have to remove the cold cream; the cleansing oil you can rinse off with water.)

   Still, I’d buy this sunscreen again (might try the SPF 50 version), since the ingredients are good and the product feels good on my skin.

7. 

   wearyFerret9

   Reply

   I wanted to like this product badly, as I was desperate for a dry-touch physical sunscreen. Let me run through the pro’s and con’s:

   Pro’s:
   – zinc oxide-based and therefore provides other skincare benefits, apart from sun protection (this is it’s biggest advantage)
   – price is fair
   – packaging is hygienic and practical

   Con’s:
   – difficult to blend and thus risks ending up with white patches (however, it will blend out eventuallly – it just takes more time than others I’ve tried)
   – leaves a white cast, which tend to transfer onto dark clothes :/
   – definitely not ‘dry-touch’
   – texture is weird, claylike and yet greasy (which leads to the point made on difficult blending)
   – feels heavy and warm on the skin (as is the case with many physical sunscreens)
   – definitely not easy to layer make-up on
   – not easy to find outside of the US. Amazon sells but with shipping costs.

   I am still hoping a makeup- or face-friendly zinc oxide sunscreen will be developed, or that Neutrogena improves the formulation on this one.

   I salute Neutrogena’s effort at putting a sunscreen like this out in the market though.

8. 

   worriedPretzels7

   Reply

   I cannot use this with ease or comfort. It’s a far cry from all the cosmetically elegant sunscreens I’ve tried, even from drugstore ones for the body. It’s hard to even use on hands or arms because it’s so difficult to spread. At least it doesn’t collect in my arm hairs, or make my arms white. It just makes my arms look slightly shiny and whiter.

   It’s a thick and hard to spread white sunscreen. I expected a matter finish that felt dry/smooth to the touch. This has a shiny finish that and feels sticky on my face even after 10 minutes of wait time. AND IT DOES NOT FEEL LIGHT.

   It also STINGS, and this is a completely mineral sunblock, relying on %18.24 Zinc Oxide for SPF. It even has an Eczema association seal of approval. I don’t think anyone with sensitized skin should use this imho.

   It settled into the creases of my nose inspite of putting an essence underneath and left a SLIGHT white cast.

   I couldn’t tell you if it keeps me from burning because I couldn’t stand it for more than 10 minutes and washed it right off by massaging oil on my face and then using a gentle Foaming cleanser twice. It was hard to remove from creases (it does say it’s water resistant). Bare in mind I’m not doing so hot financially so I don’t want to waste product and am trying to use everything I own up, and this is going in the garbage anyway.

   I still put this on my arms and hands, but will not repurchase. Before this one I was using Alba Botanical Face Very emollient suncreen on my arms. That one is way easier to spread, prevents burns and moisturizes. Though if I didn’t wash it off at night off my arms, over the week it would give me breakouts on my arms and hands 0_0. To be fair this neutrogena one didn’t feel as sticky on my arms as it did on my face, because I use a thin layer. It felt relatively smooth. But on my face I use a bit more because I’m using a retinoid, a BHA, and Benzoyl Peroxide.