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Chemical or mineral, matte or dewy — matched to your skin, tone, and priorities, without the fear-marketing about either filter class.
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TimeUnder 1 min
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Next step · SkinPal app
Stop buying products that don't work for you.
Scan any label with your phone. SkinPal tells you if it suits your skin before you pay for it.
What you unlock in the app
- Ingredient scannerKnow if a product suits you before you buy it
- Full face analysisProportions, symmetry and skin, measured from one selfie
- Full skin report cardSee what's good and what needs work, from acne to skin age
- Heatmaps of your faceSee exactly where redness, oil and breakouts are
- Flare, your AI skin coachAsk anything, get answers based on your own face
- Morning and night routineMade for you, and it changes as you improve
- Progress trackingSee your before and after, week by week
The science
Chemical vs mineral, honestly
01
Mineral filters (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) sit as a physical film and are the gentlest class — the default for reactive skin and around eyes — but classic formulas leave a white cast that gets worse the deeper the skin tone. Chemical filters absorb UV and convert it to heat, go on invisibly on every tone, and modern generations are photostable and well-tolerated. Both classes work; both are approved; the "chemical sunscreens are dangerous" framing is marketing, not toxicology consensus.
02
The choice is therefore fit, not safety: sensitive + fair leans mineral, deep skin leans chemical or modern hybrid (coated micro-zinc), oily skin picks matte fluids, dry skin picks cream textures that moonlight as moisturizer. And every choice is downstream of the one rule that dwarfs the rest: the best sunscreen is the one you apply generously every day.
Decoding SPF labels beyond the number
"Broad spectrum" is the non-negotiable phrase — it certifies UVA coverage, and UVA is the aging-and-pigment wavelength that windows do not block. PA ratings (Asian sunscreens) grade UVA specifically: PA+++ and up is the target. "Water resistant 40/80 min" is a tested claim with a built-in reapplication clock. Marketing words with no regulatory meaning: "dermatologist tested", "reef friendly" (varies by jurisdiction), "sport". And the number itself: SPF 30 blocks ~97%, SPF 50 ~98% — applied at full dose; since everyone underdoses, the higher number functions as a margin of error, which is the honest argument for 50.
FAQ
Common questions
Is mineral sunscreen better than chemical?+
Neither is "better" — mineral is gentler on reactive skin, chemical is invisible on deep tones and lighter in feel. Both filter classes are effective and approved. Pick by tolerance, tone, and texture.
What SPF do I actually need?+
SPF 30 minimum daily; SPF 50 if you burn easily, spend real time outside, or are treating pigmentation. Above 50 the marginal gain is small — application amount matters far more than the number.
Why does sunscreen leave a white cast on my skin?+
Uncoated mineral filters scatter visible light, and the effect scales with skin depth. Fixes: modern chemical filters, "invisible" hybrid formulas, or tinted mineral versions that counter the cast with iron oxides.
Are Asian sunscreens better?+
Often nicer to wear — newer UV filters (approved in Asia/EU before the US) enable lighter textures at high UVA protection, which is why K-beauty SPF has a cult. The protection logic is identical; the elegance gap is real.
Does SPF in moisturizer count?+
If broad spectrum and applied at sunscreen dose, chemically yes — but moisturizer application habits underdose it worse than sunscreen habits do. A dedicated SPF as the final step is the version that survives real behavior.
Keep going
AI skin analysis →
Redness, tone evenness, shine and depth from one selfie, scored in your browser.
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Flags ingredients that commonly appear on avoid-in-pregnancy lists, as a heads-up for your doctor.
Pore-clogging ingredient checker →
Paste a product, or browse the full list with comedogenic ratings.