EltaMD UV Sheer Face Sunscreen, SPF 50+ No White Cast Sunscreen for Face and Body, Zinc Oxide Sunscreen Formula

A little thinner than the other ELTA products, but I find that I like its texture better and I don’t have to use as much - important with such an expensive product. Spreads very easily and quickly. Not drying. The white disappears immediately and never cakes up in my wrinkles. Its nice to have a waterproof sunscreen that is still not drying on my face.

I've been avoiding sunlight for decades, but occasionally it's inescapable. You'll never find me willingly soaking up the rays, but I do have to walk out to my car in summer, drive somewhere on my lunch hour, etc. I've gotten used to my foundation makeup having some SPF, but when I recently changed formulas, I was surprised to find zero mention of sun protection on the bottle. So off I went in search of a unicorn -- that is, a sunscreen that doesn't irritate my skin, doesn't affect the color or finish of my makeup, doesn't feel greasy, and doesn't smell like a day at the pool. I checked around the web for discussions about the best sunscreen to wear under makeup, and this EltaMD formula kept popping up. The price is definitely more than I would ever spend on something like this, but fortunately it's eligible for FSA, so I was able to put it on that account. I was a little worried about pilling because while some reviewers said it didn't pill at all, others said it pills badly. As for how it turned out for me... It's perfect. My skin is easily irritated, but I've been wearing this sunscreen daily for 6 weeks now, and my skin is happy. It's lightweight and feels like it moisturizes, so I use this instead of a moisturizer each morning, but it doesn't feel oily or greasy at all. It does have a little bit of a white cast to it, but that fades quickly and doesn't change the appearance of my foundation at all. And no, it doesn't make my foundation pill! I've come to the conclusion that whether or not it pills probably depends on the foundation itself, as some formulas may mix differently with it. In any case, Maybelline Super Stay 24HR Skin Tint works well with this sunscreen, so it's great for me. Overall, this has turned out to be a great buy. It's not cheap, but a little goes a long way, and it agrees with both my skin and my makeup, so I'll definitely be back for more!

I highly recommend this sunscreen to anyone that can afford it and does not consider money an issue. It is an expensive sunscreen; however, during certain times of the year, such as Black Friday / Cyber Monday, you can find it discounted from its usual price. This product is marketed as a zinc oxide sheer sunscreen; however, it is a combination of a mineral and chemical sunscreen consisting of 15% Zinc Oxide and and 10% Octocrylene. In my opinion, this sunscreen does not need Octocrylene, as the percentage of Zinc Oxide it contains is already suitable and high enough for adequate protection against UVA-1, UVA-2 and UVB rays. Octocrylene is a chemical ingredient that protects only against UVB, which cause sunburn. This sunscreen goes on clear on the skin, leaving a minimal white cast, if any. It quickly absorbs into the skin. It leaves a minimal white cast on facial hair / a beard. It is very easy to apply to the skin without stretching it, including easy to apply to facial hair / a beard. My only recommendation when applying is to hold the tube upward, as some of the contents may leak out if the tube is facing downward. I recommend applying this product only to the face.

love this sunscreen, the zinc is magnificent for blemishes

This sunscreen is probably really good for other people but for me there are several reasons why I wouldn’t reach for it for my daily sunscreen. I will start with the positives -Initially dewy but dries matte!!! A sunscreen that will not make you feel oily (elta sport was wayyyy to shiny for me). Very clean matte finish. -No fragrance -Easy to apply. Grips skin but feels lightweight. I feel very adequately protected from the sun. -High UVA protection with high zinc oxide -water resistant (definetly feels that way) -no eye sting The cons -white cast :/ got my hopes high that it would be invisible or subtle as marketed but it is not. I am an olive toned person and the white cast was too strong for my liking. It initially goes on with a strong white cast that fades slightly after about 2-3 hours. Though there is a saying in the skincare community, any mineral sunscreen will always have a white cast. -Price but there is no surprise there. Elta Md positions themselves as the luxury drug store skin care brand. -The THD (vitamin c) irritates my skin upon application but fades. This is my second time trying to love an Elta Md sunscreen because I love love love hybrid sunscreen formulations. Currently my favorite American hybrid sunscreen is the jack black sun guard. That sunscreen has the most perfect finish, but I highly suspect it has the weakest UVA protection compared to any elta Md sunscreen. Overall I could see this being a holy grail for a pale, oily skin type person. Or anyone who doesn’t mind the cast. I could imagine makeup applying good over this, for example. In terms of finish, I cannot express how much I love the natural matte clean finish it feels. The white cast though is too much for me. I know it’s bad when I keep on looking at myself in the mirror to see if it faded enough. I felt awkward wearing this hanging out with friends.

There are a lot of great sunscreens out there but the problem is that I can’t use them. Elta is one of the few that is both effective and doesn’t cause me to get cracks around my lips and eyes. This layers well over moisturizer but under makeup. If I’m out all day I also tap it on top of my makeup. A little goes a long way.

This is the only sunscreen that does not cause me any acne!

Goes on smoothly with no white cast. Love it