Is this the year? The year I finally find my perfect sunscreen? Something that’s fragrance free, without the dreaded white cast and oily, heavy finish? If I had any chance of finding such a sunscreen, I had to start somewhere and I figured the best place was local.
It also meant I really had to trial them. I mean really trial them. There have been many times I’ve tried a sunscreen once and then never picked it up again because I’ve hated the experience so much. This time, I gave each of these options multiple tries, with varying application methods if needed!
All of these sunscreens featured here are Zinc Oxide based, which means they’re a physical barrier and provide broad spectrum protection against UVA and UVB. I choose zinc oxide as I often break out with chemical sunscreens.
I’ll include some short clips from my intagram so you can get a sense of how each sunscreen applies. It’s not the most gripping footage but hopefully it’ll help show their texture, how long it can take to rub in (it’ll be sped up 2x) and how sheer they are.
The Base Collective / Hydrating Facial Mineral Sunscreen + Hyaluronic Acid SPF50 $39.00 AUD for 110ml
Ingredients: Zinc Oxide 25% (w/w), Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Salvia Rosmarinus Oleoresin (Rosemary) Antioxidant, Hyaluronic Acid, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Thuja Plicata (Hinokitiol) Extract, Aqua, Glycyrrhiza Glare (Licorice) Root Extract, Calendula Officinalis Extract, Xanthan Gum, Glycerin, Maltodextrin, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Chloride, Magnesium Chloride, Iron Oxide (Yellow, Red & Black).
The Base Collective is an Australian brand focused on magnesium rich skincare. It is formulated with hyaluronic acid, jojoba oil and magnesium for extra hydration. They advertise that it’s tinted to avoid white cast and so it blends into most skin tones.
Unfortunately this is quite unusable for me. The formula is thinner and leaves a very oily finish which doesn’t work for my skin type. I would be more inclined to try harder to make it work, if it didn’t also leave such a heavy grey cast on my skin. It’s worth noting that there are a few Australian sunscreen brands that have a very similar, if not almost identical ingredient listing. I considered trying them too, but I don’t think think the finish would be much different.
Ethical Zinc Daily Wear
Daily Wear Light Sunscreen SPF50- $19.99 AUD
Daily Wear Tinted Facial Sunscreen Dark Tint SPF50 – $24.99 AUD
Ethical Zinc make certified natural zinc oxide sunscreens, which are reef safe and vegan. Their pricing and availability in our major supermarkets make them quite accessible for most Australians.
When I first squeezed these out, I thought ‘oh boy, I’m not going to like this,’ but the thick cream does rub in surprisingly well. I prefer wearing one layer as two finger lengths can feel and look very noticeable. I don’t find the Daily Wear Light invisible, though it’s not the worst whitecast I’ve experienced. On it’s own the Dark Tint is definitely better suited to those with a deeper skin tone than me. It can rub in unevenly, leaving some patchiness.
These work best together. A slight dollop of the Dark Tint takes away the white cast of the Daily Wear Light. The finish still looks like skin, but with a sheen. I prefer powdering it but even then I end up very shiny. Finally, I’ll add that it’s so drying on my hands. I never normally have to moisturize them, but I hate how dry they are after using this.
Naked Sundays / Collagen Glow 100% Mineral Perfecting Priming Lotion SPF50 – $39.95 AUD for 50ml
Naked Sundays tout their products as a hybrid between sunscreen and skincare, with added benefits of vegan collagen and watermelon extract. They offer mineral sunscreen and chemical sunscreen, so just be mindful if you’re purchasing.
The SPF50 Collagen Glow Mineral Perfecting Priming Lotion is another thick cream. I struggle to wear 1 finger length, let alone the recommended amount. It takes so long to rub in and never really dries down. With the full amount the tint is evident enough, so it’s best to correct it with foundation. If I only had to use a thin layer, I don’t mind the tacky finish.
I tried wearing this without skincare, because it’s so ‘glowy’. However by the end of the day my skin feels very rough. I can stop this if I use my oil serums. The absolute dealbreaker though is after using this, the corners of my lips crack to the point of bleeding. I have to slather them in balm to fix it. This isn’t something that’s ever happened to me with all my skincare, so it’s kind of a worry!
P4O – People4Ocean / Zinc Stick SPF 50 – $16.95 AUD for 25g
Ingredients: Zinc oxide (200 mg/g),Coconut oil, Candelilla wax, Tocopheryl acetate, Castor oil, Theobroma oil, Caprylic/capric Triglyceride, Iron Oxides (Black, Yellow, Brown), Titanium dioxide (80 mg/g), Silica.
People 4 Ocean or P4O are focused on creating sunscreens that are effective, yet minimize any potential damage to coral reefs. They also donate $1 of every product sold to reef regenerative projects.
Out of all the sunscreens in this post, I really wish that this one worked. The company so closely aligns with my desire to lessen my impact on the environment and it’s quite affordable. The stick itself is very dry and hard to apply without warming it up with multiple swipes. The formula might not work if you have dry patches as it can also be hard to blend out.
However when I apply it with my usual skin care it doesn’t feel chalky or too thick and most importantly not oily. It just leaves the strongest white cast. This suits someone who might need to apply on the go.
Winki Zinc / Tinted Base SPF 30 – $25.00 AUD for 25g & Lip & Cheek Tint SPF 30 – $18.00 AUD for 16g
Ingredients: Zinc Oxide (EcoCert), Avocado Oil, Surf Coast Beeswax, Coconut Oil Fractionated, Cacao Butter*, Mango Butter*, Jojoba Esters, Vitamin E + Iron Oxides.
Winki Zinc are based in Wadawurrung country and strive to maintain sustainable and ethical business practices. Their natural and organics sunscreens are either in biodegradable cardboard or reusable tins.
I also really wish that these worked better too. At the moment I only really use pinks as blushes.
Tan is too dark as a foundation and Peach is better suited as a blush as it’s too pink for my yellow undertones and too light for my lips. Coral looks like a dark toned pink in the tube, but also sheers out to be a warm pink. On my lips it still looks pastel. I guess the white Zinc Oxide base washes me out.
As for the formulas, they are smooth, quite waxy and tacky. I had the worst time trying to wash off the Tan one the first time I applied it. It just wouldn’t budge with my soap or jojoba oil. You actually need a wash cloth or a gentle physical exfoliant.
They can be quite hard to apply as well. They need pressure, warmth and quite a few swipes before colour builds up. The product also slides back into the tube constantly, so you have to awkwardly hold it to keep it out. I never use them over a matte base. Anytime I’ve tried, it picks up whatever is underneath. If it’s already dewy it blends effortlessly and looks like a nice flush of colour.
They are in the process of reformulating and updating shades, so I’m definitely interested to see if there are any noticeable improvements.
Wotnot Naturals / Natural Face Sunscreen BB Cream + Mineral Makeup SPF40 / $34.99 AUD for 60g
Ingredients: zinc oxide 250mg/g, purified water, coco-caprylate, diisopropyl adipate, galactoarabinan, titanium dioxide, polyglyceryl-3 polyricinoleate, cetylpalmitate & sorbitan palmitate & sorbitan olivate, simmondsia chinensis(jojoba) seed oil, polyglyceryl-3diisostearate, hydrolyzed jojoba esters, vp/eicosene copolymer, silicadimethyl silylate, glycerine, iron oxides, aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) leaf juice, camellia oleifera (camellia) oil, polyhydroxystearic acid, camelliasinensis (green tea) extract, tocopherol (vitamin e), xanthan gum, magnesium sulfate, caprylyl glycol, glyceryl caprylate.
Preservative: phenethyl alcohol.
Wotnot Naturals offer natural and organic sunscreens designed to work with sensitive skin. They are reef friendly, with all of their nourishing ingredients rated 2 or less on EWG.
I’ve already reviewed this product and in short, I do like it. However their shade range needs improving. One of their new shades, Tan is a better match. It’s still slightly too dark and a touch too brown though. Seeing as they only had 2 shades previously, this at least a step in the right direction.
Out of all the options I’ve shown here, this has the nicest finish. It doesn’t dry as a true matte, but definitely a satin matte. I haven’t quite figured out the best combination of these two shades. My biggest issue is that I don’ use the full recommended amount, not only because the colour match isn’t right but it also starts looking heavy. I tend to use this over another sunscreen to avoid these issues.
Final Word
Overall, I wouldn’t say these companies have completely proven me wrong in my dislike of sunscreen. I’ve come to hate the marketing gimmick of ‘dewy’ or ‘glowy’ too. More often than not it just ends up oily, even wet for me! So far I’ve figured out a combination of sunscreen, foundation, blotting paper and finally powder I’ll tolerate rather than like. I still find myself looking forward to days when I know I won’t have to apply sunscreen and ultimately I want to be fine applying it every day. To be completely blunt, I’ll never give up my sun safe clothing and wide brimmed hat!
It’s obviously difficult to formulate with zinc oxide, but it would be so good if someone could finally crack that code! Of all these sunscreens, Wotnot Naturals are by far the best overall. My only issue would be that I’m not always sure I have applied enough, because the colour match isn’t perfect. I would love to see if P4O or Winki Zinc could improve their shade range because I love the thought of having a convenient stick sunscreen that is also no waste.
Gone Swatching xo 