Beauty
goop Group Chat
Top Beauty Editors Share Their Favorite Clean Sunscreens
Written by:Polly BlitzerPublished on:
Image generated by AI and edited by the goop creative team.
There was a time when wearing mineral sunscreen meant accepting a certain amount of suffering: a chalky texture, a ghostly cast, and the distinct aroma of a preschool arts-and-crafts table. If you grew up in the era of fluorescent zinc sticks and white-coated lifeguard noses, you probably still carry some emotional residue.
Thankfully, in recent years, the category has undergone an impressive glow-up. “The newest generation of mineral sunscreens fully rub into the skin, making them much more cosmetically acceptable than older formulations,” says Josh Zeichner, MD, board-certified dermatologist in New York.
But with so many great options, which one is right for you? To find out, we convened our first-ever goop beauty group chat, asking some of the country’s top beauty editors and writers which clean mineral SPFs they actually use. Here are the standouts.
Linda Wells
Editor, Air Mail Look and Founding Editor-in-Chief, Allure
“I love Iris & Romeo Weekend Skin SPF 50. Doesn't everyone? It's really magical, the kind of product that doesn't seem like a sunscreen or a tint but that invisibly, effortlessly gives your skin a boost. You can put it on and work out, go to the farmer's market, hop on a Zoom call, and you look so much better while you're protected with sunscreen and vitamin C. It feels like nothing, and I mean that in a good way.”
BEST SPF FOR OUTDOOR WORKOUTS
Amy Synnott
Editor-in-Chief, goop
BEST SPF FOR MENOPAUSAL SKIN
“Ever since menopause—and especially after starting HRT—my skin has become both more sensitive and more prone to hyperpigmentation. And so, after moving to sunny Santa Monica, I was determined to find a mineral SPF that was potent, gentle, and cosmetically elegant enough that I would actually want to put it on every single day. I feel like I tried half the internet before I found Forah Everyday Mineral Sunscreen. Quite honestly, the formula feels more like a high-end moisturizer than a mineral sunscreen. Creamy yet non-greasy, it absorbs instantly, is completely transparent, and smells faintly botanical. I use it every morning on my face, neck, and hands. I apply it with a damp makeup sponge that I spritz first with the Tata Harper Hydrating Floral Essence, which helps it melt into the skin. Sometimes I mix in a few drops of Dr. Barbara Sturm Glow Drops for a warm, bronzy finish. The combo makes my skin look so glowy and even, I no longer bother with foundation or concealer.”
Margaux Anbouba
Senior Beauty & Wellness Editor, Vogue
“Mineral sunscreens have come a long way since I started my beauty career (as an assistant editor at goop, nonetheless!). This sunscreen gives you instant spa skin that's dewy and fresh-looking, even when you are feeling less than those things. One of the things I love about Supergoop! in general is that there is an SPF for every occasion and desired outcome–shimmery for when you want a boost of radiance, matte to double as an incredible primer for a full face of glam. It truly drives home the point that you should wear sunscreen every day. So having a few different options is always really nice.”
BEST SPF FOR A DEWY GLOW
Jamie Rosen
Beauty Writer
BEST SPF FOR A SUBTLE TINT
“My favorite genre of beauty product is a glowy, tinted SPF with varying degrees of dewiness and coverage, depending on the day. I really love and completely emptied the Dr. Few SPF because it was so easy. It provides light coverage that evens out skin tone and blends quickly. The one thing about tinted SPF is that you still have to apply enough to get the proper UV protection. I can use the two-finger rule with this one (applying two lines of sunscreen the length of my finger to the face), and it's not too much.”
Kathleen Hou
Beauty Director, Elle
“My friend Nam Vo, the makeup artist, first recommended this tinted SPF moisturizer to me, calling it a great “glow job” or “glow tastic” (for the more PG). Like her way with puns, she was right of course—it gives a bit of light coverage to cover up redness, but also makes you look dewy and radiant. It's one of those products that I reach for during leisure weekend daytime activities. I apply it with my fingers or a wet Beauty Blender, and bounce it all over my face.”
BEST SPF FOR EASY APPLICATION
Mia Maguire
Commerce Managing Editor, The Daily Beast
“For anyone chasing that glassy, plump skin, this formula is in a league of its own. The serum-sunscreen hybrid melts into the skin almost instantly, delivering a juicy, dewy glow that feels far more like a face oil than an SPF. I love wearing it under matte foundations because the silky formula adds just enough glow and bounce to keep the finish from looking flat, cakey, or crepey by midday. Aside from delivering broad-spectrum UV protection, the formula is also packed with complexion-boosting skincare ingredients, including Mara’s signature maritime Botanicals and soothing sea aster to help instantly lift redness (even post-sun exposure!).”
BEST SPF FOR UNDER MAKEUP
Polly Blitzer
Beauty Writer
BEST SPF FOR REACTIVE SKIN
“My rosacea-prone skin reacts to everything—weather, stress, a glass of wine. This sunscreen does the opposite: It calms my skin instead of provoking it. The lightly tinted formula helps neutralize redness, blur pores, and control shine without looking chalky or flat. It wears beautifully on its own or under makeup and never pills or slides around. On flare-up days, it’s often the only complexion product I use.”
Kylie Gilbert
Deputy Editor, goop
“The mineral sunscreen that made me finally love a mineral sunscreen. It’s sheer, lightweight, and has a velvety matte finish that melts into the skin, and after a minute or two, looks and feels like you aren't wearing anything. And yet, it contains a slew of skin-care ingredients to help hydrate, brighten, and protect the skin barrier.”
BEST SHEER SPF WITH SKIN-CARE BENEFITS
