The Neutrogena ® Norwegian Formula range was inspired by the harsh climate of Scandinavia and provides solutions for dry and chapped skin on both hand and body. Trying products is a standard—and very fun—part of my job as a beauty writer. But, to be totally honest, I end up testing way fewer products than one might expect, largely because my skin is very sensitive. There is, however, one category of products that I will always, always try: mineral sunscreen. In my 15-year career, I’ve taken every single one that’s come across my desk for a test drive. That’s largely because I firmly believe sunscreen is the absolute most important skincare product you can use. And experts agree. It’s also the one product I use without fail every single day. Araviiskaia E, Berardesca E, Bieber T, Gontijo G, Sanchez Viera M, Marrot L, Chuberre B, Dreno B. The impact of airborne pollution on skin. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2019 Aug;33(8):1496-1505. doi: 10.1111/jdv.15583. Epub 2019 Apr 26. PMID: 30897234; PMCID: PMC6766865.

If you’d like to cut down on products used each morning, this might be the product for you. It combines three steps—a serum, an SPF, and a foundation–at once. For face sunscreens specifically, ingredients like soothing niacinamide or hydrating hyaluronic acid are nice, but they’re not imperative—especially if you already apply a serum and face moisturizer in the morning. If you have rosacea, eczema, or another chronic skin condition, Dr. Kim encourages using mineral SPF formulas instead of chemical ones, as they tend to be less irritating for people with sensitive complexions. (These folks should also consider avoiding products that contain dyes, parabens, and fragrances.)Per the tinted part, this option comes in four shades: light, medium, medium/deep, and deep. This is a huge pro, as many tinted sunscreens—including my daily go-to that I’ve used for years—only come in one shade that claims to be “universal,” yet often isn’t. (More importantly, there aren’t a ton of tinted sunscreens to be found at the drugstore in general.) I received both the light and medium; my skin is fair with a lot of warm and yellow undertones, and I found the medium to be an almost perfect match. While I can’t say with complete confidence these four shades work on everyone, the two I tried did seem to be versatile (I could’ve gotten away with the light had I wanted to) so I do think the range is fairly inclusive. Caitlyn Martyn is a commerce writer on staff at Byrdie, where she covers all things beauty and style. She is obsessed with sunscreen and hasn’t gone a day without her Supergoop! Mattescreen in over two years. She’s an acne-prone, sensitive skin girlie herself, so she knows a thing or two about finding the right mineral sunscreen that’ll suit your skin.

Turn to this multi-use formula if you’re looking for a product that can prime and protect your skin all in one shot. You’ll also really like this one if you want something to add a subtle glow to your skin. Below, I’ve summarized the main similarities and differences in these two products’ ingredient lists. Ingredients in both products: Addor FAS. Antioxidants in dermatology. An Bras Dermatol. 2017;92(3):356-362. doi: 10.1590/abd1806-4841.20175697 Inactive ingredients: water, c12-15 alkyl benzoate, octyldodecyl citrate crosspolymer, styrene/acrylates copolymer, phenyl trimethicone, cetyl peg/ppg- 10⁄ 1 dimethicone, dimethicone, polyhydroxystearic acid, glycerin, ethyl methicone,cetyl dimethicone, silica, colloidal oatmeal, tocopheryl acetate, chrysanthemum parthenium (feverfew) flower/leaf/stem juice, glyceryl behenate, phenethyl alcohol, caprylyl glycol, cetyl dimethicone/bis-vinyldimethicone crosspolymer, acrylates/dimethicone copolymer, sodium chloride, phenoxyethanol, chlorphenesEditor’s Note: We reviewed this article on September 20, 2023. As per our editorial policy, we are constantly updating our content, to make sure it reflects the best of the best when it comes to beauty, wellness, and fashion. We want to assure our readers that we still stand by our recommendations, which we do. Chlorphenesin and chlorphenes are basically the same as well—both are preservatives. This means that these two sunscreens are even more similar than they appear. Main similarities A welcome addition to any beach bag or on-the-go makeup kit, this brush-on SPF is great for sunscreen touch-ups on both bare skin and on top of a full face of makeup. If you’re looking for something that holds up against sweating and splashing, this is a solid option to consider. The only thing we didn’t love about it during testing was that the bottle got greasy and, therefore, became hard to use.

It’s nice to see that Aveeno has shared data about this product’s UVA protection factor, since it can’t actually list a UVAPF number on the label. You can see that Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Dry Touch Sunscreen was not listed in this pamphlet, perhaps because it offers similar protection to Aveeno’s Positively Mineral Sunscreen, and Aveeno only wanted to feature sunscreens that didn’t perform as well as this particular product. Just a guess. This formula is part serum, part foundation, and part SPF, allowing you to combine three steps into one (although we recommend applying a separate layer of SPF underneath for extra protection when possible). It contains plant-based squalane and two types of hyaluronic acid, which penetrate various levels of the skin to impart tons of hydration. We found the coverage to be gorgeous, sheer, and glowy, and we were impressed by the fact that it comes in 30 shades. (Pro tip: The color does change a little after you apply it, so we recommend letting it sit for 30 to 60 seconds before blending.) Plus, its broad-spectrum SPF 40 sun protection formula contains plenty of zinc oxide to keep the sun from hurting your skin.I wore it during a fairly intense workout and it never dripped or ran into my eyes, even when I got sweaty. How the Neutrogena Purescreen+ Mineral UV Tint Face Liquid Sunscreen Works on Different Skin Types—Even Highly Sensitive Skin Yarosh DB, Rosenthal A, Moy R. Six critical questions for DNA repair enzymes in skincare products: a review in dialog. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2019;12:617-624. doi: 10.2147/CCID.S220741

Interestingly, CeraVe SPF 50 Face performed slightly better than CeraVe SPF 50 sunscreen in this particular trial. Also, Blue Lizard beat out both CeraVe products even though it’s SPF 30+ as opposed to SPF 50. Remember, SPF only measures a product’s protection against UVB rays, not UVA rays.

What’s the difference between mineral and chemical sunscreen?

We’ve worn it alone on bare skin or underneath makeup (it works beautifully as a smoothing, skin-protecting primer) and love the way it glides effortlessly over the surface of the skin. It’s worth mentioning that the formula has a peachy hue to offset any white cast, and while it can stretch to accommodate a range of skin tones, it might not look as natural on those with darker skin tones. We really hope the brand creates a few more iterations so that anyone and everyone can use it.