This Is the Best Mineral Face Sunscreen I’ve Tried—And I’ve Tried a Lot

Some people yell at sports on TV, others yap about celebrities, but what gets me truly fired up is sunscreen. As a former beauty editor, I’ve tried more skin care and makeup products than most people use in a lifetime. And sunscreen has always been one of my favorite things to test because I know that wearing SPF every day is essential for healthy skin—but I’m not going to willingly slather myself in something I hate. (Trust me, there’s a very thin line between a moisturizing, dewy sunscreen and a sticky, goopy mess.) So whenever I find a genuinely good (not just tolerable) formula, I hold onto it for dear life. Lately, I’m a clinger with InnBeauty Project’s Mineral Sun Glow ($35, sephora.com).

What earns a sunscreen top marks in my book? Well, my skin type is normal but it leans dry in the winter, so I tend to look for hydrating products and avoid anything with a matte finish. Basically, a product with “glow” in its name is an easy way to grab my attention. Then there’s the whole protection factor: Dermatologists have told me over the years that mineral sunscreens—which use ingredients like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide to physically block the sun’s UV rays—are better for acne-prone skin, and as a former Accutane girly, I take that information seriously. When it comes to texture, I’m not looking for anything crazy. I want something that easily blends into my skin and looks (and feels) natural—no white cast, no sticky residue. Sun Glow packs all of these qualities into one cute pink tube.

This sunscreen has a really creamy formula, so I skip moisturizer in the morning and apply it directly to my bare skin. I pump a quarter-size blob—the amount derms recommend for your face, ears, and neck—into my hand and dab it on before rubbing it in. The consistency makes it easy to spread and blend with my fingers in just a few seconds. I promise, it’s the total opposite of that thick, pasty goo your parents used to smear on you at the beach.

I give the sunscreen about 10 minutes to sink into my skin (something I do with all skin care that goes under my makeup) before I apply concealer, contour, blush, and powder on top. The cream products glide over it effortlessly, and the powder tamps down the shine to my ideal amount of dewiness. The whole application process has become the easiest part of my morning routine.

Sun Glow comes in two shades: Fair-Medium and Medium-Deep. No one in the history of forever has referred to my very pale skin as “medium,” so I was skeptical about how Fair-Medium would look on me. But swatching it on my skin, it’s a perfect match—and more importantly, it blends right in with zero white cast. (Reviewers with deeper skin tones say the same about the Medium-Deep shade.)

I don’t need my sunscreen to provide coverage (I get that from my concealer), so I don’t mind that its translucent finish lets my freckles and blemishes show through. The transparent finish also makes it super easy to apply: If it had extra coverage, I’d have to be more precise with how and where I spread it—or at least look in a mirror while doing so.

Because of its name, I thought this SPF might look slightly shimmery, kind of like Supergoop’s similarly titled Glow Screen. But it actually gives a subtle, healthy sheen to the skin instead, which I prefer (no hate to Glow Screen, though—she’s great).

All the good stuff is moot if the SPF doesn’t actually protect my skin from the sun, so it’s probably a good time to mention that, yes, it works! I’m not looking at my skin under a microscope (would be cool, though), but I haven’t noticed any burns or signs of sun damage after spending hours outside, aside from a slight tan. Along with zinc oxide, the formula includes brown rice extracts, which have “antioxidant properties that can be helpful against free radicals and environmental exposures like pollution,” Farah Moustafa, MD, board-certified dermatologist and director of laser and cosmetics at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, tells SELF.

Sun Glow seamlessly slipped into my routine and hasn’t caused any irritation, but I ask Dr. Moustafa if it could also work for someone with more sensitive skin. She points out that it includes some common irritants, like vitamin E, urea, and fruit extracts, so you might want to check with your derm or do a patch test before trying it on your face.

I want my sunscreen to protect me from UV rays and look good while doing it, so I wasn’t super focused on the non-SPF ingredients. Still, I quiz Dr. Moustafa about whether Sun Glow has enough peptides and vitamin C to plump and brighten skin, as the brand says. “Peptide claims are usually difficult to validate without specific clinical testing,” she says, adding that they can reduce inflammation and repair damaged skin (among other things) if they’re formulated a certain way. Similarly, “vitamin C is long known for its ability to brighten brown spots on the skin and give a ‘glow’ to the complexion,” but it also needs to be formulated in a particular way to be effective. If you want a top-notch sunscreen, then this is your gal. I recommend taking the other ingredients, and their claims, with a grain of salt.

I’ve been wearing this sunscreen every single day since I got it, even on the days I stay inside. That wouldn’t be possible if I didn’t love it. Its silky texture melts right into my skin and gives me a “did she just get a facial?” gleam. Hell, I even love the squeeze-tube packaging and pump that help me get every last drop out without fumbling with a screw-on cap. I get to test a ton of beauty products for work, so re-purchasing a product doesn’t happen often—but this is already sitting in my Sephora cart.