CeraVe Mineral Sunscreen Review

It is SO HARD to find a good mineral sunscreen. From glaring whitecasts to greasy formulas and that classic sunscreen smell, there are so many things that can make a sunscreen suck. These unfortunate SPF characteristics seem to be all the more prominent with mineral formulas, too. So as soon as I got my hands on the CeraVe Mineral Sunscreen duo I came RIGHT here to let you know how things went.

About CeraVe's Mineral Sunscreen

The CeraVe mineral sunscreens come in both a body and face formula. I tested out the SPF 50, though they're also available in SPF 30. Both formulas are broad-spectrum and considered reef-safe.

The face formula is packed with niacinamide, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid. It claims to help restore the skin barrier and provide deep moisture. It's also certified by the National Eczema Association and Skin Cancer Foundation for daily use.

The body formula is similar to the face formula, but lacks the niacinamide. Both are fragrance-free, paraben-free, allergy tested, and non-comodogenic. They're the gold standard for sensitive skin, though be cautious if you're sensitive to niacinamide.

Mineral sunscreens form a physical barrier between the sun and your skin. In order to do so, they sit on top of the skin. This means they tend to be thicker in texture and are notorious for leaving whitecasts. Let's see if the CeraVe mineral sunscreen duo can surpass the stereotypes!

Two bottles of sunscreen are laid flat on a white background. They both say "CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50". One is labeled "Face" and the other is labeled "body". — Here they are! The Cerave Hydrating Mineral Sunscreens.

Two white swatches of the CeraVe mineral sunscreens on a turquoise background — Here they are! The Cerave Hydrating Mineral Sunscreens.

Sunscreen Application

After reading all about how gentle and nourishing the CeraVe mineral sunscreens were, I couldn't wait to put them on! I carefully followed the listed instructions to improve application and reduce potential whitecast. Here's how each of them wore:

CeraVe Mineral Sunscreen - Body Formula

To start, I applied the sunscreen to my arms and chest. A little went a long way, so it took no time at all to turn myself very white (see below). I was excited to find that it had no obvious scent- it didn't even smell like sunscreen!

Lindsay laughs while applying sunscreen to her arm. Her entire arm is visibly covered in white sunscreen. — A dime-sized amount of CeraVe mineral sunscreen was enough to turn my entire arm white!

It took a lot of rubbing to get the sunscreen somewhat rubbed in! Luckily it didn't pill or wipe off. It did, however, reach a dry-down point where I realized that it would just need to soak in on its own. There was still an obvious whitecast at this point.

After about 15 minutes I checked back in. While I still looked a little pale, the whitecast was more subtle (see left picture below- it's a video screenshot, so excuse the face:) ). The photo below on the right shows the subtle difference between where I applied the sunscreen and my bare skin. Can you tell the difference?

Lindsay frowns at the camera, pointing to her arm. There is a slight whitecast on her skin from the sunscreen.

Lindsay points to her shoulder, where there is a subtle line where one can see the difference between where sunscreen was applied and where it wasn't.

Wear Test

At this point I figured it was acceptable to leave the house. It was super hot out, so it was the perfect time to put this sunscreen to the test!

Saturdays are for Costco, of course. In the parking lot I noticed that the whitecast was much more visible in the sun. I made Nate take a picture of my arm, but he seemed to think I was being too critical. "It looks like an arm," he said. I would argue that it's a slightly ~ghostly~ arm.

Lindsay from the shoulder down, displaying her arm. There is a slight whitecast visible on her skin. — Can you see the whitecast? Am I losing my mind?

The sunscreen held up pretty well for the rest of the day. I did notice that it seemed to settle into my pores and make me look a little spotty within an hour or two. By the end of the day it had creased around my wrist and elbow (see below). These were very subtle and only noticeable because I could look very closely.

An up close shot of an arm, showing CeraVe mineral sunscreen settled into the skin's pores. It looks like little white dots on the skin. — The sunscreen seemed to settle into my pores.

An up close photo of an inner elbow, where white CeraVe mineral sunscreen is creased. — The sunscreen seemed to settle into my pores.

Despite how hot it was, I didn't notice any streaking or dripping. When it came time to shower it all off, the sunscreen didn't budge until I broke out the soap and scrubbie. I was excited to see how well it did against water! It made me feel better about its effectiveness, especially in humidity or when sweating.

In conclusion, I thought this was a pretty standard mineral sunscreen. Nothing special, nothing terrible. While the whitecast wasn't ideal, it also wasn't the worst I've seen! I do love that it's unscented and (relatively) reef-friendly. I'll probably save this one for beach days.

CeraVe Mineral Sunscreen - Face Formula

After seeing how quickly I became a ghost with the body sunscreen, I was more cautious about applying to my face. I dabbed about a blueberry-sized dollop onto my fingers and got started.

Reader, it did not go well.

Upon application, my face was a stark white (see below). It took a lot of rubbing, blending, and patting to get the streaks and splotches away. Fortunately, this formula held up to the abuse and didn't pill or wipe off. Once I reached a similar dry-down point as with the body formula, I stepped back and waited, hoping that it would soak in on its own. About 30 minutes later I was still looking rather unfortunate.

Lindsay smiles slightly, white sunscreen covering her face. The sunscreen is the CeraVe Mineran Sunscreen for face. — This sunscreen was NOT absorbing.

Lindsay looks at the camera, unamused. Her face is tinted pale white from sunscreen. The sunscreen is the CeraVe Mineral sunscreen for face. — This sunscreen was NOT absorbing.

The sunscreen felt greasy and heavy on my skin. My face truly felt so gross that I washed the sunscreen off after about an hour. My hair was getting stuck in it, I felt sticky, and I couldn't really leave the house looking like a watered down mime.

The worst part is that I didn't even use the whole recommended amount! The standard is typically two finger-length lines of SPF for your face and neck. I used about one.

Even though this formula is for the face, I'll probably just use it on my body from here on out.

Final Thoughts

Despite the big brand name, I was disappointed in how the CeraVe mineral sunscreens performed. The whitecast in the face formula was terrible- it's probably the second worst in my collection. I didn't care for how it felt on my skin and I looked ridiculous wearing it. The body formula was more acceptable! The whitecast was much less noticeable and it didn't leave me feeling sticky or gross.

CeraVe is known for products that are straightforward and effective, leaving behind any fancy packaging or elegant formulations. While I love this in their moisturizers and cleansers, it doesn't quite translate as well to sunscreens. There are so many better options out there that are just as effective and much more enjoyable to use. My current favorite mineral sunscreen is the Hawaiian Tropic Mineral Sun Milk.

If you prefer chemical sunscreens, you're after my own heart. Here's one of my favorites.

So, what do you think? Are you willing to give these a try? Or have you already? Let me know in the comments! I love to hear from you.

As always, thank you so much for reading.

xoxo,

Lindsay

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CeraVe Mineral Sunscreen Review

About CeraVe's Mineral Sunscreen