Caldera Lab Mineral Sunscreen The Face SPF
71/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Caldera Lab Mineral Sunscreen The Face is a 100% mineral facial sunscreen built on zinc oxide. It is lightweight and unlikely to sting, with a balanced finish and some visible cast typical of mineral formulas, so it may not layer cleanly under makeup. With moderate measured protection and a 71/100 score, it reads as a solid daily mineral option for those who prefer zinc-only filters.
Ingredient & SPF scores
👻
White cast
Medium
49
- +100 Starting score
- −42 Zinc Oxide, 18.2% declared
- −15 Pure mineral formula (18.2% total declared)
- +5.7 PHSA dispersant, fights agglomeration
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Fungal acne
Medium
61
- +100 Starting score
- −12 1 free fatty acids that feed Malassezia (Squalene)
- −9 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Lecithin)
- −18 2 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Polyglyceryl-3 Lactate/Laurate, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate)
- +0 Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride at #3, a safe base that does not feed Malassezia
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Fabric stains
Low
85
- +100 Starting score
- −15 Zinc Oxide at #1, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
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Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 5 Zinc Oxide at #1, mild sebum absorbent
- → 1 Glycerin at #24, the anchor humectant
- → 1 1 strong humectants (Inositol)
- → 1 Humectant polyols
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Squalene)
- → 4 Light emollient/solvent (Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride)
- → 0.5 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Arachidyl Alcohol)
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Makeup base
Poor
PillsPrimer
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6)
- ← 15 High mineral load at #1 greys under foundation
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Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance →Skincare extras
Beneficial actives this formula contains. Informational only, not part of the rating: their effect depends on a concentration the label does not disclose.
- ✨ Bisabolol
Full ingredient list (45)
What each ingredient does and how it moves each rating: green helps, red hurts, ↑ / ↓ give the direction, and ← / → shift a slider toward its ends (finish, moisture, makeup base). Auto-derived from our scoring rules and the ingredient's position.
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Mineral UV filter (Zinc Oxide), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 41 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 42 18.2% declared
- ↑ 30 18.2% declared
- ↑ 15 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- light ← 5 mild sebum absorbent
- pills ← 15 High mineral load greys under foundation
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2 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 4 → nourishing light emollient
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant polyol
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Botanical extract
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
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12 Bakuchiol
Supporting ingredient
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Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
16 Bisabolol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
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20 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Supporting ingredient
-
23 Glucose
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
24 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Botanical extract
-
26 Inositol
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
28 Lecithin
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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Botanical extract
-
30 Phytic Acid
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
pH adjuster
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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42 Squalene
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
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43 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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Botanical extract
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45 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
Does Caldera Lab Mineral Sunscreen The Face leave a white cast?
It can leave some visible cast, which is common for 100% mineral sunscreens. Caldera Lab The Face uses zinc oxide as its only filter, so a light residue may show on deeper skin tones. It is rated a poor makeup base, so it may not layer perfectly under foundation.
Is this a mineral or chemical sunscreen?
It is a fully mineral sunscreen. The only listed UV filter is zinc oxide, with no chemical filters involved. That makes it a good choice if you prefer mineral-only formulas.
Is Caldera Lab The Face a good sunscreen?
It scores 71/100 in our system with moderate measured protection. It is lightweight and unlikely to sting, which suits sensitive preferences, but the SPF is unspecified and it may not work well under makeup. It is a reasonable daily mineral option overall.