Herbivore Star Seed Sheer Glow Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30
68/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Herbivore Star Seed Sheer Glow is an SPF 30 mineral sunscreen using zinc oxide as its only UV filter. Despite the "glow" name it dries down to a matte finish, keeps white cast low, and is generally gentle with low breakout risk and no reported stinging. It sits okay under makeup and feels medium in weight. Scoring 68.4 with moderate protection, it is a sheer mineral pick best suited to lower-exposure daily wear.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Moderate
42
- +41 Zinc Oxide at #2, UV filter (UVA1 +18)
- +1 Label claims (SPF 30)
🤧
Allergens
Low
70
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −11 5 declared fragrance allergens
- −1 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
👻
White cast
Low
69
- +100 Starting score
- −55 Zinc Oxide at #2
- −15 Pure mineral formula
- +35 Iron-oxide undertone, partial masking
- +3.5 PHSA dispersant, fights agglomeration
🔥
Eye sting
Low
96
- +100 Starting score
- −8 Fragrance
- −8 5 declared fragrance allergens
- +12 Mineral filter system, low-sting filters
🍄
Fungal acne
Low
82
- +100 Starting score
- −9 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Lecithin)
- −9 1 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate)
👕
Fabric stains
Medium
45
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Iron-oxide pigments at #28, makeup-like collar marks (washable)
- −15 Zinc Oxide at #2, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
💧
Moisture
Light
LightNourishing
- ← 7 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- ← 5 Zinc Oxide at #2, mild sebum absorbent
- → 1 Glycerin at #24, the anchor humectant
- → 1 Humectant polyols
- → 2 Light emollient/solvent (Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride)
- → 1.5 2 fatty-alcohol emollients (Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Alcohol)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 4 Quick-setting carrier, fast, even canvas
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6)
- ← 7.5 High mineral load at #2 greys under foundation (tinted)
🌊
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.
- ✨ Vitamin C
Full ingredient list (43)
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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1 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
Mineral UV filter (Zinc Oxide), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 41 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 15 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- light ← 5 mild sebum absorbent
- pills ← 7.5 High mineral load greys under foundation (tinted)
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- light ← 7 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 7 volatile carrier, flashes off
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 2 → nourishing light emollient
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 1 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant polyol
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
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10 Inulin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
21 Lecithin
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
24 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
25 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
27 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
28 Iron Oxides
Colorant or pigment
- ↑ 40 makeup-like collar marks (washable)
-
29 Iron Oxides
Colorant or pigment
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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33 Glucose
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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34 Guar Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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35 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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37 Linalool
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
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38 Phytic Acid
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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39 Citral
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
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40 Limonene
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
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41 Citronellol
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
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42 Geraniol
Fragrance component, a declared allergen
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43 Fragrance
Fragrance
Does Herbivore Star Seed leave a white cast?
White cast is rated low for this sheer mineral formula, so it tends to stay fairly invisible despite using Zinc Oxide. Results can still vary by skin tone.
Is the Herbivore Star Seed Sheer Glow Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 good for oily or acne-prone skin?
It is generally friendly to oily and breakout-prone skin, with a matte finish and a low pore-clogging rating. It also reports no stinging, which suits sensitive skin.
What SPF is it and is it good?
It is SPF 30 and scores 68.4 out of 100 with moderate protection. It is a solid sheer mineral option for lower-exposure daily wear.