Hero Cosmetics Superlight Sunscreen SPF 30
72/100 overall score
Sign in to see this product's score for your skin.
About this sunscreen
Hero Cosmetics Superlight Sunscreen is an SPF 30 mineral formula based on Zinc Oxide, generally favored for gentle, sensitive-skin wear. It has a balanced, lightweight finish but can leave a medium white cast, and it performs poorly as a makeup base. It does not commonly sting and is low on pore-clogging. With moderate protection and a 71/100 score, it is a reasonable everyday mineral option that suits bare-skin wear better than layering under makeup.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Moderate
42
- +41 Zinc Oxide at #1, UV filter (UVA1 +18)
- +1 Label claims (SPF 30)
👻
White cast
Medium
49
- +100 Starting score
- −42 Zinc Oxide, 17.5% declared
- −15 Pure mineral formula (17.5% total declared)
- +5.7 PHSA dispersant, fights agglomeration
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
73
- +100 Starting score
- −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 Saccharomyces Lysate at #54, ferment, disputed Malassezia trigger (not penalized)
- +0 Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride at #3, a safe base that does not feed Malassezia
👕
Fabric stains
Low
85
- +100 Starting score
- −15 Zinc Oxide at #1, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 1.5 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
- ← 5 Zinc Oxide at #1, mild sebum absorbent
- → 1 Glycerin at #29, the anchor humectant
- → 3 2 strong humectants (Inositol, Ectoin)
- → 1 Humectant polyols
- → 4 Light emollient/solvent (Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride)
💄
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
🌊
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.
- ✨ Green tea
Full ingredient list (56)
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.
-
Mineral UV filter (Zinc Oxide), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 41 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↑ 42 17.5% declared
- ↑ 30 17.5% declared
- ↑ 15 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- light ← 5 mild sebum absorbent
- pills ← 15 High mineral load greys under foundation
-
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
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
9 Ectoin
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
- 2 → nourishing humectant
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
24 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
25 Bisabolol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
26 Amber Powder
Supporting ingredient
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
28 Glucose
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
29 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
30 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
40 Lecithin
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
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
-
45 Silica
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 1.5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 1 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Supporting ingredient
-
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
-
51 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
-
52 Inositol
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
Does Hero Cosmetics Superlight Sunscreen leave a white cast?
It can leave a medium white cast. As a Zinc Oxide mineral sunscreen the cast may be more noticeable on deeper skin tones, so blend it in well.
Is the Hero Cosmetics Superlight Sunscreen SPF 30 mineral or chemical?
It is a fully mineral sunscreen, using Zinc Oxide as its only UV filter.
Does it work under makeup?
It performs poorly as a makeup base, so it suits bare-skin wear better than layering. It is still lightweight and generally low on pore-clogging.