Honua Hawaiian Skincare Malu SPF
73/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Honua Hawaiian Skincare Malu is a pure mineral sunscreen using zinc oxide as its sole UV filter. It wears with a balanced, lightweight feel and shows low white cast, which is notable for a zinc-based formula, and its low pore-clogging profile is generally friendly to most skin. It is unlikely to sting and works acceptably under makeup. Scoring 72.7 out of 100 with moderate protection, it is a solid mineral option for everyday, lower-exposure use.
Ingredient & SPF scores
🤧
Allergens
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Essential oils (Jasminum Officinale Oil)
👻
White cast
Low
68
- +100 Starting score
- −28 Zinc Oxide, 12% declared
- −8 Pure mineral formula (12% total declared)
- +3.6 PHSA dispersant, fights agglomeration
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
72
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Zinc Oxide, 12% declared
- −2 Copernicia Cerifera Wax at #14, wax film
- −2 Hydrogenated Castor Oil at #22, butter/occlusive fat
- −1 Ricinus Communis Seed Oil at #28, heavy oil
- −5 Behenyl Alcohol at #6, rich gel-network thickener
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
73
- +100 Starting score
- −18 2 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil)
- −9 1 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate)
👕
Fabric stains
Low
85
- +100 Starting score
- −15 Zinc Oxide at #1, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 5 Zinc Oxide at #1, mild sebum absorbent
- → 1 Glycerin at #20, the anchor humectant
- → 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #30, hyaluronic family
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Squalane)
- → 3 2 fatty-alcohol emollients (Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Alcohol)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Squalane)
- → 1 Occlusives seal moisture in (Ricinus Communis Seed Oil)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- ← 15 High mineral load at #1 greys under foundation
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +2 1 water-locking waxes
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.
- ✨ Aloe vera
- ✨ Bisabolol
Full ingredient list (34)
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)
- ↑ 28 12% declared
- ↑ 18 12% declared
- ↑ 15 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- light ← 5 mild sebum absorbent
- pills ← 15 High mineral load greys under foundation
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 2 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- ↑ 5 rich gel-network thickener
- 1 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
12 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
-
Botanical extract
-
Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin
- ↑ 2 wax film
- ↑ 2 wax water lock
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
19 Erythritol
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
20 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Plant oil, an emollient
- ↑ 2 butter/occlusive fat
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Plant oil, an emollient
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
27 Propanediol
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Botanical extract
- ↑ 1 heavy oil
- 1 → dewy occlusive
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
-
31 Squalane
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
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32 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
33 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
34 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
Is Honua Malu mineral or chemical?
It is a pure mineral sunscreen, using zinc oxide as its only UV filter.
Does the Honua Hawaiian Skincare Malu SPF leave a white cast?
It is rated low for white cast, which is notable for a zinc-based formula. The balanced, lightweight finish helps it blend on most skin.
Is the Honua Hawaiian Skincare Malu SPF good for acne-prone skin?
It has a low pore-clogging profile and is unlikely to sting, so it is generally friendly to breakout-prone skin. With a score of 72.7 out of 100 and moderate protection, it suits everyday, lower-exposure use.