Solbar Zinc SPF38 Long Lasting Sunscreen
68/100 overall score
Sign in to see this product's score for your skin.
About this sunscreen
Solbar Zinc SPF 38 is a long-lasting sunscreen that combines mineral Zinc Oxide with chemical Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate and Homosalate. It wears with a balanced finish, feels lightweight, and is low on breakout risk, though the zinc content can leave a moderate white cast. The filter set is older-generation, and with good protection it scores 68.1/100.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Good
63
- +41 Zinc Oxide at #1, UV filter (UVA1 +18)
- +18 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate at #2, UV filter
- +12 Homosalate at #3, UV filter
- −9 UVB coverage saturated
- +1 Label claims (SPF 38)
☢️
Health safety
Medium
47
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Homosalate at #3 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −12.6 Octinoxate at #2, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- +0 2 endocrine-scrutinized filters together
🔥
Eye sting
Low
75
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Octinoxate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −9 Homosalate at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
70
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Zinc Oxide at #1
- +10 Volatile silicone at #5, flashes off
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
50
- +100 Starting score
- −50 4 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Dilaurate)
👕
Fabric stains
Low
85
- +100 Starting score
- −15 Zinc Oxide at #1, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
💧
Moisture
Light
LightNourishing
- ← 5 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- ← 5 Zinc Oxide at #1, mild sebum absorbent
- → 1 Glycerin at #16, the anchor humectant
- → 1 2 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 4 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 8 Primer-style base, volatile silicones and dimethicone slip
- ← 15 High mineral load at #1 greys under foundation
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +3 1 film-forming polymers that lock the formula on for water resistance
Full ingredient list (20)
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)
- ↑ 15 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- light ← 5 mild sebum absorbent
- pills ← 15 High mineral load greys under foundation
-
Legacy UV filter (Octinoxate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 18 UV protection
- ↓ 12.6 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Legacy UV filter (Homosalate), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 12 UV protection
- ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Volatile silicone, flashes off for a light finish
- light ← 5 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 4 volatile carrier, flashes off
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 24 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 24 feeds malassezia
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Film former, locks the formula onto skin for water resistance
- ↑ 3 film former
-
15 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
-
16 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
19 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
20 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
Does Solbar Zinc SPF 38 leave a white cast?
It can leave a moderate white cast, in part from the Zinc Oxide. The finish is balanced, but the cast is worth noting on deeper skin tones.
Is the Solbar Zinc SPF38 Long Lasting Sunscreen good?
It scores 68.1/100, a mid-tier result. It offers good protection and a lightweight balanced finish, though the older filter set and moderate cast keep it from rating higher.
Is it mineral or chemical?
It is a hybrid, combining mineral Zinc Oxide with chemical Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate and Homosalate.