Sun Zapper Pure Zinc Natural Sun Cream SPF 50 Reef Safe & Non Nano Zinc Oxide Sunscreen
69/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Sun Zapper Pure Zinc Natural Sun Cream is a pure mineral SPF 50 sunscreen built on non-nano Zinc Oxide and marketed as reef safe. It keeps white cast low for a zinc product but wears heavy with a dewy finish, and it generally does not sting the eyes. It is a poor makeup base, so it suits outdoor and water use over wear under cosmetics. With a 69.4/100 score and moderate protection, it is a rugged mineral pick for active sun exposure.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Moderate
43
- +41 Zinc Oxide at #1, UV filter (UVA1 +18)
- +2 Label claims (SPF 50)
👻
White cast
Low
69
- +100 Starting score
- −55 Zinc Oxide, 25% declared
- −15 Pure mineral formula (25% total declared)
- +35 Iron-oxide undertone, partial masking
- +3.5 PHSA dispersant, fights agglomeration
🪨
Heavy feel
High
30
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Zinc Oxide, 25% declared
- −12 Cera Alba at #4, wax film
- −18 Mineral suspended in a dense emollient base (strong)
🍄
Fungal acne
High
30
- +100 Starting score
- −36 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil)
- −24 1 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate)
- −10 2 different Malassezia-feeding families high in the list
- +0 Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil at #15, jojoba wax ester, fungal-acne exception (not penalized)
👕
Fabric stains
Medium
45
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Iron-oxide pigments at #26, makeup-like collar marks (washable)
- −15 Zinc Oxide at #1, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
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Moisture
Hydrating
LightNourishing
- ← 5 Zinc Oxide at #1, mild sebum absorbent
- → 4 Glycerin at #9, the anchor humectant
- → 2 Sodium Hyaluronate at #18, hyaluronic family
- → 7 2 emollient lipids (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil)
✨
Finish
Dewy
MatteDewy
- → 10 2 emollient lipids (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil)
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Makeup base
Poor
PillsPrimer
- ← 8 Occlusives/waxes float the foundation
- ← 7.5 High mineral load at #1 greys under foundation (tinted)
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
- +7 1 water-locking waxes
Full ingredient list (28)
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)
- ↑ 55 25% declared
- ↑ 40 25% declared
- ↑ 15 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- light ← 5 mild sebum absorbent
- pills ← 7.5 High mineral load greys under foundation (tinted)
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Botanical extract
- 6 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 9 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 36 feeds malassezia
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3 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin
- ↑ 12 wax film
- ↑ 7 wax water lock
-
Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 24 feeds malassezia
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
9 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 4 → nourishing the anchor humectant
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
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Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
12 Maltodextrin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
13 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
14 Vanillin
Supporting ingredient
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Botanical extract
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
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Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 2 → nourishing hyaluronic family
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19 Bisabolol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Botanical extract
-
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
22 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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Plant oil, an emollient
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
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26 Ci 77491
Colorant or pigment
- ↑ 40 makeup-like collar marks (washable)
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27 Ci 77492
Colorant or pigment
-
28 Ci 77499
Colorant or pigment
Does Sun Zapper Pure Zinc SPF 50 leave a white cast?
White cast is low for a zinc product. It uses non-nano Zinc Oxide and wears with a dewy finish, though the texture is on the heavy side.
Is the Sun Zapper Pure Zinc Natural Sun Cream SPF 50 Reef Safe & Non Nano Zinc Oxide Sunscreen mineral or chemical?
It is fully mineral. The only UV filter is non-nano Zinc Oxide, and it is marketed as reef safe.
Does it work under makeup?
Not really. It rates as a poor makeup base, so it suits outdoor, beach, and water use rather than wear under cosmetics.