Tropic Skin Shade Sun Cream
75/100 overall score
Sign in to see this product's score for your skin.
About this sunscreen
Tropic Skin Shade Sun Cream is a pure mineral sunscreen using zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. The finish is balanced with a medium feel and a medium chance of a faint white cast common to mineral filters. It does not sting and is low on pore-clogging, which is generally friendly for sensitive and acne-prone skin, and it works okay under makeup. With good protection and a score of 75.2/100, it is a solid everyday mineral cream.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Good
61
- +41 Zinc Oxide at #2, UV filter (UVA1 +18)
- +19.8 Titanium Dioxide at #16, UV filter (UVA1 +3)
👻
White cast
Medium
34
- +100 Starting score
- −55 Zinc Oxide at #2
- −6 Titanium Dioxide at #16
- −10 Zinc Oxide + Titanium Dioxide together
- −15 Pure mineral formula
- +8.6 PHSA dispersant, fights agglomeration
- +11.6 Coated minerals (Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Alumina)
🪨
Heavy feel
Medium
58
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Zinc Oxide at #2
- −2 Titanium Dioxide at #16
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
65
- +100 Starting score
- −9 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil)
- −24 1 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate)
- −2 1 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Stearic Acid), weak Malassezia signal
- +0 Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil at #8, jojoba wax ester, fungal-acne exception (not penalized)
👕
Fabric stains
Low
80
- +100 Starting score
- −15 Zinc Oxide at #2, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
- −5 Both minerals present, heavier deposit
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 3 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Nylon-11)
- ← 4 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- ← 5 Zinc Oxide at #2, mild sebum absorbent
- → 10 Glycerin at #6, the anchor humectant
- → 3 2 emollient lipids (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 3 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Nylon-11)
- ← 4 Volatile carriers flash off, leaving a dry finish
- → 4 2 emollient lipids (Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 3 Quick-setting carrier, fast, even canvas
- ← 1.5 Humectant syrup tackiness (partly offset by the base)
- ← 15 High mineral load at #2 greys under foundation
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance →Full ingredient list (30)
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.
-
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 ← 15 High mineral load greys under foundation
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- light ← 4 volatile carrier, flashes off
- matte ← 4 volatile carrier, flashes off
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 24 feeds malassezia
-
6 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 10 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Botanical extract
- 2 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 3 → dewy emollient lipid
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
10 Nylon-11
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
14 Stearic Acid
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 minor malassezia feeder
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 19.8 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Botanical extract
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
27 Alumina
Supporting ingredient
-
28 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
30 Phytic Acid
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
Is the Tropic Skin Shade Sun Cream mineral or chemical?
It is a pure mineral sunscreen, using zinc oxide and titanium dioxide with no chemical filters.
Does the Tropic Skin Shade Sun Cream leave a white cast?
The chance is medium. Mineral filters can leave a faint cast, so apply evenly and blend well.
Is it good for oily or acne-prone skin?
It is generally suitable. It is low on pore-clogging and does not sting, with a balanced finish that commonly works for most skin types.