Zelens Daily Defence Mineral Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30
69/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Zelens Daily Defence Mineral Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30 is a pure mineral sunscreen using zinc oxide as its only filter. It wears with a balanced finish but has a high white cast and a medium heavy feel, and it is rated poor as a makeup base, so it shows more on the skin. It is rated low for both stinging and pore-clogging. With moderate protection and a score of 68.6/100, it is a middle-tier mineral option best for those who do not mind a visible cast.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Moderate
42
- +41 Zinc Oxide at #2, UV filter (UVA1 +18)
- +1 Label claims (SPF 30)
👻
White cast
High
30
- +100 Starting score
- −55 Zinc Oxide at #2
- −15 Pure mineral formula
🪨
Heavy feel
Medium
55
- +100 Starting score
- −40 Zinc Oxide at #2
- −5 Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil at #12, butter/occlusive fat
🔴
Comedogenic
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Isopropyl Palmitate at #30, heavy comedogenic ester
🍄
Fungal acne
Medium
59
- +100 Starting score
- −9 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Lecithin)
- −32 3 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Isopropyl Palmitate, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate)
- +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 #2, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
💧
Moisture
Hydrating
LightNourishing
- ← 5 Zinc Oxide at #2, mild sebum absorbent
- → 10 Glycerin at #5, the anchor humectant
- → 1 1 strong humectants (Sorbitol)
- → 4 Light emollient/solvent (Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride)
- → 0.5 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetearyl Alcohol)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 2 1 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Propylheptyl Caprylate)
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
- → 1 1 slippy emollient esters (Isopropyl Palmitate)
💄
Makeup base
Poor
PillsPrimer
- → 2 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 2 Occlusives/waxes float the foundation
- ← 3 Humectant syrup tackiness
- ← 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 (44)
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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1 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
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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
- 4 → nourishing light emollient
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 2 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
5 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 10 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
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Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
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Plant oil, an emollient
- ↑ 5 butter/occlusive fat
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Supporting ingredient
-
15 Lecithin
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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16 Dimethicone
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Supporting ingredient
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Botanical extract
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 2 heavy comedogenic ester
- 1 → dewy slippy emollient ester
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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31 Xanthan Gum
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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33 Tocopherol
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Botanical extract
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40 Maltodextrin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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41 Sorbitol
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant
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42 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
Does the Zelens mineral sunscreen leave a white cast?
Yes, it is rated high for white cast, so it can leave a visible film. It is also rated poor as a makeup base, which means it shows more on the skin.
Is the Zelens Daily Defence Mineral Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30 a mineral sunscreen?
Yes, it is a pure mineral sunscreen using zinc oxide as its only filter.
Is it a good sunscreen?
It is a middle-tier option with a score of 68.6/100 and moderate protection. It is best for those who do not mind a visible cast in exchange for an all-mineral formula.