I'm Fussy About SPF, But These Mineral Sunscreens Are Perfect for Sensitive Skin

The silky, featherlight texture of Kate Someville's newest SPF melts into skin, leaving a lit-from-within sheen. It layers beautifully under makeup, acting almost like a pearlescent primer as it shields your skin. Alongside the SPF 50+ protection, it contains ectoin to help soothe and moisturise the skin, plus it remains dewy and radiant from the initial application right through the day, so it's great for those with dry skin who favour a dewy glow. It doesn't leave a white cast, but has a subtle blurring quality to it that perfects your skin.

I've been recommending this SPF to everyone—it's criminally underrated. Innisfree’s mineral SPF 50 is a no-fuss, high-performance formula that feels anything but heavy. The finish is demi-matte—ideal for oily or combo skin types—and it wears like a dream beneath base products. Thanks to the eight different types of hyaluronic acid and centella asiatica, it's very hydrating (but never greasy) and soothes the skin as you wear it. It's a very reasonable price point, too. I've spoken to friends with deeper complexions who tell me this leaves zero white cast, too.

I love just about every SPF that Supergoop! comes out with, and the new Protec(tint) is no exception. This SPF-skincare-makeup hybrid offers buildable coverage thanks to the tinted formula, which comes in 14 inclusive shades—one of the broadest spectrums I've seen when it comes to tinted SPFs. It blends like a lightweight, sheer foundation but contains 100% mineral actives, making it sensitive skin-friendly. It gives your skin a hydrated, dewy look—like you’ve slept ten hours and drank three litres of water.

Tatcha’s The Silk Sunscreen is luxury in a bottle. True to its name, this SPF glides onto the skin with a texture so sumptuous, it feels like silk. With a weightless finish and a natural satiny glow, it sits beautifully on bare skin or beneath makeup as well. Infused with silk protein, it hydrates while it protects, making it particularly ideal for dry or mature skin types craving both hydration and efficacy. It's truly transparent, too, so there is no risk of a white cast with this SPF. It's expensive, but worth the money.

Ask any derm or skincare expert about their favourite SPF brands, and they’ll most definitely point to Heliocare. This oil-free gel version is worthy of the hype for a reason. It delivers broad-spectrum protection with zero white cast and a beautifully matte finish. It's oil-free, so it's ideal for acne-prone skin, helping to regulate sebum while shielding from UVA and UVB rays. The gel formula is what truly sets it apart from others, as it dries onto the skin to a matte finish that is dry to the touch, without a hint of sticky residue.

The latest launch from Ultra Violette is a mineral formula, and it's a really good one. It has a subtle tint that doesn't leave a white cast, but leaves skin looking a little more uniform while remaining virtually weightless on the skin. It dries down into a smooth matte finish and is simultaneously hydrating. It's also fragrance-free, so it's ideal for sensitive skin types. If you have oily or combination skin and don't want anything that feels so greasy or sticky, then this is a safe bet to try next.

Lightweight and hydrating, this lightweight SPF uses a mineral filter blend that plays well with all skin types. There are no frills with this texture, but it's the kind of daily SPF you can trust to do the heavy lifting under your makeup or on no-makeup days. It absorbs into the skin quickly without leaving a trace, but simultaneously offers just enough hydration to suit all skin types—it's a favourite of our beauty team.

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I've long been a fan of Beauty Pie’s SPFs, but this mineral sunscreen-meets-primer hybrid smooths, blurs, and preps your canvas while offering reliable sun defence—pretty impressive. It has a moisturising texture that won't clog your pores or pill underneath makeup, yet it offers just the right amount of hydration to keep your skin looking radiant. It also contains niacinamide to brighten the skin a blur pores, while Indian beech seed extract helps shield skin from environmental stress. 

City dwellers, this one’s for you. Murad’s City Skin SPF 50 is formulated with pollution-fighting power and blue light protection. It has a silky, hydrating texture that leaves the skin looking plumped, while he peachy tint helps neutralise dullness and evens out tone instantly—no ghostly cast in sight here. It’s ideal for anyone juggling long commutes, screen time, and city smog. It feels weightless and acts like skincare first, SPF second—which is exactly how I like it. My only qualm is the price tag, but it's worth the investment if you're picky about SPFs.

True to its K-beauty roots, this SPF is all about skin-first. Beauty of Joseon’s Daily Tinted Fluid offers sheer, skin-enhancing coverage with added sun protection, all in a breathable, milky texture. The finish is softly radiant, neither too dewy nor too matte. In fact, it actually helps to control sebum production to keep your skin looking balanced throughout the day. It's perfect for those days when you don't want to wear foundation, but still want a hint of coverage.

The Inkey List is every beauty insider's go-to for affordable yet effective skincare, and this SPF comes with glowing reviews. The dewy formula absorbs quickly and leaves skin looking plumped and hydrated. The polyglutamic formula makes this a hydrating choice for all skin types without feeling heavy or sticky—it makes a great primer for makeup.

"I love this SPF from Summer Fridays so much," says Who What Wear UK junior beauty editor, Grace Lindsay. "It sinks into the skin in seconds (it really does have a gorgeous milky texture) and feels so lightweight under makeup. Plus, it adds a natural glow to the complexion. Enriched with vitamins and antioxidants, it works to protect and defend the skin and shields it from UVA and UVB rays. The only downside for me is that I would prefer an SPF 50 formula, but apart from that, I couldn't recommend it enough."