Tinted Mineral Sunscreen | EltaMD UV Physical SPF 41, 3 oz

Description

EltaMD UV Physical SPF 41 is a tinted mineral sunscreen for the face. Its only active ingredients are 9% zinc oxide and 7% titanium dioxide, with no chemical filters at all. The light tint comes from iron oxides, which take care of the white cast mineral sunscreens are known for. It's fragrance-free, water-resistant for up to 40 minutes, and comes in a 3 oz tube.

It's the sunscreen we pick for pregnancy in Mindy's guide to pregnancy-safe skin care products, for two reasons.

Mineral-only, which is the easy call in pregnancy

The American Academy of Dermatology suggests a mineral sunscreen during pregnancy, meaning zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or both. Those two are also the only filters the FDA proposes to recognize as safe and effective. For the rest, including octinoxate, avobenzone and oxybenzone, the FDA says it needs more data, and it's careful to add that this doesn't make them unsafe. Any sunscreen beats none. But if you'd rather not think about it for nine months, a sunscreen with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide and nothing else settles the question.

The tint matters for melasma

Melasma, the patchy brown "mask of pregnancy" on the cheeks, forehead and upper lip, is driven by hormones and darkened by light. UV is part of it, but visible light plays a role too, and ordinary sunscreen filters don't block much visible light. Iron oxides do. That's why the AAD's melasma guidance says dermatologists often suggest a sunscreen with zinc oxide, titanium dioxide and iron oxide, and suggests a tinted sunscreen if a white cast keeps you from wearing one. UV Physical has all three.

Good to know

There's one shade. Amazon lists it for fair to medium skin. On very fair skin it can look slightly orange, and on deep skin tones it can look ashy, so it isn't the right tinted sunscreen for everyone. If the shade doesn't work for you, an untinted mineral sunscreen still covers the pregnancy question, just without the visible-light help for melasma.

It's thicker than a chemical sunscreen, as mineral formulas usually are. Smooth it in rather than rubbing hard, and reapply every two hours outdoors, or after 40 minutes of swimming or sweating.

Why women love it

• Mineral-only: 9% zinc oxide and 7% titanium dioxide, no chemical filters
• Tinted with iron oxides: no white cast, plus help against the visible light that darkens melasma
• Fragrance-free: useful when pregnancy has made you sensitive to scent
• Doubles as light coverage: evens out skin tone on days you skip foundation
• Water-resistant for 40 minutes: holds up on a walk in the heat
• SPF 41, broad spectrum: above the SPF 30 the AAD recommends

Best for

• Women who want a mineral-only sunscreen in pregnancy and don't want to read labels for nine months
• Anyone with melasma, or prone to it, where a tinted sunscreen does more than a sheer one
• Fair to medium skin tones, which the single shade suits best
• Days you want sunscreen and light coverage in one step
• Not ideal for very fair or deep skin. The one shade can look orange or ashy
• Not the pick if you want a sheer, untinted finish. EltaMD UV Clear is sheerer but contains octinoxate

Related reading

Mindy's guide to pregnancy-safe skin care products builds a five-step routine around this sunscreen and explains which ingredients to skip, from retinoids to hydroquinone. And her guide to 10 common pregnancy symptoms and how to relieve them covers the rest of what your body is doing.

Explore more

This sunscreen sits in our pregnancy-safe skincare collection, curated by Mindy Motta, FNP-C, inside pregnancy essentials for every trimester. If you'd rather have an untinted, sheerer formula and don't mind one chemical filter, EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46 is the brand's other bestseller.

A note from Mindy on melasma and sunscreen

Melasma is one of the pregnancy changes people find most upsetting, because it's on your face and nobody warns you about it. So here's the honest version.

Sunscreen is the treatment you have right now. Hydroquinone, the usual first-line cream, is generally avoided in pregnancy because so much of it absorbs through the skin. That leaves prevention, and prevention means sunscreen every single day, including cloudy days and days you're mostly indoors near a window. A tinted mineral sunscreen is the best version of that, because the iron oxides block light that plain sunscreen lets through. Add a wide-brimmed hat when you're outside for long.

Melasma often fades after delivery. Not always completely, and not fast, but for many women it lightens over the months after the baby arrives. If it doesn't, there are good treatments once you're done with pregnancy, and azelaic acid is one you can ask your provider about even now.

And please don't let the hunt for the perfect sunscreen stop you wearing one. If this shade doesn't suit you, the right answer is a different mineral sunscreen, not none.

Mindy Motta, FNP-C

FAQs

Is EltaMD UV Physical safe for pregnancy?

Yes, it's the type of sunscreen most often recommended in pregnancy. Its only active ingredients are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, the two filters the FDA proposes to recognize as safe and effective, and the American Academy of Dermatology suggests mineral sunscreens like this one while pregnant. It's also fragrance-free. As with any new product, check with your provider if you have a skin condition.

Is EltaMD UV Physical a mineral sunscreen?

Yes, it's mineral-only. The actives are 9% zinc oxide and 7% titanium dioxide, with no chemical filters such as octinoxate, avobenzone or oxybenzone. The tint comes from iron oxides, which are pigments rather than sunscreen actives.

EltaMD UV Physical vs UV Clear: which is better in pregnancy?

UV Physical, if you want to stay mineral-only. UV Clear SPF 46 contains 9% zinc oxide but also 7.5% octinoxate, a chemical filter the FDA says needs more data, though it hasn't called it unsafe. UV Clear is sheerer and untinted, so some people prefer how it wears. UV Physical is tinted, mineral-only and better suited to melasma.

Is tinted sunscreen better for melasma?

Usually, yes. Melasma is darkened by visible light as well as UV, and most sunscreen filters block very little visible light. The iron oxides that give tinted sunscreens their color do block it. The AAD notes dermatologists often suggest a sunscreen with zinc oxide, titanium dioxide and iron oxide for melasma, which is exactly this formula.

What sunscreen has zinc oxide and titanium dioxide?

EltaMD UV Physical SPF 41 contains both: 9% zinc oxide and 7% titanium dioxide. Using the two together is common in mineral sunscreens because they cover slightly different parts of the UV spectrum. This one also adds a tint, which hides the white cast titanium dioxide can leave.

Will the tint work on my skin tone?

It comes in one shade, listed for fair to medium skin. It blends well across that range, but it can look slightly orange on very fair skin and ashy on deep skin tones. If it doesn't match, choose another mineral sunscreen rather than skipping sunscreen.

Is EltaMD UV Physical water resistant?

Yes, for up to 40 minutes of swimming or sweating. Reapply after that, after towel drying, and at least every two hours when you're outdoors.

Can I wear it under makeup?

Yes. It works alone as light coverage or as a base under makeup. Let it set for a minute or two first so foundation doesn't pill on top of it.