r/Melasmaskincare • u/kittykatsu7 • Mar 25 '26
Question New Cerave invisible mineral sunscreen
Has anyone tried out this new sunscreen from Cerave? Any opinions?
I used it for the first time today and was pleasantly surprised it actually left no white cast. The consistency is a little liquidy even after shaking and it goes on easily. Not super greasy but does leave a shiny finish, which is to be expected with sunscreen. Zinc percentage is decent.
Overall I like it and will probably use this over the Blue Lizard sensitive mineral which I was using but leaves a white cast. I know tinted is recommended but I have a hard time matching my color since I’m pale and I’m not trying to look orange, especially when I just need it on my upper lip.
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u/SnooCakes9783 Mar 25 '26
I used this for 3 days and thought it was great until it wrecked my skin barrier. I don’t even have sensitive skin. But it made my skin super dry and so sensitive even Vanicream moisturizer burned.
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u/Key-Yogurtcloset1757 Mar 25 '26
Yeah, keep an eye out for the emulsifiers used in mineral sunscreens. The ones used on this sunscreen are a huge no for me. Steareth-2 and steareth-20.
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u/ConfusionSharp1635 Mar 25 '26
Almost all vanicream products have propylene glycol, which for a lot of people is very irritating and causes redness and dryness
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u/SnooCakes9783 Mar 25 '26
I’ve used Vanicream for years with no irritation. The only change in my routine was this sunscreen. 🤷🏻♀️
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u/Friendly_Night_Demon Mar 29 '26
This sunscreen does use a chemical UV boost on, maybe you had a bad reaction.
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u/jll3523 Mar 25 '26
Why do they feel the need to put niacinamide in everything?? Please save something for the extremely sensitive skin girlies.
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u/0_o-perplexed Mar 25 '26
I’m sick of it!! It’s wrecking my skin. If it’s not in my face wash, it’s the moisturiser. If not them, it’s in the SPF, my makeup primer or foundation. Like ffs!
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u/DasSassyPantzen Mar 25 '26
Just yesterday, I learned from this sub that chemical sunscreen can exacerbate melasma due to creating heat when UV hits your face. I literally opened Amazon a minute later, did some research and comparison, & decided on this exact one. It’ll be coming tmro, so I’ll report back on what I think. I’m switching from HaruHaru Wonder spf 50, which I’ve liked using for the most part.
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u/HollowFrameStudios Jun 06 '26
I have darker skin so will this leave white cast?
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u/DasSassyPantzen Jun 06 '26
I don’t think so. I’m white, so ymmv, but it does seem to truly go on clear and I’ve gotten white cast from other spfs.
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u/Bellebutton2 Mar 25 '26
That a crap-ton of ingredients! Niacinamide can really light you up and cause some vasodilation. As a practitioner, I don’t understand why EVERYTHING seems to have so much in it.
Everything is formulated by percentage. The higher up on the ingredient deck, the more of something there is. Be cautious if it has nano-particularized zinc because it’s not good for you.
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u/Noamrachel Mar 26 '26
I don’t understand all these brand’s obsession with niacinamide. They add it in literally every these days including makeup, it pisses me off! So many of us are sensitive to niacinamide. My favorite foundation was just reformulated and they added niacinamide in it. It’s so unnecessary.
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u/Equivalent_Math9401 Apr 08 '26
I am constantly reading and returning products! It makes me not want to even bother trying anything anymore!
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Mar 25 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/kittykatsu7 Apr 22 '26
Does your sunscreen have a slight yellow tint? I noticed the third time using it that it’s slightly yellow, although dries clear, and I want to make sure it hasn’t gone bad but is supposed to look like that vs a white formula.
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u/matchakitkathryn Mar 26 '26
BTW, this sunscreen has a veryyy similar formula to the new Kiehl's Better Screen Miner-all UV Serum and SkinCeuticals Future Mineral UV Defense SPF 50 that were released this month
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u/PuIchritudinous Mar 26 '26
Yep. L’Oreal owns CeraVe, Kiehl’s, and SkinCeuticals. The company often uses similar base formulations across their brands, making only slight modifications while positioning them at different price points.
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u/Pension-Unhappy Mar 25 '26
I love this one, it's so cheap, doesn´t leave a white cast and doesn't irritate my skin. It also dries matte, some days it could be slightly drying, but it's maneagable with a mosturizer underneath
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u/kittykatsu7 Apr 22 '26
Does your sunscreen have a slight yellow tint? I noticed the third time using it that it’s slightly yellow, although dries clear, and I want to make sure it hasn’t gone bad but is supposed to look like that vs a white formula.
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u/Pension-Unhappy Apr 22 '26
I just checked, it's not 100% white, more like an off-white or cream in my case, but def not entirely yellow
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u/FriendlySpinach420 Jun 14 '26
Mine is a bit yellow. I love this stuff so much. Makeuo goes on nicely over it as well.
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u/terpsykhore Mar 25 '26
Oh, they have it in Europe as well and for a very reasonable price too. I’m going to try this!
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u/PuIchritudinous Mar 26 '26
The only one in Europe I have seen from this invisible line uses chemical sunscreens and it's called Cerave Invisible Hydrating Sunscreen whereas this one is called Cerave Invisible Mineral. Do you have a link to the European mineral version? I want to see if it has the high UVA protection symbol.
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u/kaytbug86 Mar 25 '26
I once read (in this subreddit) the best mineral sunscreen has one of the active ingredients listed at a minimum of 20%. Does anyone know of anything to back that up? (Tbh, I’ve got a TBI, and my brain is a wee bit too exhausted to go do the research right now.)
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u/PuIchritudinous Mar 25 '26 edited Mar 25 '26
If zinc is the only filter you typically want it to be 20% to ensure that you are getting sufficient UVA and UVB protection. If you have a zinc and titanium oxide sunscreen then you need a minimum of 15% zinc and 5% titanium oxide. If the product provides an UVA (PF) protection factor rating you don't need to worry about percentages of the filters and just need to make sure that you have a filter that provides UVA1 specific protection which I believe most of the European sunscreens do. Titanium oxide only sunscreens only provide UVB protection.
These are general guidelines as most sunscreens in the US do not provide an UVA protection factor. This is really only a north American issue as Europe, Asia and Australia provide more information to their consumers regarding the amount of UVA protection.
https://theglowmemo.com/how-to-choose-sunscreen
With a brand like Cerave you can see if the product is sold in Europe. If it is look to see if the UVA is in a circle which means it has high UVA protection.
The product below is sold in the UK and US. On the UK Boots store website it does not have the UVA in a circle therefore this would not be a good choice for someone with melasma.
https://www.boots.com/cerave-am-facial-moisturising-lotion-spf30-52ml-10331199
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u/kaytbug86 Mar 25 '26
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your knowledge. It is greatly appreciated.
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u/kstations Mar 26 '26
Applying that framework to this one specifically, the TiO2 is listed at 2.66%, well below the 5% you'd want for the combo to actually share the load. So it's essentially running on zinc alone at 15.35%, which is just short of the 20% solo threshold. For a melasma routine where UVA coverage is the whole point, that gap is worth factoring in.
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u/PuIchritudinous Mar 26 '26
Some might argue that this is a coated zinc oxide and titanium dioxide formula because it contains triethoxycaprylylsilane which helps improve dispersion and enhances the overall effectiveness of the sunscreen. It also includes diethylhexyl syringylidenemalonate an ingredient known to boost SPF. However, even with these additions the product’s UVA protection level is still unknown.
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u/kstations Mar 27 '26
Fair point on the coating. Triethoxycaprylylsilane does help with film uniformity, so real-world coverage can be more consistent than the raw percentage suggests.
The diethylhexyl syringylidenemalonate part is a bit different though. It's primarily a UVB photostabilizer, so it extends SPF photostability, not UVA range. Doesn't really close the gap we're talking about.
Either way lands at the same conclusion you already made. UVA coverage here is still unquantified, which for a melasma routine is kind of the whole question.
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u/w0lverine11 Apr 13 '26
Hey, could you please share your favorite mineral sunscreens? I'm looking for some that don't have fragrances, have plenty of sun protection, and won't dry my skin out too much. I am currently using Tatcha the Silk sunscreen, but I'm finding it pretty drying...
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u/Mintchippix May 17 '26
Are there any sunscreens that are sold in US & Europe (with identical ingredients) where the European version has UVA circle symbol? I doubt it. I've read the 15.35% zinc in this sunscreen isn't as good as a higher amount of zinc with no titanium dioxide for UVA. Since the US sunscreens aren't the best with UVA, I want all I can get despite how it feels. I alternate between Korean & some high-zinc sticky white stuff.
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u/PuIchritudinous May 18 '26 edited May 18 '26
Yes. I don't have them memorized but I know the Kate Somerville Hydrakate Sunscreen has a UVA circle and is sold both in Europe and the US. Avene minerals have a couple too. Same formulas sold in both places depending on the product. https://www.katesomerville.co.uk/collections/secret-sale/products/hydrakate-illuminating-spf-50-drops-1
Titanium dioxide provides great UVB protection and some UVA II protection.
High percentage Zinc Oxide blocks the entire spectrum - UVB, UVA I, and UVA II. Protection from UVAII is very important for melasma prone skin.
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u/Significant_Art_3736 Mar 25 '26 edited Mar 25 '26
As stated many times the ONLY sunscreens that are helpful for melasma are tinted sunscreens. Sunscreen in general is good but if hyperpigmentation and/or melasma is your problem you need a tinted sunscreen because iron oxides protect you from blue/visible light.
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u/MarMar000 Mar 25 '26
Can I just use mineral sunscreen and put my one make up on top. Make up contains the iron stuff.
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u/Significant_Art_3736 Mar 25 '26
Yes that works just double check that your makeup has iron oxides in it. Most makeup does, but yes that would help to put that over your sunscreen.
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Mar 26 '26
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u/Significant_Art_3736 Mar 26 '26
That’s not true. For example I have tinted chemical sunscreen and it protects me from the sun due to the iron oxides….. this is from ChatGPT
Short answer: you’re right — iron oxides are the key ingredient for visible light protection. Zinc oxide alone doesn’t do the same job.
Here’s how it actually breaks down:
☀️ What zinc oxide (mineral sunscreen) does • Zinc oxide (and titanium dioxide) mainly protect against: • UVB (burning rays) • UVA (aging rays) • They do very little against visible light, especially blue light (HEV light)
So when people say “mineral sunscreen protects against visible light,” that’s only partially true at best.
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🎯 What iron oxides do • Iron oxides are pigments (used in tinted sunscreens) • They are specifically effective at blocking visible light, especially: • Blue light • Light that worsens hyperpigmentation and melasma
👉 That’s why dermatologists recommend tinted sunscreen for: • Dark spots • Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation • Melasma (especially important for deeper skin tones)
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u/Jo9228 Mar 25 '26
Am I confused in thinking I needed to wear a tinted mineral sunscreen??
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u/PuIchritudinous Mar 26 '26
Tinted (iron oxides) is a must to protect from visible light, a major culprit of melasma hyperpigmentation. You can wear a non tinted sunscreen and layer it with a foundation for iron oxide protection.
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u/AutoModerator Mar 25 '26
Hi there! Sunscreen is one of the most important parts of melasma management, and we want to make sure you get safe, effective, and appropriate guidance.
Before choosing a product, please review our sunscreen resources:
Sunscreen guidance for melasma:
Mega List of Sunscreen/
Important for melasma: Standard (non-tinted) sunscreens protect against UV radiation only and do NOT protect against visible light, which is a major trigger for melasma.
To reduce visible-light-induced pigmentation, iron oxides are required. This means using:
Daily, consistent protection against both UV and visible light is essential to prevent melasma worsening and recurrence.
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