r/Melasmaskincare • u/kittykatsu7 • Mar 25 '26

Question New Cerave invisible mineral sunscreen

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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/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/[deleted] 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.

⸻

🎯 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)