Update: 1 Week of Using Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 as My Sunscreen!

I’m back with an update on Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50! I stopped using this sunscreen last year. I thought I would try it again after eliminating so many products from my routine. Also, I was looking for a sunscreen that’s purely zinc to add to my morning SPF routine. This one popped in my mind. It contains 21.6% Zinc Oxide. Awesome!

So this is the Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50. For more information on this product, go here. My experience with this sunscreen before wasn’t good. I had issues, such as the product being too thick, difficult to spread across the face and blend, breakouts, pilling, dry skin, and the sunscreen leaving a white cast behind. Since my skin is doing so much better now, I’ll take the risk and try it again. Here are my updated thoughts on the Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50!

My 1 Week Experience with Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50!

The sunscreen comes in a 2 fl. oz. (59 mL) bottle. On the box it says that it’s a broad spectrum sunscreen with SPF 50. I will only purchase sunscreens that are SPF 50 and above from now on unless it’s a product I really like. I’m on the pale side and much prefer high protection sunscreens to prevent burning and freckling. I’ve started to notice a huge difference in my skin after using SPF 50 and reapplying often throughout the day. I haven’t developed any new freckles. This sunscreen contains 100% mineral active (21.6% Zinc Oxide). It’s hypoallergenic, oil-free, and water-resistant (80 minutes).

How I applied the sunscreen.

This sunscreen has a strong chemical smell to it. At first, it was too much for me. I sneezed a few times after opening the bottle. I have a very sensitive nose. Fortunately, mid-week, it didn’t bother me as much anymore. I got used to it. Odd, I know, lol. When dispensed from the bottle, it’s a white creamy gel texture that feels soft and smooth yet sticky to touch. Honestly, this sunscreen was pretty difficult to apply to the skin for the first couple of days. To successfully apply this sunscreen, the key is to smooth the product out then pat it into the skin. I was using too much product at one point. It’s best to apply the sunscreen layer by layer to get even coverage that doesn’t look blotchy and messy on the skin. Also, while using this sunscreen, from my experience, it’s best to use it on clean skin without skin care products or very minimal, lightweight skin care products underneath. Nothing too moisturizing. It sticks better to the skin when there’s less, non-moisturizing skin care products underneath. I’ve gotten really nice results (easier application) eliminating products from my morning routine when using this sunscreen.

White cast? 👻

The sunscreen does have a white cast, but it’s not too bad like I thought it would be. All mineral sunscreens have somewhat of a white cast. This white cast has helped me get away with not wearing makeup because it sort of helps to even out the complexion, lol. So after about 10 minutes (around there), the white cast blends and sinks into the skin. But I wouldn’t recommend this sunscreen to individuals with richer, darker skin tones. The product is already difficult to blend into the skin as a pale person. On top of that, even if it blends into the skin, there’s still a slight white cast that’s noticeable. Remember, this sunscreen contains 21.6% Zinc Oxide. I have yet found a mineral sunscreen that doesn’t have a white cast.

It’s moisturizing. 🙂

Since the sunscreen has a silicone feel to it, it works decently well as a makeup primer. I tried applying makeup, and my makeup looked really smooth. It’s definitely not the best makeup primer out there due to the stickiness of the product, but it’s something. The stickiness of the sunscreen would make my hair stick to my face. But maybe it’s because it’s summer?? 🤔 It’s already super hot and humid out! This sunscreen feels very moisturizing on the skin too. I can just use this sunscreen without using a proper moisturizer underneath without drying my skin out. Even though it doesn’t dry the skin out, since it’s a mineral sunscreen, it can still accentuate dry patches on the skin. I’ve had my good days and my bad days with this sunscreen and dry patches.

Did it break me out?

As for breakouts, after a week of using this sunscreen, I didn’t break out in cysts or even small little pimples. But, I did notice some other acne-related issues like my pores filling up. I noticed more sebaceous filaments on my nose and other oily areas of my face like my forehead and mouth area. The sunscreen is on the thicker and heavier side. It leaves my skin looking very shiny and glossy rather than matte. Not ideal for my skin type, but that didn’t bother me too much if it didn’t cause acne. Unfortunately, it does cause some acne issues since my skin is very oily. Surprisingly, at the same time, I noticed that it helped to reduce the size of some blemishes. And it’s possibly due to the zinc oxide in this product. Zinc oxide is known to have anti-inflammatory properties and helps to promote healing in the skin. ✨ I think it’s the inactive ingredients that my skin has problems with.

How to remove the sunscreen.

It’s a water-resistant sunscreen. That’s a good thing, but this is one of the most difficult sunscreens I’ve had to remove from my skin. It truly does stick to the skin. I used an oil cleanser and micellar water to break down the sunscreen first. After that, I used The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser (still have it, gonna use it) to break down the sunscreen and oils even further. Next, I finish off with my main facial cleanser with a facial brush. That seems like a lot of steps, but it’s a must to remove all of the sunscreen, sebum, oils, dirt, and debris from the skin. That could be the reason why I haven’t had any breakouts like cysts from this sunscreen like I did before in the past. I made sure I removed every trace of the sunscreen product from my skin. For the sebaceous filaments, there’s not much I can do about it. I think it’s because this sunscreen is pretty occlusive on the skin. My skin just pumps out oil like no other, and it gets trapped underneath the sunscreen. It just builds up in my pores from there.

Final thoughts

It’s only been a week, but my experience so far with Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 has been OK. I thought I would get a massive breakout (mainly cysts) and itchy skin, but it’s been quite the opposite. It has actually helped heal some of my acne, so it’s not just a sunscreen. It’s also very beneficial for acne-prone skin! That only applies to big bumps on the skin like cysts. Sadly, I feel like this sunscreen is just too occlusive for me for everyday use. It definitely fills up my pores with gunk. I continued to use it to make sure I wasn’t seeing things, lol. My pores kept filling up over time. It was pretty much out of control. Other than that, this sunscreen left my skin feeling very moisturized. Since it’s occlusive, it seals moisture into the skin very well and leaving the skin feeling hydrated. I really wanted to like this sunscreen due to the high percentage of zinc, which does amazing things for my acne-prone skin, but I’m not sure what to think about it anymore after noticing more sebaceous filaments. I think I’m going to take a break from it for a while and see what happens.

Check out my current sunscreen — La Roche-Posay Anthelios Body & Face Mineral Sunscreen Gentle Lotion SPF 50. I took a break from it when I started using Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50. I guess I’m back to it now after this experience, lol.

Review: Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50

Here’s another sunscreen that I used earlier on this year! It’s Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50! I was searching for a sunscreen that was a physical sunscreen and stumbled upon this one. This sunscreen contains 21.6% Zinc Oxide. It says it’s a gentle formula that protects the skin against UVB and UVA rays. Good for sensitive skin, fragrance-free, paraben-free, phthalates-free, hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, oil-free, won’t sting eyes, water-resistant (80 minutes), and doesn’t contain irritating chemicals. It’s specifically formulated for the face. Contains antioxidants and layers invisibly underneath makeup. Easy to apply with a lightweight, non-greasy finish. The product claims sound really good. Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 had really good reviews too. I thought I would give it a try to see if it works or not. Here’s my experience with this sunscreen!

My experience

This sunscreen is very thick. It looks and feels like a thick, white paste. Goopy in texture. Neutrogena claims that this product is easy to apply to the skin. It’s far from the truth. It was very difficult to apply. The sunscreen just doesn’t blend into the skin. It was so hard to move it across the facial skin. Patting it into the skin didn’t work too well either. It took so much time to apply this sunscreen in the morning. What a waste of time! So, the application wasn’t pleasant. The product is labeled sheer, but it’s definitely not sheer at all. lol. It left a horrible white cast on my face. At first, it wasn’t a big issue, since I’m not that tan, but it became very annoying since I didn’t like the whiteness that it left behind on my face. I wanted something that blends into my skin and looks natural on my skin. This sunscreen didn’t give me that. It was just a terrible sunscreen.

The first day of using this sunscreen was mostly disastrous, but there were a few pros to this sunscreen. It left my skin matte and less oily. Since I have oily skin, this was a good thing. It also helped dry up some pimples. I didn’t get any breakouts on the first day. The next day, I had issues with it. The product pilled under my eyes. It dried out my skin. My skin felt extremely dry. I noticed dry patches on my chin. After I removed the sunscreen thoroughly (cleansing oil, micellar water, face wash with facial brush), I noticed closed comedones on my forehead, chin, and on the sides of my face. They left marks behind too. So let’s take a look at what’s in this sunscreen…

It’s pretty heavy in silicones and some wax. It contains some antioxidants. It’s nothing out of the ordinary or special. I’m not too fond with the ingredients, especially the silicones. I can use products with a little bit of silicone, but this product was just too dense and heavy on the skin. It felt like the sunscreen just sat on my skin and trapped sebum within my pores, which can lead to breakouts! And it did! It makes a really good makeup primer though! My makeup went on silky smooth, and my skin looked smoother. But it’s not worth it. It clogs my pores! I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone with acne skin.

Pros & Cons

✅ Pros

• Contain 21.6% Zinc Oxide
• Affordable
• Works as a makeup primer

❌ Cons

• White cast. Looks like a mask, lol.
• Too thick in texture
• It’s not easy to apply
• Tugs at the skin when applying
• Feels like silicones
• Breakouts
• Dries the skin out
• Pills

Conclusion

I didn’t like this sunscreen. It’s way too thick, pore-clogging, too many silicones. There’s absolutely nothing special about the antioxidants in this product. It’s so overhyped because it contains zinc oxide to protect the skin from UVA and UVB rays. There are other sunscreens that do the same without making the skin look terrible. This was just a horrible sunscreen. I wouldn’t recommend it. Save your money.

Go here for more reviews on Neutrogena skin care products

Go here for more reviews on sunscreens

Review: Neutrogena Sport Face Oil-Free Lotion Sunscreen SPF 70+

Hey everyone! I’m back with another review on another sunscreen. This time it’s Neutrogena Sport Face Oil-Free Lotion Sunscreen SPF 70+! I’ve used this sunscreen before in the past. I thought I would give it another shot again. It could work out this time. Who knows. This is a sport sunscreen. It’s sweat and water-resistant (80 minutes). It’s oil-free, broad spectrum SPF 70+ (Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10%), formulated with helioplex, oxybenzone-free, and won’t clog pores. Oh, really? That sounds pretty good, but I don’t know. It didn’t work for me in the past (obviously). If it did, I would still be using it. haha. But it’s not going to hurt to give it another chance again. The high SPF in this sunscreen is very attractive. I’ve been using SPF 50 sunscreens, and my skin isn’t burning or freckling as much anymore. The change is very noticeable. I would like to improve and maintain the results I have too. But before I purchased this product, I checked the ingredients. The ingredients in this product is not the same as before (in the past). I glanced over the ingredients online beforehand, and it said that it contains these ingredients:

Saccharomyces/Calcium Ferment, Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment, Saccharomyces/Potassium Ferment, Saccharomyces/Sea Salt Ferment, Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment

Umm, fermented ingredients. And I know how my skin reacts terribly to fermented ingredients. Like Benton Fermentation Essence & Dear Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop 👈🏻 Don’t forget to check out my reviews on these skin care products!

Apparently, that’s the old ingredient list. The new version does not contain fermented ingredients. The actual ingredients of this product is listed on the official Neutrogena website, which matches the ingredient list on the product I have. I’m very happy that there’s no fermented ingredients in the new version! I was a bit worried about it at first. It would have prevented me from using it. Since everything is good ingredient-wise (I hope), I proceeded to use the product. This is what happened…

My experience

This product comes out the tube very nicely. I love dispensing it, haha. It comes out easily and smoothly. It’s not messy at all. It comes out very clean. I have a couple of sunscreens where the cap gets super messy with product each time I use it. It’s just not a pleasant sight. The product itself is soft, and it feels (and smells) like your typical sunscreen. Mmm, chemicals. It glides on the skin nicely and smoothly. It’s very easy to apply to the skin. It just glides over the skin effortlessly. But it does make the skin look a bit shiny after application. I didn’t mind this, since it settled into the skin after a few minutes leaving my skin looking smoother than before. This is coming from someone with excessive oily skin. Honestly, it didn’t bother me at all that it made my skin a bit shiny, lol. As long as it works, right? The sunscreen feels like it sticks to the skin pretty well without budging. So where I applied the sunscreen, it stayed put. It didn’t run or pill. I actually liked that. But, all good things must come to an end. On to the bad parts…yeah…I know…

After a day of using this sunscreen, yes a single day (lol), I noticed clogged pores. I scanned the list of ingredients once again. It says beeswax. Yep, I think that’s the culprit. It must be the beeswax. I try to avoid beeswax as much as possible, but I had hope for this sunscreen because it contains SPF 70+!! So it looks like this sunscreen is too occlusive for my skin. It traps oil, bacteria, dirt, debris into my pores and makes me break out. Also, I think it’s because it’s sweat and water-resistant too. It sticks to my skin too well. My skin needs to feel free and can only tolerate lightweight sunscreens and other skin care products that aren’t too heavy on my skin most of the time. Well! I really wanted this sunscreen to work. It didn’t work as I had hoped for. It contains SPF 70+. No oxybenzone. Oil-free. Is sweat and water-resistant. Formulated with helioplex. Won’t clog pores? Boooo, it actually did. It didn’t work on my oily, clog-prone skin. I’ll use the rest of it on my body but not my face. My face hates it, apparently.

This is what Neutrogena Sport Face Oil-Free Lotion Sunscreen SPF 70+ looks like. I loved the texture of this sunscreen so much! It’s tamed! It’s soft, creamy, and feels smooth on the facial skin. I enjoyed applying it to my face, but my face rejected it. ha!

Pros & Cons

✅ Pros

• Contains SPF 70+ (Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10%)
• Sweat and water resistant (80 minutes)
• Doesn’t contain oxybenzone
• Sticks to the skin very well
• Soft and smooth texture
• Glides on the skin very nicely
• Nice packaging. Product comes out smooth and clean.
• Affordable
• Comes in a 2.5 fl. oz. tube

❌ Cons

• Too occlusive for oily, acne-prone skin. Clogs pores.
• Leaves the skin looking a bit shiny. It didn’t bother me much, but I’m sure most people would not like it.

Conclusion

Another sunscreen down. If it didn’t work in the past, it’s not going to work now. Even with the new ingredients, my skin didn’t like it either. haha. Neutrogena Sport Face Oil-Free Lotion Sunscreen SPF 70+ goes straight to my body. This sunscreen had a lot of good benefits, but it just had to feel too occlusive on my skin. I can’t imagine reapplying this sunscreen throughout the day. All of that oil on my skin plus bacteria and gunk from the day being trapped in my pores. Ugh, breakouts! I don’t think this is a bad sunscreen. I think it’ll work better for people without any skin issues like acne. This isn’t something I would purchase again even though I’m using the rest on my body. The bottle is only 2.5 fl. oz. It’s more of a facial sunscreen than a body sunscreen. It’s just too expensive for the body alone for that size. Well, it’s time to move on to something new…

For more reviews on Neutrogena skin care products go here.

For more reviews on sunscreens go here.