'This $24 Mineral Sunscreen Actually Looks Invisible On My Tan Skin'
Sunscreen is rarely universally good. If you have a medium to dark skin tone (I'm deep tan myself), SPF can often leave behind a white cast that makes you look like a ghost. No amount of rubbing blends it in, and under the sun, your skin could end up appearing purple or grey. Not cute. It's no wonder the folks behind Cocokind spent three years formulating the clean brand's first sunblock, Daily SPF ($24, cocokind.com). And it was well worth the wait. Here's why I'm a fast fan:
It is transparent.
I mean this literally, in the way it dries down, but also because Cocokind lists the purpose of every ingredient in the SPF's label. As for the formula, the 21 percent zinc oxide SPF impressively melts onto my face and doesn't leave behind any whiteness whatsoever. It not only works for my tan skin, but darker tones as well (Cocokind also showed the sunscreen on multiple skin tones here). I like to use it as a last step in my daily morning skincare routine.
It leaves skin hydrated.
The creamy formula feels moisturizing as I slather it on, but neither sticky nor too thick like most other sunscreens I've tried. It contains aloe vera, a powerful ingredient known for soothing skin. It's also super lightweight–you forget you're wearing anything.
It's great for the indoor lifestyle.
As screen time has gone up in the age of social distancing, so has high-energy visible (HEV) light, aka blue light, emitted from our digital devices. Dermatologist Deanne Robinson, MD, told Women's Health that blue light can "prompt the formation of free radicals, which break down collagen and cause inflammation, leading to redness, dark spots, and wrinkles.” While sunscreens labeled "broad spectrum" should all block against blue light, Cocokind's particular formula is boosted with blue phytoplankton that contains a pigment called pycocyanin that blocks it, specifically.
It works well under makeup.
I'm not wearing a ton of makeup these days working from home, but I like that the sunscreen dries down a little tacky to better grip makeup. That's thanks to rice starch in the formula, which absorbs extra oil production. I have oily skin, but this quells it to look dewy, not greasy, so any product layered on top looks even more luminous.
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