Alba Botanica Sheer Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, Broad Spectrum SPF 50, Fragrance Free, 3 fl oz (Packaging May Vary)

Light white cast, blends well
I was recently influenced that I should be using mineral sunscreens to protect the environment as well as my skin from UV rays, so I’ve been on a search for the perfect mineral sunscreen. I saw online that it’s difficult to find a sunscreen without white cast in the states, but I think this Alba lotion is as close as I’ve gotten. The body and face lotion is a little thicker than the lotion marketed as just for the face. The body lotion blends out easily, but there is a light white cast. I used baby oil mixed with my bronzer over the top after it had set in, and it’s indistinguishable from a natural skin tone now (and a shimmer bronzer just looks good in the sun). One thing is that the picture in the listing says spf 50, but the one I received is spf 45. (but I was seriously using spf 15 with mica shimmer added for the last 20 years of my life, so I think I’m going to be fine with spf 45)I tried the cetaphil mineral face and body lotion, and it left a white cast. I tried the aveeno mineral face and body sunscreen and it was even more white and chalky. It made me feel scaly. I even tried the Oars and Alps mineral face and body lotion with jojoba oil, and that one left me with a white cast worse than all of them.For reference, I am pale, and I use self tan lotion, but these other mineral sunscreens made me look chalky. I also had my partner use all of these products, hopeful that they might work differently on other skintypes. I’m fair and acne prone, and my partner is darker in complexion with dry skin. I looked well blended compared to how ghostly he was. I was especially surprised because Oars and Alps was marketed toward outdoorsy men, and marketed as moisturizing with the jojoba oil. He and I both found the Oars + Alps products to be greasy, sticky, white, and transferable to clothes and anything else you touch. This alba lotion is in too small of packaging, and takes longer to apply than spray sunscreens, but it feels the best, looks the best, and especially I’m impressed with the face lotion.

Better now than before
I first bought this sunscreen in May 2022, and I got it again now, June 2024. The product is different now and some of the changes are noticeable in the pictures I’ve included: new look and shape to the bottle, weighs a bit less (great for TSA if you travel), the ingredients are slightly different. What you can’t see in the photos is that it definitely smells better than it did before and it goes on your skin clearer than it used to; it would make me look like a ghost before, whereas now, it just makes my face shiny. It feels kind of dry when you apply it, definitely non-greasy. It still holds up great while sweating and swimming. And it definitely does its job of protecting from sunburns.Overall, I’m happy with the changes they’ve made and I would recommend it to anyone looking for durable mineral sunscreen for sensitive skin.

Not Sheer, but is effective as sunscreen.
This sunscreen comes out white and leaves a white cast on your skin. With enough lather, you can maybe blend it to be less year, but then your skin is red from the friction of application.

Not my favorite
This is the strangest sunscreen I’ve purchased. I’ve used mineral-based sunscreens before, which come out thick and white, and take forever to rub in. This sunscreen does the same, but the white stays in place, and doesn’t rub in very well. It’s almost as if it separated and the oil rubs in but not the minerals. I don’t know how well it works either because I got very tan the day I used it, and I usually am white or red, nothing in-between.

Good product. Thanks.Great product. Thanks.

This product is terrible. Never buy this. It made my skin on my fingers peel and my face break out. I definitely do not recommend anyone with sensitive skin to purchase this despite the label of it being hypoallergenic. If I could, I would give it 0 stars.