Zinc, titanium and the prestige formulas worth carrying to the beach in a Florida summer: seven picks read from their Drug Facts labels, and a straight answer on reef safe.
We choose from published evidence: each maker's Drug Facts label as filed with the FDA, guidance from the FDA and the American Academy of Dermatology, the makers' own product pages and reputable coverage. Certifications and seals printed on a label are reported as the maker's claim unless we have confirmed them on the certifier's own records; for this edition we could not confirm any. We have not used or tested these products ourselves. This piece contains no affiliate links yet; when it does, they will be disclosed here. Sunscreen is an over-the-counter drug in the United States, and nothing here is medical advice. If you have sensitive skin or a skin condition, talk to your doctor or a board-certified dermatologist.
Last checked: October 19, 2026. Published: October 19, 2026. Updated: October 19, 2026.
Update, October 19, 2026: we rebuilt the picks around prestige skincare houses and kept one better-value pick. La Roche-Posay, Badger, Stream2Sea, Thinksport and Raw Elements left the list because of that change of focus, not because of any finding about them. Supergoop's PLAY 100% Mineral SPF 50 was replaced with its SPF 30 lotion, because we could not find the SPF 50 lotion on Supergoop's own site. Prices below are rounded, as listed by the named retailer in October 2026.
A Palm Beach summer asks more of a sunscreen than most places do. The FDA points out that the sun is stronger at midday and that solar intensity is greater closer to the equator, so someone closer to the equator may get more sun exposure in the same hour than someone farther north 1. Add an ocean swim, a set of tennis and a long lunch on the terrace, and the label on the bottle starts to matter, however beautiful the bottle.
This guide is about one kind of sunscreen: mineral, meaning its only active ingredients are zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or both 5. We looked first at the great skincare houses, read every candidate's Drug Facts label as the maker filed it with the FDA and as the U.S. National Library of Medicine publishes it on DailyMed, and kept those whose labels met the tests set out under "The picks." We report what the labels say, and, plainly, what mineral sunscreens do less well.
What the FDA has proposed. In 2019, and again in a 2021 proposed order, the FDA proposed that sunscreens containing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, at concentrations of up to 25 percent, are generally recognized as safe and effective. For twelve other active ingredients, the agency said the public record did not yet hold enough data and asked for more 2. The FDA is explicit that this is not a conclusion that those other ingredients are unsafe 2. The FDA's list of sunscreen active ingredients also grew in June 2026, when it added bemotrizinol 2.
What dermatologists say. The American Academy of Dermatology says dermatologists recommend mineral sunscreen, which it also calls physical sunscreen, for people with sensitive skin 5.
What the lab results say. Consumer Reports, which runs its own sunscreen tests on products bought off the shelf, has a blunt finding: "CR's testing has never found a mineral sunscreen that came in at the top of the ratings." It adds that some mineral sunscreens provide adequate SPF but not enough broad-spectrum protection, or the reverse, and that every sunscreen it currently recommends has chemical active ingredients 6. We take that seriously. Choosing mineral is a choice about ingredients, not a guarantee of more protection, and a higher price does not change that. If lab-tested performance is your only test, Consumer Reports' overall ratings point elsewhere.
Every sunscreen sold in the United States carries one, because sunscreens are regulated as drugs here 1. Five lines do most of the work.
"Broad Spectrum SPF." SPF measures sunburn protection and, the FDA says, primarily indicates protection from UVB. "Broad spectrum," in the FDA's words, means a sunscreen helps protect against UVA as well as UVB 1, and a label may say so only after the product passes the test set out in the FDA's rule 3. The AAD recommends broad spectrum, SPF 30 or higher 4. Products that are not broad spectrum, or are below SPF 15, must carry a warning on the label 1.
"Water Resistant (40 minutes)" or "(80 minutes)." Those are the only two water-resistance claims a US label may make, and the minutes come from a required test. "Waterproof," "sweatproof" and "sunblock" are, in the FDA's rule, false or misleading claims 3. For the beach, six of our seven picks carry "Water Resistant (80 minutes)" on the label artwork or panel text filed on DailyMed. The seventh, the Hampton Sun mist, does not: the label it filed carries no water-resistance claim, even though its directions mention 80 minutes of swimming or sweating and Hampton Sun's own page claims 80 minutes. Unless the can you buy says "Water Resistant (80 minutes)," do not count on it in the water (details in its entry).
Directions. A water-resistant label tells you to reapply after 40 or 80 minutes of swimming or sweating, immediately after towel drying, and at least every two hours 3. The FDA adds that an average adult needs at least one ounce to cover the body, "about the amount it takes to fill a shot glass," applied 15 minutes before going out 1. With a small luxury bottle, that ounce goes quickly; budget for it.
Babies. The FDA says sunscreen is not recommended for infants under six months old. It advises keeping infants out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., using protective clothing if they have to be in the sun, and asking a doctor before applying sunscreen to a child under six months. For children over six months, it says to use sunscreen as directed on the Drug Facts label 1.
Inactive ingredients. Everything that is not an active ingredient 1. This is where you will find fragrance, plant oils, preservatives and tints. A tinted mineral sunscreen may list titanium dioxide or iron oxides here as colorants; only the actives box counts toward its sun protection. The AAD notes that "sensitive skin" is not an FDA-defined term, but that such products generally avoid fragrance and the actives found in chemical sunscreens 5.
The date. If there is no expiration date, the FDA says to treat a sunscreen as expired three years after purchase 1.
A note on "non-nano." In the European Union, any cosmetic ingredient present as a nanomaterial must be followed by "(nano)" in the ingredient list 9. We found no equivalent requirement in the FDA's sunscreen labeling rule 3, so on an American bottle, "non-nano" is the maker's claim.
The words themselves. The AAD points out that the FDA has not defined "reef safe" for sunscreen 5. It is a marketing phrase, and we do not use it in our own voice.
Hawaii. Since January 1, 2021, Hawaii law has made it unlawful to sell or distribute sunscreen containing oxybenzone or octinoxate without a prescription 10. Maui County went further: from October 1, 2022, its ordinance allows only mineral sunscreens, based on zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, to be sold, distributed or used without a prescription, with exceptions set out in the ordinance 11.
Key West, and the rest of Florida. In February 2019, the Key West City Commission voted to ban the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone or octinoxate from January 1, 2021 12. Before that date arrived, the Florida Legislature passed SB 172, which bars local governments from regulating over-the-counter drugs and cosmetics, with Key West's ordinance as its target 1314, and the governor signed it 14. The preemption now sits in Florida's drug and cosmetic statute 15. As reported at the time, the effect is that Florida's cities and counties cannot restrict which sunscreens are sold 1314, even though Florida's Coral Reef runs from the Dry Tortugas north to the St. Lucie Inlet in Martin County, past the Palm Beach coast 16.
These are general summaries of public laws, drawn from the sources cited and current as of our last check. They are not legal advice, and laws change; if a rule matters to you, read the current text or ask the local authority.
What the science says, in the scientists' own words.
Our reading: mineral filters are what NOAA calls "a better option," and particle size matters to NOAA's list, which is why "non-nano" claims deserve a look. Third-party marks such as Protect Land + Sea, which its laboratory says it awards after testing a product for the chemicals on its own list 17, are only as good as their records, and none of our picks relies on one.
Our tests for a pick: only mineral actives, Broad Spectrum SPF 30 or higher, and 80 minutes of water resistance on the filed label or in its directions. Six picks carry "Water Resistant (80 minutes)" on the label; the Hampton Sun mist has 80-minute directions but no water-resistance claim, as explained in its entry. Every active ingredient, SPF and water-resistance figure below comes from the maker's Drug Facts label on DailyMed, dated in the sources, unless we say otherwise. Formulas and packaging change, so read the panel on the box you buy. Prices are rounded, as listed by the named retailer in October 2026; they change, so check before you buy. None of the seals printed on these labels has been confirmed on a certifier's own records; where a label carries one, it is the maker's word.
Why it earns a place. The highest SPF on our list, from the Japanese house, in a fragrance-free lotion for face and body. Allure named it the "Best Overall Mineral" sunscreen in its guide to sunscreens for dry skin and calls it a 2025 Allure Best of Beauty Award winner 20. Actives. Titanium dioxide 5.7 percent, zinc oxide 5.9 percent 18, the lowest mineral percentages among our picks. The SPF on a US label comes from the SPF test the FDA requires, not from the percentages 3. On the label. Broad Spectrum SPF 60+; Water Resistant (80 minutes), on the carton artwork filed on DailyMed, which also says "For All Skin Types Including Sensitive" and "No Fragrance" 18. Inactive ingredients. A silicone base (dimethicone, trisiloxane, diphenylsiloxy phenyl trimethicone) with glycerin, plant extracts including raspberry, hibiscus, witch hazel and aloe, algae extracts, sodium metabisulfite and phenoxyethanol; no fragrance listed 18. Read the box. The directions in the label's text section say to use a water-resistant sunscreen if swimming, while the carton filed with the same label says 80 minutes and gives 80-minute reapply directions 18; Shiseido's own page also says 80 minutes 19. Check that the box you buy says "Water Resistant (80 minutes)." The carton also carries a Skin Cancer Foundation seal; we could not confirm it on the Foundation's own records, so treat it as the maker's claim. Shiseido makes other Ultimate Sun Protector lotions with chemical filters, so look for "Mineral." Where to buy. Shiseido's US site 19. We did not confirm this formula at European retailers. Price. Around $52 for 150 mL (5 fl oz) and around $26 for 50 mL at Shiseido US as of October 2026 19. Who it suits. The reader who wants one elegant, fragrance-free bottle for face and body and the highest SPF among our picks.
Why it earns a place. An untinted mineral body lotion with 80 minutes of water resistance and no fragrance listed, in a generous 4-ounce tube, from a brand that says none of its products use chemical sunscreen filters 22. Actives. Zinc oxide 10 percent, according to Colorescience's product page, which calls it non-nano 22. The Drug Facts on file at DailyMed are a scanned carton on which the percentage is not legible; the legible panel says "All-mineral actives" 21. The label's product data on DailyMed lists zinc oxide, at 100 mg per mL, as the only active ingredient 21. That is a weight-per-volume figure and need not match the percentage printed on the box, so we report 10 percent as Colorescience's figure; read the actives line on the carton you buy. On the label. Broad Spectrum SPF 50; Water/Sweat Resistant (80 min), on the carton filed on DailyMed 21. Inactive ingredients. Water, emollient esters, jojoba seed oil, squalane, allantoin and bisabolol, with mica, tin oxide, titanium dioxide (CI 77891) and iron oxides (CI 77491) among the inactive ingredients, not the actives; no fragrance listed 22. The maker's claims. Colorescience also says the formula defends against pollution, blue light and infrared radiation 22. Those are not Drug Facts claims, and we do not repeat them as fact. Where to buy. Colorescience 22. We did not find it on the brand's UK body-sunscreen page and have not confirmed it at EU retailers. Price. Around $49 for 4 fl oz at Colorescience as of October 2026 22. Who it suits. Long beach days for anyone who wants a sheer, fragrance-free body lotion and is willing to pay for it.
Why it earns a place. The most zinc among our luxury picks, with 80 minutes of water resistance, in a tinted face formula. Allure named it the "Best Radiant Finish" in its dry-skin sunscreen guide and describes it as Best of Beauty Award-winning 20. Actives. Zinc oxide 24.5 percent, on the carton artwork filed on DailyMed 23. Kate Somerville calls it non-nano 24. On the label. Broad Spectrum Sunscreen, SPF 50+; Water Resistant (80 Minutes) 23. Inactive ingredients. A light alkane-and-oil base with ethyl macadamiate, ectoin and hydroxyectoin, plus fragrance, orange peel oil and iron oxides for the tint 23. Where to buy. Kate Somerville 24. In Europe, LOOKFANTASTIC lists it at around €45 as of October 2026, but it was out of stock on October 19, 2026 25. Price. Around $46 for 1.7 fl oz at Kate Somerville as of October 2026 24. Who it suits. A face sunscreen that doubles as a sheer tint for lunch on Worth Avenue. Skip it if you avoid fragrance or citrus oils.
Why it earns a place. The resort-town sun-care house from Southampton, New York 26, in a mineral spray for reapplying over shoulders and backs. Actives. Zinc oxide 19.5 percent, titanium dioxide 4 percent 26. Hampton Sun calls its zinc non-nano 27. On the label. Broad Spectrum, SPF 50, on the label artwork filed on DailyMed 26. No water-resistance claim. The label filed on DailyMed does not say "Water Resistant (40 minutes)" or "(80 minutes)" anywhere on its panel 26. Its directions do say to reapply after 80 minutes of swimming or sweating, and Hampton Sun's page claims 80 minutes of water and sweat resistance 2627, but on the label record we read, this is not a water-resistant sunscreen. If the can you buy does not say "Water Resistant (80 minutes)," treat it as not water resistant, and reapply after swimming, sweating or towel drying and at least every two hours. Inactive ingredients. Aloe leaf juice, jojoba esters, sodium hyaluronate, silicones, synthetic beeswax and vitamin E, plus fragrance (Hampton Sun's "Privet Bloom" scent) 2627. Read the can. It is an aerosol and the label marks it flammable. The directions say not to spray it into your face: spray it into your hands, then apply it to your face, in a well-ventilated area 26. Hampton Sun notes it may leave a cast on deeper skin tones 27. Where to buy. Hampton Sun 27. We did not check European retailers for it. Price. Around $38 for 5 oz at Hampton Sun as of October 2026 27. Who it suits. Quick reapplication on the terrace or the court, for anyone who likes a scented sunscreen. For swimming, choose one of the picks labeled "Water Resistant (80 minutes)."
Why it earns a place. A two-filter formula with no fragrance listed, built on silicones rather than oils and waxes. Actives. Zinc oxide 10 percent, titanium dioxide 5.5 percent 28. On the label. Broad Spectrum SPF 47; Water Resistant (80 minutes), on the carton artwork filed with the label 28. Inactive ingredients. Water, silicones (cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone), vitamin C ester and vitamin E, with potassium sorbate as preservative; no fragrance listed 28. The carton on file calls it fragrance-free 28. Where to buy. EltaMD 29. We did not find it at EU retailers. Price. Around $44 at EltaMD as of October 2026 29; the carton on file is 4 oz 28. Who it suits. Face and body, for anyone who would rather skip oils and scent. EltaMD makes other sunscreens that are not mineral-only, so check the actives.
Why it earns a place. The sun-care specialist's all-mineral body lotion, with 80 minutes of water resistance and no fragrance listed. Actives. Zinc oxide 16 percent 3031. On the label. Broad Spectrum SPF 30, the AAD's minimum 4; Water Resistant (80 minutes) 30. Inactive ingredients. Fatty alcohols and esters, jojoba esters, tucuma kernel oil, sea water, an algae extract (Haematococcus pluvialis) and vitamin E; no fragrance listed 31. Read the box. The label on file covers the 1 fl oz size 30; Supergoop's page gives the same zinc percentage for the 3.4 fl oz bottle 31. Supergoop's PLAY Everyday Lotion is a different product with chemical filters, so look for "Mineral." Where to buy. Supergoop 31. In Europe, LOOKFANTASTIC Germany lists the 30 mL size at around €17 as of October 2026; it was sold out on October 19, 2026 32. Price. Around $28 for 3.4 fl oz and around $16 for 1 fl oz at Supergoop as of October 2026 31. Who it suits. A family beach bag (for children over six months; see "Babies" above), with the caveat that SPF 30 is the lowest on our list.
Why it earns a place. Not a luxury house, and that is the point: both minerals, the full 80 minutes, no fragrance listed and the lowest price here. Fortune named it its best mineral sunscreen for outdoor activities 38. Actives. Titanium dioxide 8 percent, zinc oxide 10 percent 33. On the label. Broad Spectrum SPF 50; Water Resistant (80 minutes) 33. Inactive ingredients. A silicone-and-ester base with aloe leaf juice powder, candelilla wax, vitamin E, 1,2-hexanediol and hydroxyacetophenone; no fragrance listed 33. Read the box. A second current label for the same product name reads SPF 50+ and uses a different base, with beeswax and phenoxyethanol, and a cap that changes color in UV light 34. The actives are the same, and the barcode on Blue Lizard's 3 oz listing matches the product code on this second label 3437, so that may be the version you receive. Blue Lizard's Sport SPF 50 and one of its Kids SPF 50 lotions also have labels on file that add octisalate, a chemical filter 3536, so check the actives on any Blue Lizard you pick up. Where to buy. Blue Lizard 37. We did not find it at European retailers. Price. Around $15 for 3 oz at Blue Lizard as of October 2026 37. Who it suits. The extra bottle for the guest bath, the boat and the tennis bag.
We looked first at the prestige houses. For each, we read the US Drug Facts labels we could find on DailyMed against the tests under "The picks": only mineral actives, Broad Spectrum SPF 30 or higher, and 80 minutes of water resistance on the label or in its directions. None of the labels below met all three as of October 19, 2026. Leaving a product out is not a judgment of its quality or safety; it means the label record did not fit this guide. Formulas and labels change, and we will look again.
Sources checked 2026-10-19.
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