‘I'm a beauty editor with sensitive skin and these five mineral SPFs won't break you out’

ok.co.uk:

I know this is beauty sacrilege but I have to admit that, up until the past year or two, I avoided using SPF creams on my face.

I used skincare with SPF in (I’m not a maniac), but chemical sun cream formulas never suited my fussy, sensitive skin. We all know how important it is to be wearing a high factor, targeted sunscreen daily to avoid sun damage and premature ageing, so I made it my mission to go on a hunt for a formula that didn’t cause my skin to go red and break out in tiny spots – something that happened so often after a day spent wearing a chemical SPF.

If you also find many formulas irritate your skin, there’s a reason why this can happen to those of us with more sensitive complexions: chemical (or synthetic) suncreams are designed to be absorbed into your skin, meaning potentially irritating ingredients like preservatives, fragrances, and emollients are also absorbed.

See, it’s usually not actually the UV filters we’re reacting to, it’s those added extras. A mineral, also known as a physical, SPF formula, on the other hand, sits on the skin without being absorbed.