Our simplified guide to decoding any sunscreen label.
Sunscreen shopping shouldn't require a chemistry degree. But most labels are written for regulators, not for you. Once you know what to look for, the ingredient list stops being a wall of text and starts telling you exactly what you're putting on your skin — and why.
Here's our guide to reading any sunscreen label, from the SPF number to the fine print at the bottom.
I. SPF
This is the number everyone looks at first — and often the only one. But SPF only measures protection against UVB rays, and the gap between the numbers is smaller than the marketing suggests.
Expressed as a percentage, SPF30 blocks 97% of UVB rays, and SPF50 blocks 98%. That's a 1% difference. What actually determines your protection isn't the number on the bottle, it's how generously and how often you apply. A thin layer of SPF50 will always protect less than a proper layer of SPF30, reapplied through the day.
II. Filters: Mineral vs Chemical
Every sunscreen relies on filters to do the actual work of protecting your skin. There are two families, and they work in opposite ways.
Chemical filters absorb UV rays and convert them into heat, released from the skin. To do this, they need to penetrate the skin barrier — which is where irritation often starts, especially for sensitive or reactive skin.
Mineral filters, like zinc oxide, sit on top of the skin and reflect UV rays away, like a shield. No absorption, no chemical conversion, no penetration required. That's why mineral filters are the gentler choice for daily wear, for children, and for skin that reacts easily.
When you check a label, look at the active ingredients: is zinc oxide carrying the protection on its own, or is it propped up by a list of synthetic co-actives?
III. The Percentage That Actually Matters
This is the part most labels don't want you to look too closely at.
A sunscreen can call itself "mineral" while containing only a trace amount of zinc oxide — just enough to list it, not enough to protect. To hit the labeled SPF anyway, brands lean on synthetic SPF boosters: petrochemical ingredients added purely to inflate the number, not to care for your skin.
We formulate differently. Our Daily Mineral Sunscreen is built on 20% non-nano zinc oxide — a concentration high enough to provide real, standalone broad-spectrum protection, with zero petrochemical boosters doing the work zinc should be doing. What you see on the label is what's protecting you.
IV. Necessary Ingredients: Why Your Formula Isn't 100% Filter
No sunscreen is 100% active filter, and it shouldn't be. A stable, wearable formula needs a few structural ingredients to actually function on your skin:
Emulsifiers, which bind the water and oil phases of the formula together so it doesn't separate in the bottle or streak on your face.
Stabilizers, which keep the zinc oxide evenly suspended and the formula consistent from the first use to the last.
These aren't filler, and they're not something to be suspicious of — they're what turns a jar of raw zinc oxide into a sunscreen you'd actually want to wear. The distinction to look for is between necessary structural ingredients like these, and unnecessary synthetic boosters added only to cheat the SPF number.
V. Caring Ingredients: What's Left for Your Skin
Once the filter and the necessary structural ingredients are accounted for, what's left in the formula is where the real skincare happens.
We use that remaining space intentionally. Ectoin and betaine to support a healthy skin barrier. Hyaluronic acid to hold moisture in the skin. Organic rosehip seed extract, our multitasking, repairing signature ingredient, for lasting nourishment.
This is the difference between a sunscreen that merely protects, and one that protects and takes care of your skin while it's at it.
VI. Reading It All Together
Next time you flip a sunscreen to the back label, run through it in this order:
1. Is it mineral, chemical, or a mix — and does that match what your skin needs?
2. Is the mineral filter percentage high enough to work on its own, or is it being propped up?
3. Are there petrochemical SPF boosters hiding in the inactive ingredients?
4. What's left in the formula to actually take care of your skin?
A sunscreen label doesn't have to be a mystery. Once you know what you're looking for, it tells you almost everything you need to know.
Ready to see it in practice? Take our Skin Quiz to find your ideal morning routine, or go straight to the Daily Mineral Sunscreen.