Mineral SPF White Cast in Melanated Skin: Our Skincare Agony Aunt Weighs in on This Frustrating Issue

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Main image – Valbarstudio/Stocksy

Dr Sonia Khorana is a GP with a special interest in dermatology and Live That Glow’s own skincare agony aunt. She is passionate about helping people feel confident in their own skin. In this month’s column, she advises about the frustrating issue of mineral SPF white cast on deeper skin tones.

I’m a POC and I have really sensitive skin. I keep seeing that mineral SPF formulas can never truly be invisible on deeper tones but I’m worried a chemical formula will irritate my rosacea. Is there anything I can do or do I always just have to put up with having a bit of white cast from my mineral formula?

Dr Sonia says:

This is a valid and frustrating question that many people with deeper skin tones and sensitive skin face. You don’t have to settle for a white cast or rosacea flare ups, but it does take some careful product selection and realistic expectations.

I’d recommend:

Looking for tinted mineral sunscreens. These formulas often use iron oxides, which not only counteract the white cast but also help protect against visible light – which is a bonus for hyperpigmentation.
You can also look for hybrid sunscreens – these combine low concentrations of chemical filters with mineral ones which can sometimes make these tolerable for sensitive skin.

Try to find brands with different shade ranges or ones labeled “universal tint” that have been tested on deeper skin tones.

I would advise avoiding high concentrations of fragrance or alcohol in chemical SPFs – they can often worsen rosacea. Also try and skip matte mineral sunscreens without tint as these do give you an awful white cast.

Some of my favourite sunscreens (tinted ones included) are: