Zinc, titanium and the formulas worth carrying to the beach in a Florida summer: eight 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, and reputable coverage. Certifications 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.
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 tube starts to matter.
This guide is about one kind of sunscreen: mineral, meaning its only active ingredients are zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or both 5. We read every pick'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 we report what it says. We also report, 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. 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, all eight picks below carry the 80-minute claim on the label artwork filed on DailyMed.
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.
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 and preservatives. 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 tube, "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 13, 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 13, 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 the cautious choice NOAA describes, 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 we say below when we could not check them.
Every number below comes from the maker's Drug Facts label on DailyMed, dated in the sources. Formulas change, so read the panel on the box you buy. None of the certifications printed on these labels has yet been confirmed on a certifier's own records; where a label makes such a claim, it is the maker's word.
Why it earns a place. The best-documented pick in the group: both zinc and titanium, the full 80 minutes of water resistance, no fragrance in its ingredient list, and a drugstore price. Fortune named it its best mineral sunscreen for outdoor activities 21, and Healthline includes it among its sunscreens for sensitive skin 22. Actives. Titanium dioxide 8 percent, zinc oxide 10 percent 18. On the label. Broad Spectrum SPF 50; Water Resistant (80 minutes) 18. Inactive ingredients. A silicone-and-ester base with aloe leaf juice powder, candelilla wax, vitamin E, 1,2-hexanediol and hydroxyacetophenone; no fragrance listed 18. 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 19. The actives are the same. 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 4243, so check the actives on any Blue Lizard you pick up. Where to buy. US drugstores and mass retailers, including Target 20. We did not find it at European retailers. Price. [price?] Search results in October 2026 showed about $10.49 for 3 fl oz at Target 20; not yet confirmed on a live page. Who it suits. A family beach bag (for children over six months; see "Babies" above), and anyone who wants a fragrance-free mineral formula without a luxury price.
Why it earns a place. The French pharmacy house's all-mineral lotion for face and body, with 80 minutes of water resistance and no fragrance listed. Fortune named it its best mineral sunscreen for the body 21. Actives. Titanium dioxide 5 percent, zinc oxide 15 percent 23. On the label. Broad Spectrum SPF 50. Water Resistant (80 minutes), on the label artwork filed on DailyMed, with directions to reapply after 80 minutes of swimming or sweating 233. Inactive ingredients. Water, emollient esters and silica, with vitamin E, cassia alata leaf extract, phenoxyethanol and chlorphenesin; no fragrance listed 23. Where to buy. US pharmacies, for example Pasteur Pharmacy 24. We did not find this US formula in Europe; the Anthelios lotions listed for French pharmacies use different filters 25, so check the box if you buy it abroad. Price. [price?] Search results in October 2026 showed about $29.99 for 4 oz at Pasteur Pharmacy 24; not yet confirmed on a live page. Who it suits. The reader who already trusts La Roche-Posay and wants one bottle for face and body.
Why it earns a place. The shortest ingredient list among the labels we read: zinc oxide, sunflower oil, beeswax and vitamin E, and nothing else 26. Actives. Zinc oxide 25 percent, which the label describes as non-nano and uncoated 26. That is the top of the range the FDA has proposed as generally recognized as safe and effective 2. On the label. Broad Spectrum SPF 50; Water Resistant (80 minutes) 26. Inactive ingredients. Sunflower seed oil and beeswax, both marked organic, and tocopherol 26. No fragrance. Not vegan. The maker's claims. The label says "98% organic ingredients" and "Reef Friendly" (a marketing term; as the AAD notes, the FDA has not defined "reef safe" for sunscreen 5), and carries Protect Land + Sea, NSF and Certified B Corporation marks; it says the NSF mark is a certification by QAI to NSF/ANSI 305, the standard for personal care products containing organic ingredients 26. We could not confirm any of them on the certifiers' own records for this edition. Where to buy. US natural grocers and outdoor retailers, including Vitacost 27. Badger also sells a 2.4 oz Adventure Sport tin, a different product from this 2.9 oz cream, and the cream's DailyMed file also uses the word "Sport" 26, so buy by size and label. Price. [price?] Search results in October 2026 showed about $18.99 for 2.9 fl oz at Vitacost 27; not yet confirmed on a live page. Who it suits. The label-reader who wants as few ingredients as possible and is happy with an oil-based, water-free cream.
Why it earns a place. Made in Florida, according to its label 28, and from a maker that points to aquatic-toxicity testing. Stream2Sea says it was founded in Wauchula in 2015 and manufactures in its own facility in rural central Florida 29. Actives. Zinc oxide 20 percent, described on the label as non-nano 28. On the label. Broad Spectrum SPF 40; Water Resistant (80 minutes), on the tin artwork filed with the label. It is a balm, sold in a 2.8 oz tin 28. Inactive ingredients. Beeswax, sunflower and sweet almond oils, jojoba esters, plant squalane and extracts of green tea, tulsi, wakame and olive leaf 28. Contains almond oil and beeswax. The maker's claims. Stream2Sea says its products have been tested for safety on freshwater fish and coral larvae and hold Protect Land + Sea certification 29. Eckerd College reported in 2015 that its researchers, working with the company, tested Stream2Sea products using coral larvae collected in the Florida Keys, and that the experiments suggested the products did not harm the larvae 30. That is a company-linked study of the formulas of the time, not a regulatory finding, and we have not confirmed the certification on the laboratory's records. "Reef Safer" is the maker's product name and its own term; as the AAD notes, the FDA has not defined "reef safe" for sunscreen 5, and the reef evidence is set out above. Where to buy. The maker and Vitacost, where it is listed as Sport Sunscreen SPF 40 31. Not found at European retailers. Price. [price?] Search results in October 2026 showed about $24.95 for 2.8 oz at Vitacost 31; not yet confirmed on a live page. Who it suits. Divers and snorkelers who want a maker that points to aquatic-toxicity testing, and anyone who wants to buy from a Florida maker.
Why it earns a place. A high zinc level, the full 80 minutes and a moderate price, in a water-based lotion rather than a balm. Actives. Zinc oxide 23.4 percent 32. Some retailer listings give 20 percent; the label on file says 23.4. On the label. Broad Spectrum SPF 50; 80 minutes of water resistance 32. Inactive ingredients. Water, caprylic/capric triglyceride, glycerin, plant oils including jojoba, olive, cranberry and raspberry seed, and grapefruit peel oil, plus "natural fragrance oil" 32. Where to buy. US grocers and Walmart 33. Not found at EU retailers. Price. [price?] Search results in October 2026 showed about $15 to $17 for 3 fl oz at US grocers and Walmart; not yet confirmed on a live page. Who it suits. Active families on a budget. Skip it if you avoid fragrance or citrus oils.
Why it earns a place. A water-free formula of zinc, plant butters and teas, sold in a tin 35. Actives. Zinc oxide 23 percent 34. On the label. Broad Spectrum SPF 30, the AAD's minimum 4; Water Resistant (80 minutes) 34. Inactive ingredients. Green and black tea extracts, hemp seed and sunflower oils, beeswax, coffee bean extract, mango and cocoa butters, rosemary leaf oil and vitamin E, most marked organic 34. Not vegan. Where to buy. US online retailers, including Grove 35; retailers variously call it Eco Formula or Face + Body SPF 30. Not found at EU retailers. Price. [price?] Search results in October 2026 showed about $15.99 for a 3 oz tin at Grove 35; not yet confirmed on a live page. Who it suits. The plastic-averse, with the caveat that SPF 30 is the lowest of our picks and its label on file dates from November 2023.
Why it earns a place. A two-filter formula with no fragrance listed, built on silicones rather than the oils and waxes of the balms above. Actives. Zinc oxide 10 percent, titanium dioxide 5.5 percent 36. On the label. Broad Spectrum SPF 47; Water Resistant (80 minutes), on the carton artwork filed with the label 36. Inactive ingredients. Water, silicones (cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone), vitamin C ester and vitamin E, with potassium sorbate as preservative; no fragrance listed 36. Where to buy. Dermstore 37. The carton on file calls it fragrance-free 36. Not found at EU retailers. Price. [price?] Who it suits. Face and body, for anyone who would rather skip oil-and-wax balms. EltaMD makes other sunscreens that are not mineral-only, so check the actives.
Why it earns a place. The beauty-counter pick: an all-mineral formula from a sun-care specialist, broad spectrum SPF 50 with 80 minutes of water resistance and no fragrance listed. Actives. Titanium dioxide 2.3 percent, zinc oxide 17.9 percent, on the label that matches retailer listings 3841. A second current label under a similar name gives titanium dioxide 2 percent and zinc oxide 24 percent 39; check the box. On the label. Broad Spectrum SPF 50; Water Resistant (80 minutes) 38. Inactive ingredients. Fatty alcohols and esters, jojoba esters, tucuma kernel oil, sea water, an algae extract (Haematococcus pluvialis) and vitamin E; no fragrance listed 38. Read the box. Supergoop!'s PLAY Everyday Lotion SPF 50 is a different product with chemical filters. Look for "100% Mineral." Where to buy. Ulta 40 and Dermstore 41. In Europe we found only a mineral SPF 30 version, out of stock in the UK. Price. [price?] Search results in October 2026 showed about $38 for 3.4 fl oz at Ulta and Dermstore 4041; not yet confirmed on a live page. Who it suits. The reader who shops sun care at Ulta or Dermstore and will pay more for it.
Sources checked 2026-10-19.
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