Mineral sunscreen has long had a reputation for being chalky, heavy and impossible to blend. And, when brands try to fix that, they often create a different problem—tints that look unnatural, ingredients that clog pores or formulas that slide right off in water.
Punta Gorda-based Ästhetik Skincare rewrites the playbook with its tinted Organic Mineral Sunscreen. I first tested the SPF 50 during a kiteboarding trip in Panama, where my usual sunscreen left me with burning eyes after just an hour on the water. Ästhetik proved instantly superior as an alternative—comfort with complete protection and none of the chalky residue.
Ästhetik’s brilliance lies in solving mineral sunscreen’s two biggest challenges: reducing the white cast and thick texture while providing uncompromising protection that performs in extreme conditions. You feel the difference the moment it touches your skin. My watersports-loving partner has tried to embrace mineral sunscreen for its environmental benefits but is always deterred by the texture and appearance. When I reached for his hand to test this one, he instinctively pulled back—then, after a beat, admitted, “Oh, that’s actually pretty nice.”
Instead of the thick pastiness expected from high-zinc protectors, this one glides on like a lightweight tinted moisturizer. The blendable hue (available in three shades) melts into your skin with no unnatural undertones.
Co-founder Alexis Pfropper spent nearly five years perfecting a sunscreen that could be reef-safe, hydrating, non-irritating and high-performance all at once. With 25% non-nano zinc oxide, the formula provides serious broad-spectrum protection, even in equator-adjacent Panama.
It’s also loaded with skincare ingredients: sea buckthorn oil, hydrating hyaluronic acid and vitamin E, and botanical extracts like chamomile and calendula that can help calm redness and irritation. For easy beauty days, you can use it as a tinted moisturizer and get all the hydration and coverage you need.
The brand’s environmental credentials are also impressive. Chemical sunscreens contain compounds proven to bleach coral and disrupt marine food and hormone systems. Ästhetik meets the rigorous reef-safe standards of Hawaii and the Florida Keys, comes in sustainable packaging and is crafted in a solar -powered, women-run lab. At nearly 4 ounces per bottle (twice the size of many premium mineral SPFs), the formula goes the distance—in wear and mission. Finally, sun protection that feels like self-care and not a necessary evil.
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