The effortless everything. Our organic, oil-free formula provides broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection while our proprietary plant-derived Full Spectrum 360° Complex helps mitigate the effects of HEV light (including blue light), IR, and pollution. This airy, antioxidant-rich formula also helps minimize free radical damage while plant stem cells and niacinamide helps promote radiant, youthful skin. Bonus: our transparent non-nano zinc oxide forms an airy-light veil that layers perfectly under makeup!
– COOLA
Receiving a sample of COOLA’s mineral sunscreen, I was excited to test out a more expensive product after my Pipette sunscreen let me down. Hoping that this product would be more aesthetically pleasing, I applied it for a day in hopes that, despite its lower 30 SPF protection, it could become a new favorite. Initial application appears to be simple and easy at first. The milky liquid soaks quickly into the skin with no white cast. Be warned though, this is a SILICONE sunscreen to the max, and after a few seconds I would the liquid hardening over my skin, immovable and unable to be spread further. The result was a uneven final application and even worse – it looked like I had a heavy coat of make-up on! I applied the sunscreen to the back of my hands as well and found that soon after drying, it gave my hands a dry, almost rough/crumbling texture. It didn’t take long after for the sunscreen to oxidize either, and, much like Pipette, it transformed into an orange-y texture, its peeling patches evident all over my face. What a bummer.
Ingredient Pros and Cons
Ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Didecyldimonium Chloride, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Jasminum Sambac Leaf Cell Extract, Methylpropanediol, Niacinamide, PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Polyisobutene, Polyquaternium-80, Propanediol, Schinus Molle Extract, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Extract
Significant Pros
- Zinc Oxide 15.0 % (sunscreen)
- Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (calming)
- Butylene / Caprylyl Glycol (moisturizing)
- Niacinamide (addresses hyper-pigmentation)
Significant Cons
- Dimethicone (can be clogging for acne-prone people – though the product states it is non-comedogenic)
The Takeaway
Uhhh I kind of dislike this sunscreen even more than the Pipette one . . . which is saying something since this sunscreen costs almost $30 more. Despite all of its great labels (Vegan, Cruelty Free, Reef friendly, 70% Organic Ingredients, Oil-Free, etc.), it still had a very unappealing appearance once spread out – discoloring soon after application (that oxidation . . . ), and difficult to spread once applied to the skin. This is definitely a sunscreen heavy on the silicones. For the price this product is asking for, it definitely isn’t worth it. Keep looking, this ain’t it.
Skincare for Introverts 