I’d read so much about zinc oxide and how its THE BEST UV blocker out there, blocking both UV-A and UV-B rays effectively. Zinc Oxide is also recommended for people with sensitive skin because its a physical blocker and therefore less likely to irritate skin unlike chemical blockers.
So of course I had to try sunscreens with Zinc Oxide – its supposed to be the best after all!
I tried 3 different types – 2 on my face and 1 only on my arms. The ones I tried were the Australian Cancer Council Ultra sunscreen (only on arms), Diorsnow Sublissime UV Ultimate Whitening SPF50 PA+++ and Sunplay Skin Aqua UV Moisture Milk (both on face).
Sunscreen with Zinc Oxide clogged my pores
To my surprise, within 2 days I found myself getting clogged pores and breaking out from the Sunplay Skin Aqua and DiorSnow sunscreen. I’d actually picked up the DiorSnow sunscreen because it contains a high percentage of zinc oxide – they actually tell you that it contains 19.41%!
I was not sure if it was the sunscreens so I went back to all my usual non-irritating skincare and added back the sunscreens one by one. And true enough, the clogged pores and acne returned, mostly on my chin and along the jawline.
I struggled to get my skin under control and cut out everything including the sunscreen, going back to my Eucerin White Solution Treatment SPF40 with Tinosorb – a chemical sunscreen. Guess what? My skin is now under control and healing and no more clogged pores than usual!
Can Zinc Oxide clog pores?
I wondered if it might be zinc oxide that was causing my clogged pores and acne. I tried doing a search online but there weren’t many results that could help me. Most articles on sunscreen will in fact tell you to try zinc oxide if you have sensitive skin!
However, I saw a small mention on cosmeticscop that said that Zinc Oxide can clog pores in oily skin. I don’t have very oily skin but I started thinking that if it could clog pores in oily skin means it could clog pores, period! I also saw some other articles that said that if you are allergic to zinc then you might want to steer clear of zinc oxide. I have no known allergy to zinc and all it does is give me clogged pores not cause my skin to burn like some people reported. Interestingly I have not had an adverse reaction to Titanium Dioxide so I’m sticking to this as a physical blocker.
Chemical Sunscreens work better for me
I have since realised that my skin works well with chemical sunscreens or chemical combined with Titanium Dioxide. I used to use L’oreal UV Perfect with Mexoryl without problems. Eucerin White Solution has Tinosorb (chemical) and also Titanium Dioxide and I went back to it after nearly 2 months of experimentation. My latest love is La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL which works a treat for me! My skin has less issues and actually looks better now. I thought it was some other creams at first, but I’m now using those creams and still not having problems so my hunch must be right and it must be zinc oxide making life hell for me.
Note: I’m not saying those sunscreens I tried are no good. I know of many who actually love them because they work for them. They just don’t work for me – boo!
This has been educational for me. It reinforces the fact that what works for everyone may not work for just anyone because we are all different and so are our skin tolerances. It also tells me I should just stick to the sunscreen that works for me and I think this time I will… until I stray again 😉
Do you have a sunscreen allergy story to share or how a sunscreen that works for everyone does not work for you? We might all learn a thing or two or use it as a reference 🙂
Stay beautiful
Paris B
Found this site when searching on zinc oxide sensitivities. My face itch after putting on physical sunscreen – I thought it could be too drying. I also apply that same sun screen on my arms and they are itchy all the time. Now I’ve tried another brand and there is zinc oxide but not titanium dioxide and it seems that my face is itchy and burning. Glad to find this!
Ten years later your post is still doing good in this world. I’m so glad (and sorry, mostly sorry) that I’m not alone or delusional. I have extremely sensitive skin and every time I have tried a sunscreen with zinc and titanium dioxide my skin dries out like a lakebed with a film of oil on top, sometimes complete with eczema around my eyes (fetching, check out the pink panda!) and always resulting in at least a week of healing before I stop being the dragon lady.
And people normally react similarly to how many in the comments experienced. At best, polite skepticism. At worst, borderline being called a hypochondriac. As if anyone WANTS their face to feel it’s about to burn off.
I’ve been using an Elta MD sunscreen, supposedly among the best on the market for sensitive dry skin, and same issues. Recently ordered a sunscreen serum from Supergoop with different filters– here’s hoping I can venture outdoors without inviting a rash.
I have tried multiple brands of mineral sunscreen – drugstore and more expensive varieties – and have concluded it is the zinc that I am reacting to. It’s fine the first few hours but after about 6 hours of wear my skin feels dry and starts to have a burning sensation, which resolves almost immediately after I wash it off. I have not tried titanium without the zinc – so not sure if I am sensitive to that as well. At this point, I have spent so much time and money on trying to find the “right” physical sunscreen- I’m just going to stay with my chemical brands.
I wrote this post so that others would know they are not the only ones who are reacting to physical sunscreens.
Yes
I am allergic to any zinc sunscreen. I have tried several. My face breaks out in red bumps within 24 hours. I never had any skin problem before. Once I stop using it they go away. No one seems to have heard of this. I do know I’m allergic to gold and nickel, so add zinc to the list.
Hi I also have run across this old message after searching for zinc oxide allergy.
Thank you so much for this information. I thought I was the only one.
As another poster I just don’t use sunscreen because of the problems. I would like to try the Eucerine White Solution Sunscreen you mention but I don’t think they make it any more. I did a search for it and couldn’t find it. I hope you’re still out there! Can I ask what sunscreen you are using now with Tinosorb?
Do you still use a Eucerine?
Hi, I no longer use Eucerin sunscreen. I do use sunscreens with a mixture of Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide and fare well with them now. My favourite is Allie by Kanebo, and recently, Avene.
2019 and still not much info online about zinc allergy/alternative sunscreens. I developed a sensitivity to zinc many years ago and mostly just skipped sunscreen but now noticing some hyperpigmentation and already have acne prone skin so will try the l’oréal UV perfect.
I am so happy to find this blog post! I thought that I was the only one with a physical sunscreen allergy. Every time I use a sunscreen that contains zinc oxide/titanium dioxide, I would break out with rashes and bumps all over my face. I’ve experimented with many sunscreens over the past years and here are some of my favorite chemical sunscreen recommendations: Biore UV Aqua rich gel (my holy grail), Trader Joe’s waterproof sunscreen, and neutrogena sensitive skin sunscreen
I am very allergic to zinc oxide!! I had a reaction last fall after using mineral sunscreen. I got dry, itchy patches on my skin that wouldn’t clear up. I saw a doctor who recommended I apply diaper rash cream (which contains zinc oxide). My face broke out in hives and it spread down my neck and chest. I saw a dermatologist who confirmed it was an allergic reaction to something and he got me a good cream that cleared it up in days. This spring I used mineral sunscreen again and had hives in my face and chest again. I went to an acupuncturist and had an allergy screen done. Zinc oxide popped up very high on my sensitivities. I now avoid it like the plague, which stinks because my little four year old gets a rash using chemical sunscreen!
I’m so glad I ran across this post even though it is super old. I’ve tried at least 10 different mineral-based sunscreens zinc only, titanium dioxide only and combo of both. Two days into it my face gets red, bumpy, dry and flakey. I give up. I also get a puzzled response from dermatologists and estheticians. I don’t have this problem with chemical sunscreens.
Thank you for validating my experience. I thought I was crazy to think zinc oxide isn’t for me. I have tried 5 different brands of mineral sunscreens with no fragrances or dyes or known irritants. Even with a good moisturizer underneath, they left me feeling dry and bumpy. Then I tried to buy a supposedly hydrating mineral sunscreen, which had a tonne of squalene and it did the same. Zinc clogs my pores. Despite double cleansing, I feel zinc isn’t completely gone from my face. It’s probably why I experience breakouts. Another thing I noticed with zinc Oxide is that my pitted acne scars get deeper, which is scary. However, zinc sunscreens are totally okay on my body where the pores are smaller. So I think clogging is the chief culprit.
I am not sure about allergy, as I don’t react to taking zinc on my multivitamin. I am back to Korean/Japanese sunscreens and my skin feels do much better.
So very grateful to have come across this. I think it’s the ONLY article that validates a possible allergy to Zinc Oxide. I’ve read every single comment and I’m so glad to know I’m not crazy. I used a Titanium only sunscreen for YEARS that I love and continue to stock up on. I started looking for Zinc because I’ve learned that it provides better UVA protection. I’ve tried at least 10-12 brands with minimal, high quality ingredients, and I’ve had nothing but problems. I’ve tried really high end brands (Elta, Biossance, SkinCeuticals, Unsun, Colorscience) and medium level brands (Bare Republic, Australian Gold). If the white cast wasn’t a problem, it’s been red, itchy patches and hives a few hours after wear. I’m currently sitting here with a swollen, red, hive riddled face and Zinc is the ONLY thing different I used today. That’s it. I’m done with zinc oxide. The best sunscreen is the one you’ll wear so I’m going to go back to exclusively using my Titanium sunscreen and move on with my life – hopefully after a full recovery.
Wow! 2022 and there’s still nothing (other than this article) about zinc oxide not being for everyone. I get itchy and absolutely have to wash it off everytime I use spf with zinc oxide in it. It’s just my face too. I have used a few sunscreens/sunblocks titanium dioxide only and my face had no reaction. Please please please keep making the non zinc oxide mineral sunscreens! Does anyone have recommendations for non zinc oxide mineral sunscreens? I enjoyed using the bare minerals tinted moisturizer, coola bb cream, and la roche posay tinted mineral sunscreen.
I started using Zinc Oxide instead of regular sunscreen because I started itching the day after I was out in the sun. After about 2 years of using the Zinc Oxide, I started itching again the day after I was in the sun. Then my skin burns as I itch. Can you explain this? What can I use out in the sun if everything seems to causing itching and burning? Thanks.
The very same thing happens to me with zinc oxide sunscreens. They give me clogged pores, especially on my chin but also sometimes on my nose. I really don’t want to use a chemical sunscreen so now I’m trying to figure out what to do.
If I come in contact with zinc in any way I have suffer anaphylactic shock. I have been hospitalized for it. I need sunscreen. I’ve had skin cancer in the past. In great need of advice.
I have been allergic to zinc oxide since birth, so it is possible. For me the reaction is a chemical burn to my skin. Body/ face same reaction.
Searching for symptoms or any cases of zinc allergies is near impossible. Every time I searched for it it would bring up how “wonderful zinc is” and how “you should use it always”!! I tried a couple of different sunscreens with zinc in it each time I would break out with a rash of itchy burning acne. But I just figured it was the brand and would try another! This last one left me with a rash that felt more like blisters and looked it too ! My face was so tender and hurt like crazy! After I stoped using it for a couple of days the burning and itchiness stoped. Took almost a month for my skin to fully heal. Trying to now find a sunscreen without any zinc (which is hard to find!!). I wish more people would talk about this issue and be honest about it instead of making it seem like it never happens!!
I don’t think it’s quite right that you click baited with the title of this story as an allergy question. You didn’t even have an allergic reaction and you admit it. I have an allergy to zinc oxide, and it’s rare but serious. The symptoms of a zinc oxide allergy could be hives, a rash, itch (common with the previous 2 symptoms), peeling red skin (fever may or may not be present), swelling of the face, lips, or throat, and in severe cases, if not treated fast enough, death. If you had included just ONE paragraph about what an allergic reaction to zinc oxide looks like, it would have justified your use of “allergic” in your title. You mentioned a few symptoms in a sentence, but you should have gone more in depth. A paragraph along the lines of “furthermore, in my research I found that some people can be allergic to this stuff! Severely too. Luckily, I wasn’t affected beyond the clogging of my pores and development of acne, but those who are allergic may experience [symptoms list.] For such a serious allergy, they should have been more warnings on the label!”
Finally! a discussion I want to get involved in regarding pesky zinc oxide!!! I also made the switch from chemical to zinc thinking it would make my reactive skin calmer and also protect me from the sun better as I get nasty coldsore on my face! within 24 hrs of applying the Ultra Violette lean screen spf 50+ zinc 22%, I washed it off and noticed my face felt like the desert. this is strange as I have slightly oily skin. I continued to use and persist as I thought it will help and perhaps my skin was just adjusting, but again, it got to the end of the day, I washed my face and oh my! my face was pealing. I would wake in the night needing to apply more moisturiser as my face was so itchy, red and tight! I have been on Roaccutane and my skin was dryer than that!!!! after a whole month or applying every day, I gave up! I think the zinc is so drying, that it damaged my skin barrier causing the redness, itchiness, bumps and tightness. I don’t think Im allergic to it, but its WAY to drying for some skin, resulting in a reaction. i’m now trying to heal my skin barrier and terrified to put anything on my face 🙁 UGH.
yes omg I thought I was crazy! tried sun bum mineral sunscreen with zinc oxide and another brand too and firstly it didn’t help my sun allergy (I have PMLE and get itchy red rash on arms after sun exposure) and this sunscreen didn’t work at all. on top of that, gave me WORSE rash .. itchy, red, raised and blister like. and after lots of research, all I found was everyone recommending mineral sunscreen for sensitive skin and saying it’s Highly unlikely to cause a reaction but it does for me. used Neutrogena chemical spf 100 sunscreen for years and it really worked for me and was effective and didn’t cause a reaction.
Ahhh finally I found an article and other stories to support my theory! I think I may have the same issue, I like more natural products so tried a few different zinc based sunscreen or bb creams etc and they all give me small bumps / clogged pores sometimes even a white bumpy rash.
I have been breaking out and very textured skin lately and couldn’t figure out why – sure enough my new makeup has a little bit of zinc oxide in there. The lower the zinc content, the less obvious my reaction seems to be so it took me a little while to figure it out!