If I were a betting woman, I’d put money down that most of your experiences with mineral sunscreen have ended up in a chalky, matte sheen. Until recently, zinc sunblocks have been infamous for leaving a cloudy, white residue behind, particularly on darker skin tones and people of color. They did a great job blocking out both types of harmful UV rays, but damn, were they chalky.
Nowadays? Mineral sunscreen looks and feels better than ever. Thanks to innovations in sunny technology, gone is that tacky texture and skin-tone changing hue. They’re lightweight, luxurious, and best of all, invisible. Some even go further to elevate their formulations by marrying function and beauty, like the Solara Go! Vacation Glow Illuminating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 ($27), which has instantly won our hearts for its illuminating glow and skin-supporting actives.
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This shimmery sunscreen has become a best-seller overnight for the brand’s new Go! collection, which just launched in Target earlier this month. Founded by Stephanie DiPisa who was on the hunt for a mineral SPF that wasn’t loaded with allergens, irritants, and endocrine disruptors for her and her family, Solara’s goal is simple: to make mineral sunscreen that is better for our skin, health, and the planet while supporting it with testing and credentials—not just marketing. The Go! collection features seven clean, safe mineral sun-care products, all infused with clinically proven botanicals and super fruits to nourish skin while protecting it.
We can confirm: all of Go!’s goodies are really impressive. But the Vacation Glow has become a staple in our beauty routines, and likely others’, selling out Target a handful of times in the few weeks it’s been on shelves.
“Its hero ingredients are acai and skin-illuminating minerals for an instant, visible glow,” says DiPisa, the brand’s founder. “You can wear it alone for a gorgeous, rich sun-kissed look, or I personally love to mix Vacation Glow with our Daily Defense Soothing Mineral Face Sunscreen, and then top it with a lightweight foundation—this combination is magic!”
As DaPisa mentioned, this opalescent lotion’s star ingredients are those illuminating minerals that immediately dew-ify your skin. It is a mineral sunscreen—all Solara products are blended with 100 percent mineral filters to physically block out UV radiation. But there’s zero stickiness or weird, white residue. It’s lightweight and does the opposite of making skin chalky and matte, instantly brightening skin with a magical shine. Use it as a highlighter on your cheeks and brow bones for a fresh, clean face, or mix it in with your sunscreen like DaPisa mentions for all-over glow.
It’s not just the look of this lotion that has us so starry-eyed—its formulation does, too. “We are one of the only sun-care brands to be 100 percent fully focused on mineral-only, skin care level SPF. We are also the only sun-care company to use adaptogens plus a wellness science approach the way we are,” says DiPisa. “The Go! Collection is a simple, effective line of super fruit-infused SPF that supports the skin barrier. By mixing high quality, consciously sourced ingredients with the best in zinc technology, we’re able to create mineral products that act as part of your wellness routine—which really SPF should be!”
Acai, a Central and South American berry beloved in beauty, is the hero antioxidant in Solara Vacation Glow sunscreen that helps to visibly brighten skin while staving off free radicals. That means when it’s on, you’re getting double protection from things like blue light and air pollution. And while other luxury beauty products (especially those with SPF) can cost you big bucks, Solara’s shimmery cream is jut $27. Trust us, it’s worth every penny—you won’t even realize you’re wearing a mineral sunblock .
Explore the rest of the Solara Go! collection
Barrier Defense Hyaluronic Mist — $18.00
Skin feeling tired throughout the day? A spritz of this stuff will revive it and your mood. Expect all your standard hydration heroes to get to work and add moisture, like aloe juice, hyaluronic acid, and jojoba oil.
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