Other brands we considered
Badger (available at Amazon): Badger is one of my personal favorite sunscreen brands, and I find it to be among the absolute most effective sunscreens, but it can be extremely difficult to rub in (let alone squeeze out of the bottle), and it does leave a noticeable cast. If you're really out in the elements though, this is a solid pick.
Bare Republic (available at Amazon): Our previous top pick for a spray-on mineral-based sunscreen, Bare Republic worked wonderfully until it didn't. We gathered it might be something about heavy (and soft) metals being put through pressure, but it finally became so dry that we weren't able to spread it at all.
Blue Lizard (Available at Amazon): Blue Lizard is a popular sunscreen around the world, and while we like that it rubs in well, and that its ingredients include both titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, the 5% and 10% concentrations, respectively, fall a little short of what's advised by The Sunscreen Doc. Insider Picks editor Jada Wong points out, though, that she's happy to reapply more frequently if it means she gets to use an easy-to-apply sunscreen that rubs in well. Still, we don't like that the brand doesn't openly advertise the concentrations of active ingredients in their formula.
CeraVe (available at Amazon): CeraVe applies well, but it's another one of those brands that offers formulas that don't include a high enough concentration of active ingredients. This product, for example, which is considered SPF 50, only offers 9% titanium dioxide and 7% zinc oxide.
MyChelle Sunshield (available at Amazon, $16.50): We liked wearing MyChelle. It went on easily and seemed to work well, but there's a long list of ingredients, some of which are allergens and immunotoxins. If your skin isn't too sensitive, you might give it a go.
Supergoop! (available at Amazon): Supergoop!'s Mineral Sunscreen Mist works fairly well, but it's light-duty, and while it rubs in with hardly any residue, it only contains 12% zinc oxide, which, like many other Supergoop! sunscreens, falls short of the recommended 18-20% (or more).
What we look forward to trying next
Neutrogena SheerZinc Dry-Touch (Target, $10.99):
Supergoop! Play (Nordstrom, $36): We're already underway with testing this one. Supergoop!'s Play comes with ample zinc oxide (24%) and a small (2%) dose of titanium oxide which seems unnecessary, but maybe there's something to it. Either way, a 24% zinc oxide concentration is plenty, and if it doesn't leave a cast, it'll give most higher-end sunscreens a run for their money. I, for one, am a big fan so far, but a few others on the Insider Picks team have noticed a white cast after applying (I have not). It might be subjective based on your skin, but it certainly does work.