Everyone raves about this stuff. But ‘clean beauty’ is a marketing black hole.
The real issue? The brand Supergoop! touts a “clean, feel-good formula” while quietly using a chemical filter the EU restricts.
Unseen Sunscreen is a $38 primer-SPF hybrid. The claim? A totally invisible, clean shield.
Broad Spectrum SPF 40
Uses new-gen chemical filters for UVA/UVB.
100% Invisible
No white cast on any skin tone.
Oil-Free & Scent-Free
Marketed for sensitive, acne-prone skin.
Photo: Lina Verovaya / Unsplash
It’s not a mineral sunscreen. The protection comes from three chemical (organic) filters. One, avobenzone, needs a stabilizer to not break down in sunlight.
- Avobenzone: Primary UVA filter, but unstable on its own.
- Homosalate: UVB filter, limited concentration in EU.
- Octisalate: UVB filter, helps boost SPF.
- Red Algae: The ‘clean’ hero—claims to protect against blue light.
Photo: Raed Kasrwani / Unsplash
Texture is uncanny—a silky, blurring primer. Absorbs in 15 seconds. Leaves a velvety, almost powdery finish.
After two weeks, I noticed tiny blackheads on my nose. That velvety finish? It’s dimethicone. A lot of it. Great for blurring, not so great for my pores.
Photo: Jimmy Nilsson Masth / Unsplash
My skin was protected, sure. But the ‘clean’ claim feels like a stretch given the EU’s stance on homosalate. The blurring effect is real, though.
Photo: Divya Bhardwaj / Unsplash
A brilliant product, a dubious ‘clean’ claim. It’s greenwashing with a great formula.