Collage: Paula Balondo; Source images: Courtesy of Allure editor and IliaSave this storySave this story
I doubt that Ilia—the collector of many Allure Best of Beauty and Readers’ Choice Awards—needs an introduction. A quick summary for those unfamiliar: The “clean beauty” brand has built its reputation on effortless, multitasking makeup for people who want to look like themselves (just slightly more hydrated, even-toned, and well-rested). Case in point: Ilia's beloved Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40, which one Allure editor once described as making her look like she “drinks a gallon of water a day.”
So it feels less like a pivot and more like an inevitability that Ilia is finally coming out with its first standalone sunscreen, the Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50. While some might still think of Ilia as a makeup brand first, loyalists have long seen it as skin-care-first. (Not exactly news if you’ve been following our Best of Beauty Awards, where we’ve already crowned skin-care standouts like the Bright Start Retinol Alternative Eye Cream and Lip Wrap Reviving Balm.) If anything, this just makes it official.
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Ilia
Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Ilia
Sephora
First things first, this is a mineral sunscreen, featuring 10.5% zinc oxide—a notoriously tricky ingredient to make feel enjoyable to wear. And, at SPF 50, the challenge only gets steeper. (Higher protection typically means more zinc oxide, which often translates to thicker, chalkier formulas—and that heavy white cast no matter how hard you try to blend it out.) “The core challenge is that zinc oxide is a dense, white inorganic pigment that resists elegant aesthetics,” says Sherry Backman, a cosmetic chemist based in Brattleboro, Vermont. “To achieve a serum texture, formulators need to control particle size, dispersion, and the chemistry of the surrounding system, especially pH.”
The pH of a sunscreen might sound technical, but it comes down to balance. Zinc oxide works best when the formula sits in a middle, neutral range. “Too acidic or too basic, and you risk destabilizing the zinc oxide, which can impact everything from texture to SPF performance,” she says.
Courtesy of Ilia
All of which is to say, the texture is what got me first, a signal that the pH is where it should be. And I’m not the only one who noticed. “I am a longtime user of mineral sunscreen, and I have never experienced anything like this,” says Shanna Shipin, senior commerce director. “This is such an elegant formula that is so lightweight, it performs like a chemical sunscreen—I can hardly believe that there are mineral blockers in it.”
Sun Serum is fluid and serum-y, though not quite as runny as the Skin Tint Ilia fans know well. It glides on and blends without resistance—blindfold me, and I’d never guess it was sunscreen.
Close up video applying the Ilia Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Christa Joanna Lee
On the skin-care front, Ilia focuses on lightweight but deep hydration. Hyaluronic acid (seven molecular weights, to be exact) is doing the bulk of the heavy lifting here—Backman notes it’s “primarily for hydration, but secondarily, it improves skin smoothness, film support and texture enhancement,” helping counter that dry feel mineral sunscreens can leave behind. The formula’s sugars add another layer by boosting moisture and supporting the skin barrier, while coneflower (echinacea) and arctic root extracts help regulate oil, so you’re not trading dryness for midday shine.
Importantly, none of this seems to compromise the formula’s stability. Because yes, adding humectants and plant extracts can interfere with zinc oxide if you’re not careful. “They can, especially if they shift pH or introduce electrolytes that destabilize the dispersion,” Backman says. “Well-formulated systems are structured to keep zinc oxide evenly distributed and stable.”
This, it seems, is one of those formulas that actually gets that mix right—at least from where I’m sitting. On my dry, sensitive skin, it felt impressively hydrating. It melted in seamlessly without catching on the flaky spots around my cheeks and nose, leaving everything looking more plump than parched. In this unpredictable transitional weather we’re experiencing on the East Coast right now, that feels like a minor miracle.
Lee applying the Ilia Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Christa Joanna Lee
Allure contributing writer Christa Joanna Lee before applying the Ilia Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Christa Joanna Lee
Lee after applying the Ilia Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Christa Joanna Lee
Then there’s the tint—available in two flexible shades, light-medium and medium-deep—which helps counteract the inevitable white cast. As Backman explains, “tinted skin-care products incorporate white, yellow, red, and black pigments blended in various ratios to achieve shades compatible with the lightest to darkest skin tones.” Those pigments (here, in the form of iron oxides) “help offset zinc oxide’s naturally chalky white base, so the formula blends in more seamlessly with skin,” she says.
Even though I’m pretty fair, I found the light-medium shade surprisingly spot-on. That said, I tend to prefer a slightly warmer finish with my tinted products, so I ended up mixing in a bit of the medium-deep—I found the sheerness of the tint makes it surprisingly flexible across skin tones.
The finish lands somewhere between natural and softly radiant—not matte, not super-dewy, just convincingly like a glowier second skin. Ilia has always lived in that in-between space: makeup that behaves like skin care, skin care that wears like makeup. Since introducing the Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen into my routine, my already minimalist approach has been humbled. It’s the ease and sun protection, sure, but also my skin has never looked better.
Save to wishlist
Ilia
Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Ilia
Sephora
With a whole team of editors who swear by multiple-times-daily sunscreen usage, everyone wanted to get their hands on this launch for testing. Keep reading for more reviews of the new Ilia Sun Serum from Allure editors.
Shanna Shipin, senior commerce director
Allure senior commerce director Shanna Shipin applying the Ilia Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Shana Shipin
Shipin before applying the Ilia Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Shanna Shipin
Shipin after applying the Ilia Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Shanna Shipin
“When Ilia named it 'Sun Serum,' I didn’t realize that on top of the SPF, it meant you’d have the kind of radiance found at the center of our solar system. I am a longtime user of mineral sunscreen, and I have never experienced anything like this. This is such an elegant formula that is so lightweight, it performs like a chemical sunscreen—I can hardly believe that there are mineral blockers in it.
It’s not milky, runny, or watery, which is a problem I have with most mineral facial sunscreens out on the market. I sit between the two shades available; I was concerned about the limited selection, but the sunscreen is so sheer that I can wear either one. I’ll be switching from light-medium to medium-deep as my skin tans throughout the year.
I opt for the ‘four-finger rule’ when applying sunscreen on outdoor days, and I find that the tint completely dissipates after rubbing it in for 20 seconds or so. Once it’s absorbed, my skin is perfectly primed for makeup, though the sunscreen’s lit-from-within effect shines through whether I’m bare-faced or wear makeup over it. (I know lit-from-within is an oft-used marketing term, but that’s actually what it looks like when I use this product!)
Another rare feat? A mineral sunscreen that doesn’t pill. I’ve been reaching for this product habitually every day (and actually reapplying throughout) in part due to this. One thing: The package feels lovely in the hand, and I love the nod to the sun in its shape, but it is a little puffy, and I imagine it will be hard to squeeze every last bit of the formula out when I get down to the final dregs. That being said, it’s super easy to squeeze the formula out of the pinpoint dispenser for now.
There's a real radiance that lasts all day when I use the Sun Serum Sunscreen. It’s the kind of product that flips your mentality and makes you want to use it not just because it gives you SPF 50, but because it makes your skin look absolutely brilliant.” —Shanna Shipin, senior commerce director
Sydney Malone, creative producer
Allure creative producer Sydney Malone applying the Ilia Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Sydney Malone
Malone before applying the Ilia Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Sydney Malone
Malone after applying the Ilia Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Sydney Malone
“I have combination skin, so I am always wary of products that will either dry me out or make me appear too oily—I prefer a happy medium. This is especially true of sunscreens, because I have found that there are either mineral formulas that often leave an ashy appearance or sheer ones that are supposed to give a ‘glow’ but, in reality, make me look sweaty.
When I first squeezed this product out of the bottle, I was scared by the tone of brown that the product was because it seemed like it would be ashy. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how well it applied to my skin and settled. It felt like that perfect mix I look for, and honestly, it was the most impressed I’ve ever been with a facial sunscreen. I didn’t look sweaty; I didn’t look ashy. In fact, you almost couldn’t even tell it was on, which I loved.
It has a super natural finish, and I wore it for almost nine hours before I washed my face at night, and it never changed. It gave my holy grail sunscreen a run for its money.” —Sydney Malone, creative producer
Sarah Han, commerce editor
Allure commerce editor Sarah Han applying the Ilia Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Sarah Han
Han before applying the Ilia Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Sarah Han
Han after applying the Ilia Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Sarah Han
“I’m a noted mineral sunscreen—hater is too strong a word, so I’ll say—skeptic. As someone who doesn’t have sensitive skin, I rarely stray away from elegant chemical formulas (particularly Korean sunscreens) just to try hit-or-miss mineral formulas. Still, as a beauty editor, it’s my job to try as much of the market as possible—or that my skin can handle. I’ve definitely found a handful of tolerable mineral formulas over the years, but the constant pilling (whether I’m wearing makeup or not), drying finishes, and white cast (even on my light Asian skin tone!) prove that the category still has room for improvement.
I went in with low expectations but it was very evident from the first application that the Sun Serum checked all of my boxes. Major points for how lightweight and airy the texture is, but it isn’t so thin that it gets all over my fingers, so applying the product to my index and middle fingers (adhering to the classic two-finger rule) is mess-free. From there, the formula sinks in seamlessly and you can barely detect that it’s there, but my combo skin looks noticeably more radiant—without veering into greasy territory. It wears well throughout the day without a hint of white cast or pilling, even if I apply a standalone moisturizer underneath and base makeup (concealer, blush, the works) on top.
I will say, if you’re looking for a tinted sunscreen that provides decent coverage, this isn’t the one for you. But then again, that’s not really what the Sun Serum is seeking to do. For all intents and purposes, this is a very breathable, second-skin-like mineral sunscreen just about anyone would like, even the skeptics.” —Sarah Han, commerce editor
Annie Blay-Tettey, associate beauty editor
Allure associate beauty editor Annie Blay-Tettey applying the Ilia Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Annie Blay-Tettey
Blay-Tettey before applying the Ilia Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Annie Blay-Tettey
Blay-Tettey after applying the Ilia Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Annie Blay-Tettey
“I really like it! It's lightweight and sheers out really nicely, and it doesn't leave any white cast or stains on my fingers like some mineral sunscreens. It's not as hydrating or moisturizing as some of my other SPFs, so I'd mainly reach for this in the summer. But, yes, I would definitely reach for this daily.” —Annie Blay-Tettey, associate beauty editor
Ingrid Fowler, senior art director
Allure senior art director Ingrid Fowler applying the Ilia Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Ingrid Fowler
Fowler before applying the Ilia Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Ingrid Fowler
Fowler after applying the Ilia Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Ingrid Fowler
"I'm always on the hunt for mineral sunscreens that blend in and aren't sticky (a tall order!), and this Ilia formula really hits the mark. The super light tint gives the tiniest bit of coverage without leaving any white cast. It feels weightless on my skin and works as a great base for my daily makeup. I also love the cute round bottle; it fits nicely in my bag for on-the-go, and the flat base is great for a bathroom shelf, so it can live anywhere. Big fan!" —Ingrid Fowler, senior art director
Save to wishlist
Ilia
Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Ilia
Sephora
Meet the expert
- Sherry Backman, a cosmetic chemist based in Brattleboro, Vermont
How we test and review products
Before reviewing any makeup, we ask questions about a number of factors: What ingredients are in it? Does the brand offer a wide shade range inclusive of consumers with all skin tones and undertones? Is it safe for readers who have sensitive skin or wear contact lenses? Is it on the affordable side or more of a splurge? Is its packaging consciously designed or needlessly wasteful?
For our review of the Ilia's first sunscreen, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, and makeup artists to review the products. This ensures our testing base spans different skin tones, genders, and dermatological conditions. We considered each product's performance across four primary categories: ingredients, wear and longevity, packaging, and inclusivity. For more on what's involved in our reporting, check out our complete review process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine. You may simply be browsing for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we've solicited opinions from are folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it's never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we're able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
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