Daily Sun Serum SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen vs Lotion Sunscreen Sheer Touch SPF: which is safer?
Daily Sun Serum SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen is our pick, better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Our pick
Derma E
Daily Sun Serum SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
Possible1,4-dioxane (non-intentional contaminant from surfactants/emulsifiers)
PossibleFragrance allergens (if fragrance is present)
Hawaiian Tropic
Lotion Sunscreen Sheer Touch SPF
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleFragrance allergens and irritants
PossibleOrganic UV filter endocrine activity (oxybenzone, octinoxate)
PossiblePreservative safety (parabens, methylisothiazolinone)
Where these two actually differ
- We flag 1,4-dioxane (non-intentional contaminant from surfactants/emulsifiers) and Fragrance allergens (if fragrance is present) on the Derma E and not on the Hawaiian Tropic.
- We flag Fragrance allergens and irritants, Organic UV filter endocrine activity (oxybenzone, octinoxate) and Preservative safety (parabens, methylisothiazolinone) on the Hawaiian Tropic and not on the Derma E.
- The Derma E is Mineral sunscreen, zinc oxide base where the Hawaiian Tropic is Oil/water emulsion lotion base (typical sunscreen formulation), which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 25 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Derma E is the one to buy.
Both products run through the same public rubric, which covers materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →
More sunscreen, see the full ranking