Daily Sun Serum SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen vs Sun Bum Mineral Road Tripper Kit: 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

Excellent 100/100

Overall grade

Excellent 92/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

Mineral sunscreen, zinc oxide base

Confidence

88%

Possible1,4-dioxane (non-intentional contaminant from surfactants/emulsifiers)

PossibleFragrance allergens (if fragrance is present)

Sun Bum Mineral Road Tripper Kit

Sunbum

Sun Bum Mineral Road Tripper Kit

PFAS grade

Excellent 75/100

Overall grade

Good 59/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 4

Material

mineral-based sunscreen active ingredients (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) in typical cosmetic base

Confidence

72%

PossiblePreservative allergens (methylisothiazolinone, parabens, or phenoxyethanol)

PossibleHeavy metal trace contamination in mineral pigments (lead, cadmium, or arsenic in titanium

PossibleFragrance allergens or undisclosed fragrance components (if product is scented)

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 Sunbum.
  • We flag Preservative allergens (methylisothiazolinone, parabens, or phenoxyethanol), Heavy metal trace contamination in mineral pigments (lead, cadmium, or arsenic in titanium, Fragrance allergens or undisclosed fragrance components (if product is scented) and Skin irritation from mineral particle size or formulation pH on the Sunbum and not on the Derma E.
  • The Derma E is Mineral sunscreen, zinc oxide base where the Sunbum is mineral-based sunscreen active ingredients (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) in typical cosmetic base, 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