I am continuing my quest for finding the best chemical sunscreens for dark skin. Today I am reviewing the Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40 PA+++. I have heard a lot about this brand and they have carved out a specific space in skincare/beauty, where they consider themselves as sunscreen experts and they focus on making high quality, luxe sunscreen products. They have a myriad of offerings – mineral and chemical sunscreens, powders, creams/gels, stick, spray, face, body and baby. As you all know, wearing sunscreen is very important even if you have darker skin. I found this product at Sephora after browsing all of the different formulas. It is broad spectrum so it protects against UVA and UVB radiation. Unseen has a cult following and has even won an Allure Best of Beauty Award in 2018. Honestly, what attracted me to this product, was the name – Unseen. Yes, even in 2019, there are lots of sunscreens that I cannot wear (mostly mineral sunscreens) that still leave an ashy/white cast on my skin. I picked up a sample from Sephora and tried it out for a week before I bought it, to make sure that I was not allergic to it.
Tip: You can pick up a free sample of almost any product at Sephora before you buy! Share on XSupergoop Unseen Sunscreen – Basics
Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen is described as a broad spectrum, invisible, gripping primer for face that you can wear under makeup or alone. It’s a chemical sunscreen in an SPF 40, PA+++ with four commonly used sun filters. It is interesting that the PA rating is listed as it is not usually seen on sunscreens in the US but very common on sunscreens in Asia. SPF gives you an indication of how well it protects against UVB radiation and PA rating (which goes from 2+ to 4+) gives an indication of protection against UVA radiation.
Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen – Other Details
- Suitable for all skin types – dry, oily, normal and combination
- Oil Free
- Scentless and weightless
- Vegan, gluten and cruelty free
- Paraben-free, oxybenzone free
- Part of the ‘Clean At Sephora’ programme
Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen – Benefits
- Meadowfoam Seed Complex – helps with hydration of the skin resulting in a more balanced skin texture
- Red Algae – helps absorbs the blue light from our electronic devices, which may help contribute to aging of the skin
- Frankincense – helps to soothe the skin
- Antioxidant rich – helps protects against free radicals that can form in the presence of UV light. This helps amplify the effect of the sunscreen.
- Water resistant for 40 minutes
Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen – Thoughts and Conclusions
This is really invisible as you can see.
I barely need to rub it into my skin and it melts and completely disappears. It is very lightweight and it has a very smooth texture (it does contain silicones). It leaves a soft matte or velvet finish and I did not feel sticky, heavy or occlusive in very hot, humid weather. I would not say that it mattifies the skin but it does not add sheen to the skin. I have dry skin and I always use a moisturizer underneath and this is my last skincare step. If you have very oily skin or want a lot of blurring of the skin, I would be very careful in adding too many additional layers, especially in warmer, humid weather. Using something like a mattifying lotion before applying Unseen. If you must use another primer, use it very sparingly only in the areas most needed and after you have applied Unseen. Remember the goal is to protect the skin first.
