After my skin started to react to chemical sunscreens, I decided to give this a try. It was everything I was looking for. Fast absorbing, oil free, non greasy, and it's a physical sunscreen. Plus, it's cheap and easily found at drugstores. Downside is, the white cast is ridiculous. It wouldn't be so bad on fair skin but I'm a medium light, yellow toned gal. In addition, the fluid was quite gritty like sand. My skin was way to sensitive to keep rubbing that sucker in until it absorbed. It was getting to be a bit painful. It just wasn't working. Plus it is quite a matte finish....but that could be also taken as a good thing. Since I use the sunscreen first then moisturizer, it wasn't too big of a problem for me.
I would recommend this since it's actually a pretty good physical sunscreen despite its drawbacks. Not for those with dark or too sensitive skin though.

I love this sunscreen! I wanted to find a winter sunscreen without as many chemicals, so I thought I would try one with zinc oxide. It does go on a little chalky, but absorbs quickly, and isn't greasy. I like that it has a matte finish, and I can put makeup on right over it. It isn't very moisturizing, so I have to put on a heavy cream underneath it (I do live in rural Minnesota, after all). The bottle is a little messy, but I'm not sure how else Neutrogena could package a liquid sunscreen.

Love this product. I have oily skin and it seems to keep my skin very matte throughout the day either under makeup or alone. Make sure to blend it in all the way as it does tend to sit on top of the skin until you do. I love it most because its a product I don't have to reapply all day long. I put it on once and that's it.

This is an interesting product. It's hard to find chemical-free sunblocks designed for oily skin. This is mattifying and light as water. But it's not perfect-- it will leave a white cast that can get patchy and odd-looking as the day wears on. Plus, the higher % of pore-clogging physical blockers will be problematic for acne-prone skin if used every day (2-3 times a week works for me). However, as imlizlemon says, this is a great alternative to high-price SPF primers such as those from MAC ($30) and Hourglass ($52!), especially since Neutrogena is always running sales. They left out the fragrance, but I wish there were some added antioxidants.
EDIT: Try applying this with a round foundation sponge instead of fingers. The sponge will even out white patches, and makes application MUCH quicker. After experimenting with this application mode, I am raising my review from 3 lippies to 4.

The key to whether this product will work is your skin type. Stay away if you have dry skin but this would probably be great for oily skin. I have dry flaky skin so this product did not work for me.
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The product dries quickly to a powdery finish—rare for sunscreens. This could make it a great mattifying makeup primer for oily skin, keeping oil at bay. For me, it only accentuated my dry spots & caused my makeup to look patchy where I was dry.
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This did not break me out nor did it give me the hives the way other sunscreens have. There is a white cast at first, especially if you apply a lot but it dissipates after a few minutes. It’s by no means close to the kind of white cast normal sunscreens leave. It’s almost non-existent if you are between NC15-25. If you are darker, you might want to use it only as a primer or just apply less.
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In conclusion, probably a wonderful product for those with oily skin who want a cheaper version of their expensive SPF primer but not really for those with dry skin.
continued >>

I have a sensitivity to chemical sunscreens, which tends to leave me with headaches due to the lingering scent a lot of them have. Unfortunately for me, chemical sunscreens also seem to be more popular than physical ones, so finding this was definitely a huge plus for me.

The active ingredients in this are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which are actually the types of UV-blockers you find in lots of makeup, but not really sunscreen. If you have a sensitivity to silicone products, then you might want to be careful with this sunscreen because the main binders (besides water) are silicone-based.

That said, I love this sunscreen. While I found that you definitely need more than just a few drops (maybe about a dime-sized dollop to cover my face + neck), but nothing excessive. The dry-down time is really fast, so I highly suggest that you spread this stuff out quickly. It dries to a light, powdery feel, similar to wearing a finishing powder. This isn't moisturizing at all, so after a few minutes, I'll apply a light facial moisturizer (I use Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel) and I'm ready to go.

As for the chalky finish-- maybe my eyes are failing me, but I haven't really noticed an obvious white cast, and I'm not particularly fair, either. It does even out some redness along my nose and forehead, but I honestly can't tell where I have sunscreen and where I don't.

Conclusion: if you don't like chemical blockers on your face, give this a whirl. It dries to the touch and can be layered under moisturizers or makeup without a hitch.

I just will not use chemical sunscreens. They smell horrible even when they're unscented, they are almost always comedogenic, they sting in your eyes, and often don't do what they say they will.
This one is just what I needed - easy to spread over large areas like my decolletage, neck, and forearms that are the most frequently exposed. It is whitening, but if you are really fair like I am, it won't show. I wanted to stay all pale all over because the other parts of me just refuse to tan, and this has made a big difference.
Myself, I haven't been successful putting it under makeup yet but I think I just didn't let it dry completely.
It's a very nice consistency for a physical sunscreen; you can just squirt it on and it doesn't leave a greasy feeling at all. No perfumes and none of that nasty "Hey, I'm wearing sunscreen everyone!" odor. Will repurchase for sure.

I'm a melanoma survivor, and I wanted to try a different Neutrogena sunscreen product. I put it on my face, chest, and arms when I went out for a 35 minute run. I came back from my run, and my arms were terribly red. I soon ended up with a rash, bumps, etc. to which I applied some benadryl creme. Perhaps I needed to shake up the bottle, but I wasn't expecting this type of reaction from a Neutrogena product. Hope I can find my receipt, as I want to take it back to the store for a refund.

I love this sunscreen. I have ultrafair, sensitive skin, so I prefer physical sunscreens, but I hate the white cast and heavy feeling so many physical sunscreens have! It's a white liquid--think the consistency of a rather thin liquid foundation. It's not clear. It's not water. It's definitely "product," but a product that is easy to spread on my face. It does go on with a bit of a cast, which vanishes as I blend it. Wonder of wonders, it dries quickly, it doesn't feel sticky or heavy, and it works very well under makeup! I hate it when sunscreen pills when I put foundation over it. This sunscreen formula is the least gross that I have ever tried. Hoo frickin' ray.

Love it.
I tried the other Neutrogena liquid and love that one, too. I want a physical ss for the days when I have more sun exposure - I use Retin A - and for when I wear a tinted moisurizer w/ physical ss in it.
Does leave a slight white cast that disappears once I have foundation or powder on. (I'm fair-to-med toned.) Doesn't get greasy, moisturizes a bit, and it doesn't pill under anything I've worn over it. No stinging, which can be a problem for me w/chemical sunscreens.
As close to a HG physical sunscreen I've found.

This is great for a physical sunscreen, which is non-negotiable for my acne-prone skin. It does leave a faint white cast, and can be a bit drying, but it has not contributed to breakouts for me which is awesome! It is also very effective at preventing sun damage, much more so than the Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral powder sunscreen (the other SS that doesn't mess with my skin!). A must for pool/beach days!

It is the best Neutrogena facial sunscreen I've tried to date. Most others I've tried have been chemical (except for the baby one), and made my skin sting/itch. It is not as mattifying or powdery as my previous fave, DHC White but otherwise works quite well for half the price. Leaves a very slight white cast, which is slightly annoying on those days I don't want to wear foundation, but after reading some scary stuff about micronized zinc and nanoparticles, maybe it's a good thing after all... I did not reapply on my nose for all-day ski trip and did end up with pink tip.

Well I will start off by saying that no it is not as good as the UV plus. It is much cheaper though and the UV plus has SLS which isn't great for your skin.
I love the fact that they made a liquid mineral sunscreen! I stopped used the Ultra sheer liquid as it was chemical( though that was is a little lighter in texture)
It does take some getting used to. You do have to rub it in quite a bit to get rid of the white cast, but for me the cast seems to go away.
It does make my skin a little hot but that can happen with mineral SPF.
Pro:
Cheaper
Light weight /liquid
paraben free
mineral
Cons:
could be smoother/lighter like the original or the UV PLUS
I'm thinking allot of the people that have given this such bad reviews have not used allot of pure mineral sunscreen's before, they can be more chalky.
I'll admit this is not the best mineral sunscreen on the market I think Nia 24 and Josie Maran are much better.This one could use a little work.
This isn't bad for what you are paying for.

I used this product for the first time last Sunday when I was boating all day. It did protect my face from any burning or tanning. However, when I used my usual DHC oil cleanser followed with my usual cleanser, I noticed pimples which I rarely get. So, didn't work for me. I'll stick to my usual DHC White Sunscreen. It says it's only a spf of 25, yet there is 5% titanium dioxide and 10% zinc oxide, much higher than the Neutrogena!

I love this. I do not have any chalkiness or white cast like other reviewers, and my skin is medium tone. No burning, rash, or breakouts. It's not greasy and there is no smell. I think it is perfect for the face and chest. Not being able to use chemical sunscreens without getting bumps and a rash, this is a godsend. I already bought extra's to be sure I don't run out.

I'm surprised by the bad reviews. I have oily, sensitive skin with rosacea, and I picked this up because Paula Begoun recommended it for people who struggle with those conditions. I like the liquid texture and the fact that it's fragrance free. It doesn't exacerbate my oily skin or leave me shiny, and my makeup goes on just fine over top of it (I let it "set" for a minute or two.) It may leave a slight white cast on the skin, but that is a risk with any physical sunscreens (zinc or titanium dioxide.) I personally don't notice a white cast. Overall, I have no complaints! Update: Ok, I do see a bit of a white cast. I guess I was unaware of it at first because I only wear it under my foundation. My foundation seems to counteract the white cast, so I don't mind it. For this reason, though, I probably wouldn't wear this sunscreen alone.

This stuff is absolutely terrible. Based on the packaging similarity to the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid SPF 70, which I have been using daily since it came out, I thought this would be the same formula but without the chemicals, hence "Pure & Free"? The Ultra Sheer SPF 70 is absolutely amazing-light, blends in easily, no white cast and doesn't accentuate dry skin. It truly was undetectable under makeup. This on the other hand is the complete opposite of all that. First, it was impossible to spread on without clumping up my moisturizer. Second, it accentuated every little bit of dryness I had on my skin and colored them into little white bits. This never happened with my HG, which went on perfectly even if my skin was a little dry. Third, this literally made my face about 3 shades lighter than it was, and I looked like I had Geisha makeup on. Fourth, it is impossible to spread out without clumping up or drying up.

The texture is just terrible. Btw, I had washed it off after the 1st application and redone it just to make sure I really couldn't get it to work. On the second try, I tried to use less and spread it on as carefully as a could and nope, same thing! I was so pist I threw this against the wall. continued >>

I usually buy the sheer version and don't know why I picked this up. I use this smaller bottle just for my face and use the tube/ creamier version for my body, chest etc. This sunscreen works but the white cast it leaves on my face makes it unwearable for me. I will use it up (on my body) and not repurchase.

I decided to give this a whirl because I was running low on the La Roche Posay sunscreen milk I've been using for a couple years. I like the LRP for my face because it doesn't gunk up my foundation, but frankly I'm not thrilled with the price tag. I'm super pale and have a family history of skin cancer, so I wear at least SPF 50 every day all year. I've always been a fan of Neutrogena sunscreens, so I figured worth a try.
I am IN LOVE with this Neutrogena. It's basically idential to the LRP at a third of the price tag. Plus it goes up to SPF 70 (Yes, I'm aware over 30 it's pretty much a moot point, but I like my higher numbers).
I didn't notice any kind of white cast to my skin, but when your an NC15 (actually NC10 in a perfect world) it really doesn't matter. I did get a little burning around my eyes for a minute or two, but I get that with any chemical sunscreen. It went away after about 30 seconds, and wasn't even bad enough to tear my eyes up.
I really love this stuff, and will definitely switch from LRP to this permanently.
UPDATE: Alas, with regular use, this has made me break out like crazy! It's weird because Neutrogena sun screen never makes me break out, but this is the only thing I can think of to account for the massive pimples I have been getting. =( For 99% of people I'm sure this is a perfect substitute for LRP. For me, not so much. Still worth a try though! At $8 a bottle you'd be crazy not to give it a shot.

I really liked how fast the drydown on this was. I liked that it was a high SPF but I could not get over the white cast. It was worse than any other cast I've experienced with a sunscreen.