John Masters • SPF 30 Natural Mineral Sunscreen • Sunscreen

Where To Buy?

almost on 1/21/2013 10:44:00 AM more reviews by almost

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

I really wanted to find a good physical sunscreen. This is one of the few natural sunscreens that contains titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. It is pretty thick and I find that after a hot summer day of activity, you can feel a little greasy. As others have said, it does have somewhat of a white sheen to it. It is a pretty good option if you are looking for a physical sunscreen.

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crumbley11 on 12/18/2011 5:17:00 PM more reviews by crumbley11

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

This is a creamy textured mineral sunscreen. It can feel a little gloppy going on, but I like the moisturizing feel for winter. It is fine under Bare Minerals for daytime, but I probably will have to switch to something else for use in the hot, humid summer weather here. It has not broken me out, so it gets top marks there.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

breaknews on 11/26/2011 6:28:00 PM more reviews by breaknews

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Relaxed, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I love this product but I will not recommend this to someone who has oily skin or who lives in humid area.
I have sensitive and dry skin but also have oily T-zone. It worked very well for my 'sensitive and dry part' but it gives too much glow on my T-zone. If you will use powder on top of the sunscreen, it will leave you very natural glow.
It is very moisturizing as well but in the humid place and humid season (like San Francisco in the summer), it was too heavy even for me. I will definitely buy it again for dry season but it is not the best sun screen for Summer.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

littleblackhearts on 9/5/2011 1:48:00 AM more reviews by littleblackhearts

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Don't use this if you have noticeable blemishes.
I didn't mind too much about the whitish tint.
I think it's better for the body (arms, legs…) than it is for the face, but you do have to use a lot (for the body).
Packaging is pretty; you can see how much is in the bottle, although the pump allows you to get the same amount every time (no less).
It feels kinda heavy (because of the glass bottle) in your hand.
In my opinion, it's not worth the money (it was $30), for meh results.
I don't need moisture, so this did get oily looking when I reapplied numerous times.
Runs out pretty quick; well, it's been almost a month, so, never mind.
If you have dry skin, you would probably like this more than I did, but it's not totally horrible.
I'm gonna finish the bottle and never buy it again (it was seriously disappointing).

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dimiz on 4/19/2011 2:16:00 AM more reviews by dimiz

Age: 19-24   Skin: Other, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Black    

wow!! excellent product. This natural sunscreen is the best I've ever tried!!
goes on smooth and creamy without leaving a white cast (wait for a couple of minutes). Soooo good for your skin! I love that it contains hyalouronic acid!
Great under makeup (I use almost powder spf 15 by clinique on top )! My face looks hydrated, radiant, healthy!!!!

It's a shame that is not easily availiable here in greece, but I ordered it from feelunique.com (free shiping)!!
Soooo exited about this!!!!!
Totaly recommended!!!!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* codydan85 on 4/17/2011 9:23:00 AM more reviews by codydan85

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Warm   Hair: Black   Eyes: Green    

I bought this product based on the good reviews on here and because it was on sale.
I've tried many organic and natural sunscreens and was disappointed by this one. I found to be quite whitening and thick, probably because of the titanium dioxide. I would not purchase it again as my skin looked greasy after application despite what I have on underneath. My favourite sunscreen of all time is the Snowberry Everyday SPF15 as its all natural alcohol free and contains 18% non nano zinc oxide whereas this contains only 5%.I am not a fan of titantium dioxide sunscreens as these usually leave a purple sheen and tend to clog pores. The packaging also isn't very good as the product wouldn't come out towards the end and there was quite alot left. In furture I will stick to my lovely Snowberry Everyday SPF15.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

lorenlo on 3/20/2011 6:48:00 AM more reviews by lorenlo

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

This is 59ml and costs SGD60. Can be purchased at Sephora.

The amazing thing about this is that while it seems super costly at first, the realisation that begins to dawn on me after using it is that I think it can last me for a few months. It's very worth it, price wise. I just use one pump a day.

Of course, it isn't as protective as a SPF 50 one.

The shininess and oiliness of this is completely bearable to me. If I'm outside, I hardly feel anything at all. I even quite like how my skin looks flawless with this.

I am sensitive to sunscreens and this isn't as holy grail as I'd hoped it would be, still giving me pimples every now and then. But then again, it's already the better than all the other facial sunscreens I've tried. Nothing a little toughening up on the cleansing routine won't fix.

For the price worth, the fact that it's organic, I would probably be repurchasing this for quite some time.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* muse97 on 3/13/2011 7:56:00 PM more reviews by muse97

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

It's decent and effective, but it leaves my face looking a bit shiny. I'm sure that that could be remedied with makeup, but I really don't like wearing foundation or much powder.
Other than that, it's adequate. It has not contributed to any breakouts, and I love how relatively natural it is. But, I'll still stick with Shiseido for now.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Katras on 2/21/2011 5:05:00 PM more reviews by Katras

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

This is one of those 50/50 products -
It has a relatively high SPF, is natural so it's free from any nasties, goes on smooth, and is not sticky. Unfortunately it is kind-of thick and white so you have to rub it in well, also because of the minerals, it can further dry out already dry skins and oddly enough, is a little shiny. Now it could be of my work environment but by the end of the day my skin is flaky (eww!) but on the plus side it dries up any small blemish I might have. My search for the perfect SPF continues.

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jschulte on 1/14/2011 12:14:00 AM more reviews by jschulte

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

This is a great sunscreen. All-natural sunscreens can be really unpleasant. I find most are sticky, stinky and make me look pasty. This one isn't any of those things. It smells good, feels good, and goes on clear. I can use it over any moisturizer. It's very expensive, though.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* stanzi on 8/22/2010 8:54:00 PM more reviews by stanzi

Age: Unknown   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I've been using this product all summer, and I'm very satisfied with it. It absorbs easily, and a little goes a long way. It doesn't leave a ghostly white finish or white deposits in my pores. It has a very light, natural scent. It truly does prevent sun damage (I have very fair skin, live in the NYC area), and it didn't give me any breakouts (very important!). Neat, practical packaging; reasonable price, for this high quality formula. I wish it were a bit more "matte," but I do have oily skin, so that may be asking too much. Also, it's been a very humid summer. I'm guessing it will turn less shiny on my autumn/fall face!

8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* gingerrama on 8/19/2010 4:33:00 PM more reviews by gingerrama

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool   Hair: Red, Fine   Eyes: Green    

So far, so good [ed. updated 11/2010: so far, so much better!!! upped the lippies to 5: love this now the weather's colder and drier, and skin drier]. One of the nicest face sunscreens I've used, one of the most moisturising all-physical ones, one of the best silicone-free one, and the absolute best "all-natural" one I've met so far. Skin here: fine, fragile, sensitive, irritable, pale with some freckles, burns at the drop of a hat (literally), reacts to all filters except physical ones (TiO2, ZnO), most fragrance, any more than a small amount of alcohol, and cyclomethicones.

This is a lightweight white creamy lotion. Fragrance-free. Easy to apply: two pumps will do face and eyes (dot and dab on eyelids and undereye, then pat in); another pump for neck (though I'm usually using Blue Lizard Sensitive SPF30 for all off-face purposes). Smooths in nicely, no ghost-face, no chalky pores. No irritation, no clogging and zits (so far), and it's working as a sunscreen too in that I have no overheating or burning to report.

Can be used around the eyes: actually very good around the eyes, moist enough, no tearing-up with any migration, not too greasy on the lids, and makeup sits well on top (currently just Laura Mercier Eye Basics to even out lid colour, plus mascara and tightlined eyeliner). As well, indeed, as with Clarins' eye sunscreen.

The feel is a million miles from most of the "greener" all-physical sunscreens on the market, those thick pasty gloopy unusable unwearable zittorific catastrophes. The other "greenies" that feel as good are Devita 30 (but I had irritation and burning issues, as other have commented too, it's unreliable as a functional sunscreen; and it's now pricier), Pratima Neem Rose SPF30 (ZnO-only: scented--though just nice rose--pricey, not sold in many places, doesn't ship to Canada except by special order with massive customs duties) and, nearly as good but greasier, Lavera Neutral Kids' spray SPF20 (TiO2-only, not full UVA coverage, but more readily available and cheaper). The aloe vera is probably responsible for producing a feel more like a silicone-based sunscreen (ex. Dermalogica SuperSensitive SPF30, the TiO-2only L'Occitane Buriti do Pará Veil SPF30 & Clarins UV Plus SPF40).

But this stuff is moisturising, most of the time moisturising enough to use alone: blame the next bunch of ingredients (see further down), from the triglycerides to the shea butter.

End results: on application, it's smooth. Not as shiny as my other usual, Vanicream SPF30. Sinks in well. I'm wearing it with Silk Naturals Perfecting Powder on top, which leaves a flawless finish. And, most importantly of all, it does its job as a sunscreen...

And that's about it. As with any all-physical, the PPD isn't going to be anything impressive but if you're sensitive and can't wear anything else, low PPD is better than nothing. (I'm guessing the PPD is 10, actually, as this product and its SPF30 labelling are approved for sale in the EU. As the PPD must be at least 1/3 of the stated SPF, it must be at least 1/3 x 30 = 10.)

Other factors: Cruelty-free and vegan (see also end of review for other ethical pros). 5-star 6-lippie packaging. Glass bottle with plastic pump top (dispensing slightly too little rather than too much, which is good), recycled paper and soy ink, recycled and compostable packaging, the whole lot recyclable basically. Costs CAD42.00 for 60 ml: pricier than my other usual, Vanicream (about 1/2 the price), but cheaper than department-store or high-end equivalents, and a similar price or cheaper w.r.t. other "green" sunscreens of similar quality and feel. Available from some health-food/eco shops, and online inc. directly from JMO (free shipping in the USA, Canada, Japan, and the UK from their respective JMO sites).

Cons: My only big caveat: a little cloggy at TOTM in warmer more humid weather. Might not be a good idea for skins at the oilier end of the spectrum, or indeed beyond normal-to-dry. Otherwise nothing negative to report--except that it would be great to see a JMO body sunscreen as good, fairly-priced, and silicone-free! and an SPF lip balm!! And could be cheaper (see for comparison: BurnOut Eco-Sensitive Clean and Clear Zinc Oxide Sunblock SPF 32, except it needs some moisture underneath, whereas the JMO could be used alone).

INGREDIENTS: ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Titanium Dioxide 7.5% (Sunscreen), Zinc Oxide 5.0% (Sunscreen)
INACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Aqua (water), aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) leaf juice,* capric caprylic triglycerides, ethyl hexyl palmitate, glyceryl stearate, glycerin, cetyl alcohol, jojoba oil,* shea butter,* panthenol, tocopherol acetate, allantoin, sodium pca, green tea extract,* magnesium aluminum silicate, hyaluronic acid, calendula extract,* ethyl hexyl glycerin, benzyl alcohol
* NOP Certified Organic

Ethics & other ingredient considerations: From the JMO site: http://www.johnmasters.com/info.htm
1. No sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens, DEAs, MEAs, or TEAs
2. No GMOs (Genetically Modified Organism)
3. No petro-chemicals
4. No animal testing
5. No artificial colors, fragrances or fillers
6. Ingredients must be as organic as possible
7. All plant extracts and essential oils must be certified organic whenever possible
8. All essential oils used must be steam-distilled and not extracted with propylene glycol - which kills the effect of the oils
9. All plant oils must be cold pressed, not heat distilled - which kills the therapeutic properties of plant oils
10. All ingredients must be proven to be beneficial to the hair or skin
11. All ingredients must be harvested in an environmentally-friendly manner (wild-crafted)
12. All ingredients must be bio-degradable as possible
13. Fair-Trade ingredients must be used when possible

28 out of 28 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

yana60 on 8/11/2010 11:32:00 PM more reviews by yana60

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

This is a pretty effective and pleasant sunscreen. It takes a few minutes to absorb, it is a bit thick/heavy (that's why one lippie is off), leaves a light white hew on your face which is easily covered by make-up, does not contain bad chemicals in it, does not really smell, great packaging. Need one pump for the entire face and a maybe a bit more for your neck. So far didn't make me break out.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Madisonrocks on 6/21/2010 10:02:00 AM more reviews by Madisonrocks

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

Love this product for my dry/dehydrated skin! I have tried so many sunscreens & at least for now this is my HG.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Zetaflickan on 4/6/2010 6:10:00 AM more reviews by Zetaflickan

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Grey    

Physical sunscreen with organic ingredients!
Texture is great, easy to spread. Leaves a slight whitish shine, but a little powder takes care of that (most powders are too dark for me anyway, so it evens it out). I feel hesitant to trust the high SPF, as the formula is so pleasant, but no signs that it is not working yet.
Dark glass bottle with pump, very convenient. Price is a bit high, but it it has all good ingredients, and I bought mine directly from their website before Christmas at 20 or 25% off, they will probably have a deal again sometime. Also at Beauty.com, that has a $20 off $100 order right now.

8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

chatperdu on 11/21/2009 10:29:00 PM more reviews by chatperdu

Age: 30-35   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I love John Master's products and was looking forward to trying the new Mineral Sunscreen with SPF 30, as my usual regimen involves a moisturizing SPF 30 sunscreen (Murad Pomegranate). Murad products contain parabens, John Master's products do not.

Sadly, the texture of this sunscreen is very thick and gloopy and perhaps a little goes a long way, but it takes a long time to apply and blend; I feel like I'm spackling it on. Murad's sunscreen applied very evenly and felt lightweight, JM did not. I'll use this supply up and return to Murad. I was hoping this would be my HG, but so far, it looks like Murad's the winner.

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rooks on 8/22/2009 5:52:00 PM more reviews by rooks

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Hazel    

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this product! Seriously, this is the HG physical sunscreen you've been searching for!! It is FABULOUS! It is cosmetically elegant, feels lovely going on, has little if any fragrance, and leaves only the tiniest hint of a white cast that quickly dissolves into the skin. I purchased it at Whole Foods in San Francisco for $30, so it's not inexpensive, but the price reflects its quality. A little also goes a long way. THIS IS THE BEST SUNSCREEN I HAVE EVER USED. You must try it.

13 out of 14 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No