White cast and pilling are different problems.

White cast is a visible film after application; pilling is the little rolls that form when layers rub against each other. Neither follows automatically from the SPF number. And a clear-looking product is not necessarily the best base for your makeup.

In this snapshot, 260 of 266 formulas without recorded mineral filters had a “none” prediction for cast on deeper skin. Yet only 142 of those 266 were assessed “no” for pilling under makeup; 120 were “sometimes” and four “yes”. A cast-free prediction is not a promise that layers will sit smoothly.

These four sunscreens are from the small public sample in our skin-tone demo. The cast labels below are for deeper skin; pilling refers to our saved under-makeup assessment. They are not a “top four” or a ranking of popularity.

These assessments are directional rather than controlled tests on every skin tone and makeup routine. The verdict reflects more than either wear label alone. If the product is not in the public demo, its individual assessment remains in the sign-in-only catalogue.

Of the 212 formulas with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide in the recorded filter system, our deeper-skin cast assessments were 44 “none”, 111 “slight” and 57 “visible”. That is a useful reason to look beyond a blanket “no white cast” claim — but not proof that every mineral sunscreen leaves a cast.

For the 266 without recorded mineral filters, the corresponding assessments were 260 “none”, two “slight” and four “visible”. Other formula details and tint still matter. A tinted formula also needs to match your shade; a lower cast prediction does not guarantee a good colour match.

For more on the filter chemistry, read why sunscreen leaves a white cast.

The mineral-containing group did not all pill: 128 of 212 were assessed “no”, 82 “sometimes” and one “yes”; one had no recorded pilling result. In the group without recorded mineral filters, 142 of 266 were “no”, 120 “sometimes” and four “yes”. Filter family alone cannot tell you how a sunscreen behaves over moisturiser or under foundation.

A “sometimes” finding is a reason to check your own layering routine, not to write the product off. Try the recommended amount of sunscreen over your usual skincare, let each layer settle, then apply your usual makeup without vigorous rubbing. If it rolls up, changing the layer underneath may tell you more than buying another SPF on the basis of filter type alone.

If visible cast is the deal-breaker, start with the prediction for your skin tone and check tint and finish too. If your sunscreen pills, prioritise the pilling finding and test it with the layers you actually wear. If both matter, neither a high SPF number nor a “mineral” or “chemical” label settles the decision by itself.

Try the free skin-tone comparison to see a small, curated set of real sunscreen examples and their verdicts without signing up. The full product catalogue remains available to testers after sign-in.

Snapshot taken 30 September 2026 from sunscreen records with an accepted ingredient-source status (verified, editor-checked or single-source), a saved rating and a non-empty recorded UV-filter system. We grouped 478 records by whether that filter system lists zinc oxide or titanium dioxide; combinations count in the mineral-containing group. The four named examples come exclusively from the already-public demo sample. The figures above count saved deep-skin white-cast labels and pilling-under-makeup labels, not laboratory measurements or a popularity ranking.

An accepted source status confirms how the ingredient list was documented; it does not independently validate each feel prediction. We did not select the “most-loved” products, test ten bottles on people, or infer a missing pilling result as “no”. Read how we know this for what is measured, inferred or reported.