Product

Supergoop! (Re)setting Powder

A zinc oxide powder for touching up sun protection over makeup. Useful for reapplication — and not adequate as your only sunscreen.

At a Glance

Mixed

A powder sunscreen like this does not deliver the SPF on the label in real use. The SPF on any sunscreen is measured at a thick, even layer. Studies of powder sunscreens find people apply about a tenth of that, which is well short of the labeled SPF. So the label says SPF 35, but the way you brush it on will not deliver that.

Where a powder shines is reapplication. Almost nobody reapplies sunscreen, mostly because of makeup, and a powder brushes on over a finished face without wrecking it. A layer of this at midday beats the nothing most people apply.

Start with a proper sunscreen in the morning, then use this to top up. It is talc-free and fragrance-free, with ceramides to offset the dry feel powders can have.

Key facts

Key active	Zinc oxide 24.7% (SPF 35)
Texture	SPF 35 setting powder
Best for	Reapplying over makeup at midday; controlling shine
Approximate price	$34–38
Fragrance	Fragrance free

How it works

Reapplication is the biggest unsolved problem in sun protection. Almost nobody reapplies sunscreen, and the main reason is makeup — you are not going to rub lotion over a finished face at 1 p.m.

A powder solves that, and this one solves it well. It brushes on over makeup, cuts shine, and adds real zinc oxide. A layer of this at midday is much better than the nothing that most people apply.

Talc-free and fragrance-free, with ceramides added to offset the drying feel powders usually have.

Used for its actual purpose — a top-up over sunscreen you already applied — it is a genuinely useful product.

Everyday habits

How to use it

When: Over a sunscreen you already applied, as a midday top-up.How much: Powders go on thin, so you will not reach the label SPF from powder alone. Brush on an even, visible layer. Where: Face, focusing on areas that get direct sun. Reapply: Every 2 hours outdoors, and after sweating or swimming. Best use: Treat it as reapplication over a base sunscreen, not as your first layer.

Who should be careful+

Do not use this as your only sunscreen. This is the important part. The SPF number on any sunscreen is measured at a thickness of 2 mg/cm². Studies of how people actually apply powder sunscreens find they get on roughly a tenth of that — nowhere near enough to deliver the SPF on the label.

The label says SPF 35. The reality of how you'll brush it on does not. Apply a real sunscreen in the morning. Use this to top up.

It is small and expensive — 0.15 oz for around $30–35. If you tried to use it for full-face coverage it would cost a fortune and still under-deliver.

The translucent shade can look chalky on deeper skin tones.

Questions people ask+

Is this mineral or chemical?Mineral. The only active is zinc oxide.

Can I use it as my only sunscreen?No. It is a top-up over a base sunscreen.

Can I reapply it over makeup?Yes. That is its main use.

Will it leave a cast?The translucent shade can look chalky on deeper skin tones.

Is it fragrance-free?Yes, and talc-free.

What SPF is it?SPF 35.

Full ingredient list+

Active ingredients: Zinc Oxide 24.7%

Inactive ingredients: Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Silica, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Lauroyl Lysine, Polyglyceryl-10 Pentaisostearate, Boron Nitride, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Ethylhexylglycerin, Nylon 6/12, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Olive Glycerides, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ceramide 3, [May Contain/+/-: Iron Oxides (CI 77492, 77491, 77499)]

References+

1. Patient Knowledge of Sunscreen Guidelines and Frequency of Physician Counseling: A Cross-sectional Study (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29410729/) — Supports the claim that most people do not know or follow correct sunscreen reapplication and application practices; the majority of surveyed patients lacked adequate knowledge of how much to apply and how often to reapply. 2. Assessment of thickness of photoprotective lipsticks and frequency of reapplication: results from a laboratory test and a field experiment (https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2133.2003.05032.x) — Supports that in real-world use sunscreen products are applied far below the recommended 2 mg/cm2 and reapplied too infrequently, reducing photoprotection - the core rationale for a midday top-up product. 3. In vitro assessment of the broad-spectrum ultraviolet protection of sunscreen products (https://doi.org/10.1067/mjd.2000.109291) — Supports that zinc oxide is a recognized long-wave UVA / broad-spectrum sunscreen active ingredient, backing the claim that the powder 'adds real zinc oxide' for UV protection. 4. The Skin Barrier and Moisturization: Function, Disruption, and Mechanisms of Repair (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37717558/) — Supports that ceramides and moisturizing ingredients strengthen the stratum corneum and reduce transepidermal water loss/dryness, backing the rationale that added ceramides offset the drying feel of a powder.