By Breelyn Vanleeuwen, PA-C | Founder & CEO of Daily Shade
Years ago I was running late. Second kid dressed, snacks packed, sunscreen on everyone's faces. My foundation was going on over a new "natural mineral" sunscreen I had bought and I watched my foundation pill. Little beads of product rolling around my face like I'd applied glue and then tried to put makeup on top of it.
If you've ever put sunscreen on before your makeup and watched your foundation just... refuse to cooperate, you already know. Most mineral sunscreens are oil-based. And oil and water-based foundation were never meant to be friends.
That was one of the moments that made me obsessed with this: what would it take to make a TRUE mineral sunscreen that actually worked as a primer? One that sat under makeup instead of fighting it. One that hydrated instead of leaving a greasy film. One that was so gentle, so clean, so simple that you could put it on a newborn, put it on yourself, and get on with your day.
It took four years to figure out. Here's why.
Why Almost No One Makes True Mineral Sunscreen Water-Based
Here's something the sunscreen industry doesn't talk about much: getting zinc oxide to play nicely in a water-based formula is genuinely hard. Like, formulation-nightmare hard.
Zinc oxide is a powder. A heavy one. It wants to settle, it wants to clump, it wants to separate. The easy fix, the one every conventional manufacturer reaches for, is an oil-rich base. Oil suspends zinc well. It spreads easily. It's cheap and predictable.
The problem is that oil-heavy sunscreen is the exact opposite of what goes under makeup. It's what makes your foundation slide around. It's what gives you that greasy feeling two hours later. It's what makes most mineral sunscreens feel like a step you want to skip.
So most brands pick one: either great protection, or great wearability. They give you the oil base and tell you to just put your makeup on anyway.
We didn't accept that.
Getting 20% non-nano zinc oxide, the highest concentration in a daily wear formula, to stay stable and beautifully suspended in a water-based formula without using synthetic emulsifiers, chemical boosters, or any of the 1,700+ ingredients banned by EU cosmetic regulations... that took us four full years of formulation failures before we got it right.
Formula after formula. Too thick. Too pasty. Separated overnight. Left a white cast. Felt like sunscreen instead of skincare. Every change meant weeks of lead time to reformulate and test. And because sunscreen is classified as an OTC drug by the FDA, we had to pass rigorous testing every single time, not just bench testing, but SPF testing, water resistance testing, stability testing.
We failed SPF testing repeatedly because we refused to use boosters, the hidden chemical UV absorbers that most brands sneak into their formulas to artificially inflate SPF numbers. Every failure felt discouraging. But we kept going, because we knew what was on the other side.
What "Water-Based" Actually Means for Your Skin
When a formula is water-based, this matters more than most people realize.
Water-based formulas lay differently. They layer under makeup without disrupting the product going on after. They feel more like skincare and less like a barrier you're tolerating.
For the face specifically, a water-based sunscreen does something no oil-heavy formula can do: it acts like a primer. It creates a smooth, hydrated surface that holds makeup instead of repelling it.
That's exactly what we designed Daily Shade to be. Your SPF. Your moisturizer. Your primer. All in one step. Safe for Babies, Made for Everyone.
I hear this constantly from customers: "I started using it on my kids and then I just kept it for myself." That's not a happy accident. That's the formula doing exactly what it was designed to do. Intentionally simple. Genuinely multi-use.
It Says "Kids" on the Bottle. Here's Why Adults Keep Stealing It.
Babe Shade was formulated for the most sensitive, delicate skin that exists: babies, toddlers, kids. That means it had to meet an impossibly high bar. No fragrance. No endocrine disruptors. No chemical UV filters. No synthetic preservatives that accumulate in tissue. Free of every single one of the 1,700+ ingredients banned by EU cosmetics law.
When you formulate for a newborn, you formulate for everyone.
That's the thing most people don't realize. "Safe for babies" isn't a marketing line. It's a formulation standard. A sunscreen gentle enough for a six-week-old's face is, by definition, appropriate for combination skin, sensitive skin, post-procedure skin, rosacea-prone skin, acne-prone skin. Every skin type. Every age.
The water-based formula plays a big role in that. Because we didn't need heavy oils to suspend the zinc, we also didn't need the emulsifiers, thickeners, and stabilizers that typically come along for the ride. The formula stayed clean. And clean meant it could work for everyone.
One bottle. Face, kids' faces, body. Morning routine simplified. That's not an accident either.
The Makeup-Under-Sunscreen Problem (And Why We Solved It)
As a PA-C, I've watched patients skip sunscreen because it messes with their makeup. That's not a small problem. In my clinical work, I saw what UV damage does over a lifetime. Skin cancer doesn't announce itself early. It builds quietly for years before it becomes visible, and the UV exposure that caused it happened decades before.
Skipping sunscreen because it doesn't work under makeup isn't a vanity issue. It's a public health issue.
A water-based, lightweight mineral sunscreen that works as a primer solves that. When sunscreen feels like skincare instead of a chore, people actually wear it. Every day. Not just at the beach.
That's what drove this formula. It wasn't just "nice to have" a product that went under foundation without pilling. It was the whole point.
The water-based base absorbs quickly. The 20% zinc oxide provides broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection, sitting at the surface of the skin where it physically deflects UV instead of absorbing into tissue. The universal mineral tint we use, just enough to offset the white of the zinc without adding color, disappears on the skin and leaves a smooth, even surface that your makeup applies right on top of.
No pilling. No sliding. No greasy aftermath.
Why This Formula Matters Beyond the Morning Routine
96% of sunscreens on the market, even the ones claiming to be 100% mineral, contain hidden chemical UV filters. That was the research that wrecked me when I started digging into this category. Because I'd trusted labels. My daughter had a severe reaction to a sunscreen labeled specifically "for babies." The "for babies" label created a level of trust I didn't question, and I should have.
That reaction sent me down a three-year rabbit hole of ingredient research, formulation science, and eventually building this company from scratch.
The water-based formula is part of the same commitment. We didn't take the easy road with an oil-heavy base because it would have made our manufacturing simpler. We took the hard road because a water-based formula is better for skin, better for makeup wearability, better for daily compliance, and frankly, better for everyone who's ever applied sunscreen at 7am and then tried to put their face on over it.
Easy doesn't always mean right. We know that better than most.
The Bottom Line
If you've been skipping sunscreen because it fights with your foundation, because it leaves your skin greasy, because it pills or slides or just feels like one more thing you don't have time for: Babe Shade was designed with you in mind, even though it says "kids" on the bottle.
Water-based. True mineral. 20% non-nano zinc oxide. No chemical UV filters, no boosters, no hidden anything. SPF 30 broad spectrum, 40-minute water resistance. Safe for newborns. Designed for everyone.
One bottle. Simplify the routine.
Shop Babe Shade at dailyshade.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a water-based sunscreen better for under makeup? Yes. Water-based formulas absorb into the skin instead of sitting on top as an oil layer, which means they create a smooth primer-like surface that makeup applies over cleanly. Oil-based sunscreens tend to cause foundation to pill or slide.
Can I use Babe Shade as a moisturizer? Babe Shade is designed to function as your SPF, moisturizer, and makeup primer in one step. The water-based formula hydrates the skin without a greasy finish, simplifying a multi-step morning routine.
Is a sunscreen that says "for kids" safe for adults? Absolutely. A sunscreen formulated for babies and children is held to the highest possible safety standards, which makes it appropriate for all skin types and ages. Many adults with sensitive, acne-prone, or post-procedure skin find that formulas designed for children are actually better suited to their needs.
What does water-based mean on a sunscreen label? Water-based means the primary carrier in the formula is water rather than oil. The first ingredient on the label tells you which base the formula uses. Water-based formulas tend to absorb more quickly, feel lighter on the skin, and layer better under cosmetics.
Why is it so hard to make mineral sunscreen water-based? Zinc oxide is a heavy powder that naturally wants to settle or separate in a water-based formula. Keeping it stable, evenly suspended, and cosmetically elegant without using synthetic emulsifiers, chemical boosters, or oil-heavy carriers requires significant formulation work. It's one of the reasons most mineral sunscreens rely on oil-rich bases.
Is Daily Shade safe for babies? Yes. Daily Shade is free from all 1,700+ ingredients banned under EU Cosmetic Regulations, contains no chemical UV filters, no fragrance, no endocrine disruptors, and uses only non-nano zinc oxide as the active ingredient. It is appropriate for newborns and sensitive skin of any age. The FDA recommends for all sunscreen to be used after 6 months of age, however if using before that age choosing a mineral sunscreen (like ours). The ADA also recommends using mineral sunscreen for newborns if needed. Taking that a step further we are a TRUE mineral sunscreen which makes us even more ideal for newborns and babies.
What is non-nano zinc oxide? Non-nano zinc oxide refers to zinc particles large enough that they cannot be absorbed through the skin. This is important for safety: nano-sized particles can potentially penetrate skin tissue, while non-nano particles remain on the surface and physically reflect UV rays.
Can I use the same sunscreen on my face and my kids' faces? Yes. Babe Shade is designed for exactly this. One bottle for the whole family, face and body, adults and children. The gentle, water-based formula is appropriate for all skin types and all ages.
Does Babe Shade work as a makeup primer? Yes. The lightweight, water-based formula absorbs quickly and creates a smooth, hydrated surface that holds makeup without pilling or sliding. Many customers apply it to their own face as a primer step before foundation.
What makes Daily Shade different from other mineral sunscreens? Daily Shade uses 20% non-nano zinc oxide as the sole active ingredient, with zero chemical UV filters and zero boosters. The formula is water-based, making it lightweight and compatible with makeup. It is free from all 1,700+ ingredients banned by EU cosmetics regulations. And it was specifically designed so that one formula works for babies, children, and adults alike.
