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Last Updated on April 16, 2025 by Giorgia Guazzarotti

sunumbra sport spf 40 review

The main reason why I love Sunumbra sunscreens? They’re tinted. Mineral sunscreens can leave a thick, white cast on the skin that makes you look like you’ve just fallen into a bag of sticky flour. Ugh.

But add a tint to the sunscreen and voilá, problem solved. So I was bit annoyed when I saw the latest Sunumbra Sport SPF 40 is pure white. No added tint this time. Would it give me the dreaded white cast? Only one way to find out:

Key Ingredients In Sunumbra Sport SPF 40: What Makes It Work?

ZINC OXIDE

Sunumbra Sport SPF 40 has only one UV filter: 18% non-nano, non-coated zinc oxide.

A white mineral, zinc oxide protects, on its own, from the entire UV rays. It works in two ways: it absorbs most of the ultraviolet radiation, turning it into a less damaging form of energy (heat). Then, it reflects the rest of the UV rays away from your face.

Because zinc oxide is so powerful, it can be used alone. Compare this with chemical sunscreens like avobenzone or octocrylene. You always find 4 or 5 of them in a bottle – that’s how many you need for adequate sun protection.

The best part? Zinc oxide is so gentle, it rarely cause irritations. Heck, even babies can use it! I know what you’re thinking: “Where’s the catch, Gio?” Here it comes: zinc oxide has a greasy texture that leaves a white cast behind.

But as mineral sunscreens go, this is fairly lightweight and leaves no white cast behind on pale skin. If you have a darker skin tone, use foundation on top to even everything out.

Related: 3 Reasons Why Mineral Sunscreen Is Better For Sensitive Skin

How effective is your sunscreen? Sign up to the newsletter below to receive the “Sunscreen Audit” Worksheet and find out if your sunscreen is really up to the job:

ANTIOXIDANTS

Did you know that antioxidants boost the effectiveness of your sunscreen? It works like this. No sunscreen blocks 100% of UV rays. Even SPF 100 lets 1% through. SPF 40 lets roughly 2-3% through and into the skin, where they could potentially wreak their damage. Think wrinkles, dark spots, and cancer.

That’s where antioxidants come in. They intercept the free radicals UV rays generate and destroy them before they can do any serious harm. Sunumbra Sport SPF 40 contains its fair share of antioxidants – like nicotinamide, Vitamin C (in the form of Ascorbyl Glucoside), and red raspberry seed oil – to fight free radicals and keep you looking younger for longer.

Related: How Do Antioxidants Work?

The Rest Of The Formula & Ingredients

NOTE: The colours indicate the effectiveness of an ingredient. It is ILLEGAL to put toxic and harmful ingredients in skincare products.

  • Green: It’s effective, proven to work, and helps the product do the best possible job for your skin.
  • Yellow: There’s not much proof it works (at least, yet).
  • Red: What is this doing here?!
  • Cape chestnut oil: Also known as Yangu oil, it’s deeply moisturising and makes skin softer and smoother.
  • De-ionized water: Water that has all its mineral removed, so they won’t spoil the formula. It acts as a solvent and, of course, it’s hydrating too.
  • Galactoarabinan: An antioxidant that, according to the manufacturer, can hydrate skin and boost the effectiveness of sunscreen.
  • Cetearyl olivate sorbitan olivate: An emulsifier that helps the water-based and oil-based ingredients in the formula blend together seamlessly.
  • Ocimum basilicum hairy root culture extract: I can’t find any information about what this does in skincare, so it gets a yellow rating.
  • Carnauba wax: It makes skin softer and thickens the texture of the sunscreen.
  • Magnesium chloride: It enhances the texture, so that (unlike many sunscreens) it’s a pleasure to use.
  • Aspen bark extract (populus tremuloides): It’s rich in antioxidants that prevent free radicals and wrinkles.
  • Tyrosine: Again, I couldn’t find much info on what this does in a sunscreen. For this reason only, it’s getting a yellow rating.
  • Kigelia extract: Another plant extract rich in wrinkles-preventing antioxidants.
  • Aloe ferox extract: Very hydrating, it plumps up skin and soothes irritations.
  • Superoxide dismutase (SOD): A powerful antioxidant that neutralises superoxide radicals, the worst species of free radicals (the nasty buggers that give you wrinkles).
  • Allantoin: A soothing agent, it can calm down redness and irritation – including that caused by UV rays.

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Texture

For a mineral-based sunscreen, the texture is surprisingly lightweight. It’s NOT as light as those of alcohol-based, chemical sunscreens, but it doesn’t feels heavy on the skin and sinks in within minutes.

Fragrance

It’s fragrance-free. This is music to my ears. I’ll say this until I’m blue in the face: fragrance is the most irritating ingredient in skincare and has no place it in. Period. Especially in something formulated for sensitive skin.

sunumbra sport spf 40

How To Use It

Liberally. Apply at least 1/3 of a teaspoon for the face and neck and a small glass shot for the body. Reapply regularly (at least every couple of hours in the sun).

P.S. Pat, don’t rub. When you rub sunscreen in, you’re actually rubbing some of it OFF your skin!

Packaging

Sunumbra Sport SPF 40 comes in a yellow and blue tube. Let’s be honest: it’s not the prettiest. But, it’s practical and hygienic. It releases a good amount of product, so you don’t waste any sunscreens.

Performance & Personal Opinion

For a mineral sunscreen, Sunumbra Sport SPF 40 has a fairly lightweight texture that sinks in quickly into the skin without feeling heavy or greasy all day.

Unlike other Sunumbra sunscreens, it’s not tinted. If you’ve got pale skin like me, that’s not a problem. The whiteness just melts into my skin. But on darker skin tones, it may look ashy. In that case, either opt for one of their tinted sunscreens or apply foundation on top to even everything out.

The sunscreen does a great job at keeping my skin safe from UV rays even in the heat of summer. So far, I didn’t experience any sunburns. Phew!

Sunumbra claims Sport SPF 40 is water-resistant for up to 40 minutes. I haven’t tested it in the water yet, but it does hold well when I sweat (and how can you not sweat when it’s 40ºC in the shade?!). Needless to say, water-resistant doesn’t mean it’ll stay effective forever. If you’re going for a swim or sweat a lot, do reapply it after 40 minutes.

One more thing: if you have oily skin, you’ll find the sunscreen hydrating enough on its own. And nope, it won’t cause breakouts. I’ve been wearing this all month and no pimples yet.

Dry skin? You may want to apply a moisturiser underneath, especially on the colder days. If not, your skin may feel a tad dry.

What I Like About Sunumbra Sport SPF 40

  • Provides broad-spectrum sun protection
  • Pretty lightweight for a mineral sunscreen and absorbs quickly
  • Fragrance-free
  • Water-resistant
  • Didn’t make me breakout
  • Practical packaging

What I DON’T Like About Sunumbra Sport SPF 40

  • May look ashy on darker skin tones
  • Not very moisturising (but then, it’s not a moisturiser)

Who Is This For?

Anyone can use this sunscreen, especially if you spend a lot of time doing outdoor sports. But it’s best suitable for sensitive oily skin.

Does Sunumbra Sport SPF 40 Live Up To Its Claims?

CLAIM TRUE?
Effective, photo stable, high level protection against both UVA and UVB radiation. True.
Protection from free radical damage and atmospheric toxins. Yes. But anything with antioxidants can do this.
Active natural nutrients and antioxidants to help reverse the effects of radiation damage. This is a very vague claim. What effects of radiation damage can they reverse? Some antioxidants have anti-inflammatory properties that can soothe sunburned skin, but don’t expect them to get rid of wrinkles or dark spots.
Blocks UVA exposure to reduce melanoma risk.
Maximizes UVB, without burning, to maximise vitamin D.		 This claim doesn’t make sense. How can you say that this sunscreen protects from UVB rays in one sentence and that it maximises them in the other? Plus, it’s dangerous. UVB rays cause sunburns and contribute to cancer. You don’t want to maximise them, you want to block them!
Sunumbra Sport is made exclusively from natural and organic ingredients. It is the unique combination of these ingredients that has enabled the total replacement of harmful chemicals found in most other sunscreens.  There are no harmful chemicals in sunscreen. Stop spreading false rumours to sell sunscreens!

Price & Availability

$29.90 at Sunumbra

Do You Need It?

If you’re looking for a water-resistant sunscreen the whole family can use, Sunumbra Sport SPF 40 is a good option to consider.

Ingredients

Active Ingredient: Zinc oxide 18%, natural sunscreen, non-nano, non-coated

Other ingredients: Cape chestnut oil (Wild sourced), de-ionized water, galactoarabinan (Eco-certified organic), cetearyl olivate sorbitan olivate (Eco-certified organic), red raspberry seed oil (Eco-certified organic), ocimum basilicum hairy root culture extract (100% Natural certification), carnauba wax, nicotinamide (100% Natural certification), magnesium chloride (100% Natural certification), Aspen bark extract (populus tremuloides) (100% Natural certification), tyrosine (100% Natural certification), ascorbyl glucoside (100% Natural certification), kigelia extract (Wild sourced), aloe ferox extract (Wild sourced), superoxide dismutase (SOD) (100% Natural certification), allantoin