The present invention provides silicon oxide-coated zinc oxide in which, in a silica coating formed of a silicate alkali metal salt, the elution of zinc ions is suppressed, a method for preparing the same, a composition containing silicon oxide-coated zinc oxide, and a cosmetic material. The silicon oxide-coated zinc oxide of the present invention is silicon oxide-coated zinc oxide formed by coating surfaces of zinc oxide particles with a silicon oxide coating, in which an average primary particle diameter of the zinc oxide particles is more than 50 nm and 500 nm or less, and when held in a buffer solution having a pH of 5 for 1 hour, an elution ratio S of the zinc oxide defined by following Expression (1) is 50% or less. Elution ratio S=(amount of eluted zinc oxide)/(amount of zinc oxide in silicon oxide-coated zinc oxide)   (1)