We reviewed 10 highly rated picks by Black Girl Sunscreen, Bioré, La Roche-Posay, Supergoop, and more to find the ones you’ll want to wear daily
We tried multiple sunscreens, including those from La Roche-Posay, Supergoop, Bioré, and Dermalogica.
By Angela Lashbrook
While the most important feature of a sunscreen is how well it protects your skin, there’s another critical attribute—namely, wearability—that can’t be ignored, not even in the face of efficacy. Nasty odors, irritating ingredients, pilling on top of moisturizer or beneath makeup, and white cast are just a few of the unwanted features we considered in our evaluation of 10 of Consumer Reports’ top-rated face sunscreens. (Read more about CR’s overall best sunscreens and how our lab tests them for protection against ultraviolet rays here.)
I found one of my favorite new personal-care products of the year—one I’ll continue to buy as I run out, even with a now fully stocked shelf of excellent-to-acceptable sunscreens.
I also found a sunscreen I wouldn’t even want to use on my feet, let alone my face. Other evaluators found new-to-them sunscreens that work beautifully under foundation, add the perfect skin-perfecting blur, or have an avoid-at-all-costs smell of gasoline.
We include information from SkinSafe, an organization that uses Mayo Clinic data to determine irritation potential, possible allergic reactions, and overall safety of personal-care products. SkinSafe provides “scores” that rate products according to how many of the 11 most common allergens they contain. A higher score indicates fewer allergens. People with rosacea, eczema, allergies, or otherwise sensitive skin may find this info especially useful, but most adults with “normal” skin probably don’t need to worry too much about this score.
One note about fragrance: SkinSafe’s standard for fragrance ingredients often differs from standards set by brands. This means that SkinSafe considers many ingredients to be fragrances, even though manufacturers may claim that their product is fragrance-free.
Sneak Peek: We tried a dud from a classic, old-school sunscreen brand, while another product didn’t provide the finish promised by its name.
Meet the Testers
From left: Lucy Huang, Tanya Christian, Mary Beth Quirk, and Angela Lashbrook.
Photos: Consumer Reports
Lucy Huang is a fact checker at Consumer Reports. She has oily combination skin and wears Summer Fridays Sheer Skin Tint, Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer, and Nars The Multiple over her sunscreen each day. She was looking for a sunscreen without an odor that absorbed well into the skin.
Tanya Christian is a writer at CR. She has dry skin and wears Tarte Shape Tape Concealer under her eyes and Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer elsewhere. She was looking for a sunscreen that wouldn’t make her skin look ashy, shiny, or oily, kept her breakout-free, and looked good under makeup.
Mary Beth Quirk is a shopping editor at CR. She has mature, normal-to-oily skin and wears E.L.F. Hydrating Camo Concealer, Wander Beauty Women’s Wanderlust Powder Foundation, and Wander Beauty Blush All Day Hydrating Powder Blush. She was looking for a sunscreen that moisturized, didn’tsmell “like a beach ball,” and kept her makeup in place.
Angela Lashbrook (that’s me, a senior writer at CR). I have dry, sensitive skin and occasional eczema. I wear Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Hydrating Gel Skin Tint and Hourglass Vanish Flash Highlighting Stick. I was looking for a hydrating—or at least nondrying—sunscreen that wouldn’t pill under makeup or irritate my eczema-prone skin. Bonus points for dewiness.
Vacation Crystal SPF 50 Invisible Face Gel
Tl;DR on skin types
– Dry: Yes
– Normal-combo: Yes
– Oily: Yes
The adoration for this transparent gel-like sunscreen was basically unanimous. It applies like a primer, with a slick, silicone-heavy feel. So if you don’t like the smoothing effect provided by silicone, or if you’re already loyal to another primer, this sunscreen might be overkill. (Fortunately, there were quite a few others we liked that would probably work for the already-primed among us.)
“This sunscreen spread the best out of the 10 that we evaluated. It was very even, and you didn’t have to keep rubbing it in since it is gel-based,” Lucy said. “It was the best for makeup. They do market it as a primer, and I will say they delivered on that.”
“Silky” was another term frequently used in our evaluations of this sunscreen, which has very little scent. “There was a very faint smell that was not off-putting,” Tanya said, and it was incredibly easy to apply, thanks to its unique pointed applicator tip.
SkinSafe: This product scores a 91. It contains propylene glycol, which some people are allergic to; centella asiatica leaf extract (which SkinSafe considers a fragrance ingredient); and butyloctyl salicylate, which according to SkinSafe can be irritating for some people.
Bioré UV Aqua Rich SPF 50 Weightless Moisturizer
Tl;DR on skin types
– Dry: Yes
– Normal-combo: Yes
– Oily: Yes
This sunscreen from the Japanese brand Bioré is an excellent option for those who want one with less slip than our No. 1 pick from Vacation. “I loved the texture of this. It’s very silky, and though it was sticky for a few minutes, it dried down nicely to a light, soft, matte finish,” Mary Beth said. “It absorbed very quickly—so quickly that I was a little bit concerned at first that I’d have enough time to spread it all over my face. But once I applied the appropriate amount, it was perfect.” It didn’t produce a white cast on any of our evaluators. But it did have a light, citrusy scent that was pleasant but perhaps not the best for more sensitive skin.
My only complaint here (beyond the lovely scent, which spells bad news for my eczema) was about the bottle cap, which I found difficult to pry open if my fingers were already slick with moisturizer. But I was the only person who mentioned this problem.
SkinSafe: This product earns a score of 91. It contains fragrance ingredients, including citral and limonene; gluten; and homosalate, a sunscreen ingredient that may be irritating for people with especially sensitive skin.
Supergoop Play Everyday Lotion SPF 50
Tl;DR on skin types
– Dry: Yes
– Normal-combo: Yes
– Oily: Yes
With this product, we started moving more solidly into “sunscreen” territory. Although most of us didn’t experience any pilling with the Supergoop Play sunscreen (more on this in a second), it definitely didn’t feel like a primer as the Bioré or Vacation did. “It’s thick, but not excessively so. It definitely feels like sunscreen and not a regular moisturizer,” Mary Beth said. “It feels more substantial than the gel formulas, but is still very comfortable,” Tanya said.
Tanya said the Supergoop Play sunscreen was “substantial but comfortable.”
Photo: Tanya Christian/Consumer Reports
We noticed that this sunscreen felt sticky for a while after application. “It left my skin feeling sticky, which I hate,” Lucy said. And Mary Beth experienced some pilling under her makeup. This sunscreen—which, similar to the Biore, has a lightly citrusy scent—may be better for light makeup days.
SkinSafe: The Supergoop Play Every Lotion SPF 50 has a score of 91. It contains fragrance (such as lemon peel oil and rosewood oil); coconut (in the form of diethylhexyl syringylidenemalonate); and possibly irritating ingredients like citric acid (an alpha-hydroxy acid) and the sunscreen filter homosalate.
Dermalogica Protection 50 Sport SPF50
Tl;DR on skin types
– Dry: Yes
– Normal-combo: Yes
– Oily: No
Lucy said this sunscreen was very luxurious and had the texture of a thick face cream. It felt fluffy, almost aerated, which made this sunscreen feel high-end. Tanya said that she had to work a bit harder to blend it in, but that it spread evenly and left her skin looking and feeling moisturized without feeling heavy. None of us experienced any pilling or white cast. This sunscreen’s only downside was that it left a slight sheen, which some of us (me, who has dry skin) liked but others (Lucy, who has oily skin) didn’t. It had a faint plasticky scent, but that didn’t bother any of us. People who really, really dislike that smell may want to stay away from this sunscreen, but truly, it’s very mild and dissipates almost instantly.
SkinSafe: Dermalogica Protection Sport SPF 50 has score of 100. It contains homosalate, a sunscreen ingredient, and citric acid, an alpha-hydroxy acid, both of which can be irritating for some people with sensitive skin.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Sunscreen SPF 60
Tl;DR on skin types
– Dry: Yes
– Normal-combo: Yes
– Oily: No
This option from La Roche-Posay (a brand that seemingly produces many sunscreens, many of them with very similar names!) is another reliable product for people who don’t have oily skin. Tanya found it to be “silky and lotionlike, with a rich feel.” “Some of the lighter-weight formulas don’t necessarily feel like you’re wearing a traditional sunscreen,” she continued, “but this one is going to give that traditional sunscreen feel.” It requires more rubbing to blend in fully, and Lucy thought it felt greasy and left a white cast. “It spread fine but did not absorb well. It kind of sits on top of your skin,” she said. “It lightened the skin tint I use because it didn’t absorb well, so it got mixed in with the tint.”
Lucy (left) experience white cast from La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Sunscreen, but Tanya didn’t.
Photos: Lucy Huang, Tanya Christian (Consumer Reports)
I liked this one—it felt moisturizing, and what Lucy experienced as “greasiness” my dry skin experienced as “dewiness.” It definitely doesn’t have the priming capabilities of Vacation or Bioré, however. Mary Beth said she would still wear a primer with this sunscreen. None of us had any problems with pilling, though.
It had a minor chemically scent that Tanya described as “not bothersome” but Lucy said “smells like gasoline.“
SkinSafe: The La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Sunscreen SPF 60 has a score of 91. Although the brand claims this product is fragrance-free, it contains cassia alata leaf extract and P-Anisic acid, which SkinSafe considers fragrance ingredients. It also contains gluten (in the form of maltodextrin), propylene glycol, coconut (in the form of diethylhexyl syringylidenemalonate), and potentially irritating ingredients including butyloctyl salicylate and octisalate.
Other Sunscreens We Tried
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer SPF 30
Tl;DR on skin types
– Dry: No
– Normal-combo: Yes
– Oily: Yes
This is another option from La Roche-Posay. Its thin, almost watery texture means it might be better for normal-to-oily skin. “It’s a bit runny, so you have to be careful of how much you want to squeeze out,” Lucy said. “It did not leave my skin shiny, which is a plus in my book.” Mary Beth called it light and silky. “It feels more like a moisturizer than a sunscreen,” she said.
But this product felt quite drying to me; my skin felt dehydrated and tight at the end of the day, and it was slightly red. This happened on multiple occasions. Folks with very dry skin, like me, may benefit from a heavier sunscreen.
SkinSafe: Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer has a score of 100. It contains citric acid and homosalate, which may be irritating for people with particular skin sensitivities.
Black Girl Sunscreen Make It Matte Gel SPF 45
Tl;DR on skin types
– Dry: Yes
– Normal-combo: Yes
– Oily: No
When I poured this from the bottle, I thought it had separated; I was seeing a thin, transparent gel that needed to be shaken into the rest of the product. When I shook it, the texture didn’t change. But Mary Beth said a vigorous shaking fixed the problem. “The texture held together a lot better, and wasn’t as runny,” she said.
The “mattifying” descriptor was misapplied. I’m so dry that I was nervous to wear it, considering its supposedly mattifying properties, but it didn’t actually mattify much and in fact was slightly luminous and glowy. It did make my skin feel tight and uncomfortable almost immediately, although Tanya, whose skin is also dry, didn’t report this problem.
“It looked great, like absolutely nothing besides soft skin. Even though it’s matte, it also somehow makes my skin glow slightly, which I can’t explain, but I love,” Mary Beth said. Tanya agreed: “The finish is more natural matte than flat matte. It cuts shine without making the skin look dry or dull.”
Black Girl Sunscreen Make It Matte didn’t make it matte.
Photos: Angela Lashbrook/Consumer Reports, Tanya Christian/Consumer Reports
But Lucy, whose skin is more on the oily side, didn’t like the result. “I don’t know if I would call this a matte sunscreen. I wasn’t as shiny as some of the other sunscreens, but it wasn’t matte enough for me,” she said. The strong plasticky odor was also an issue for her. “This smelled so horrible that I had to take it off. For a product that is so close to your nose, I can’t deal with that.”
Because it’s such a clear product, nobody had an issue with white cast. Its slight slipperiness made it a good candidate as a lightweight primer.
SkinSafe: This product has a score of 100. It contains coconut oil, as well as homosalate and octisalate, which are potential irritants for some people.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Kids Gentle Lotion SPF 50
Tl;DR on skin types
– Dry: Yes
– Normal-combo: Yes
– Oily: Yes
We found this sunscreen to be somewhat thick, and it required some rubbing to blend in. Lucy, whose skin is oily, had issues with white cast, though Tanya, whose skin is dry, didn’t. We found it to feel more traditionally “sunscreeny” than the others, and it felt a bit sticky to me. None of us experienced pilling. I would wear this in a pinch and put it on my toddler, no problem. But we wouldn’t reach for it first as an option beneath makeup.
SkinSafe: The Anthelios Kids Lotions SPF 50 has a score of 91. It contains coconut, homosalate and octisalate (which are potential irritants), and p-anisic acid, which SkinSafe considers a fragrance ingredient.
Eucerin Advanced Hydration Lightweight Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30
Tl;DR on skin types
– Dry: Yes
– Normal-combo: Yes
– Oily: No
This one felt like a very standard sunscreen—thick, a bit greasy, and requiring a fair amount of rubbing to blend. And unfortunately, stinks. Lucy said it “smells like gasoline,” while Tanya actually felt sick after using it. “It was strong enough that I had to remove the sunscreen and try again later after my migraine had resolved,” she said. That said, it didn’t pill or leave a white cast. The smell didn’t bother me much, but it has a heavy enough texture that it feels uncomfortable and weighty on the skin. I’ll leave it for midsummer body use instead.
SkinSafe: This product has a score of 91. It contains hydroxyacetophenone (which SkinSafe considers a fragrance ingredient), coconut, and several potential irritants: octisalate, glycyrrhetinic acid, homosalate, and sodium ascorbyl phosphate.
Coppertone Every Tone Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50
Tl;DR on skin types
– Dry: Yes
– Normal-combo: Yes
– Oily: No
Talk about a misnomer: “Every Tone” this is not. Even I, who typically uses the lightest shade foundation available, had to blend this sunscreen more than usual to avoid a white cast. “This one gave me the worst white cast. As an East Asian person, it was pretty noticeable,” Lucy said.. Tanya noticed a white cast as well but was able to work it out with plenty of rubbing in. This difference between Lucy and Tanya could be because Lucy’s skin tends to be oily, so products are less likely to sink in, while Tanya’s skin, although a deeper tone than Lucy’s, is also on the drier side.
Lucy (left) experienced significant white cast, but Tanya was able to resolve it with plenty of blending.
Photos: Lucy Huang/Consumer Reports, Tanya Christian/Consumer Reports
It has a plasticky sunscreen scent, along with what I perceived as a very strong alcohol odor. And the second time I poured this sunscreen into my hand, it came out separated and chunky, like cottage cheese. Shaking didn’t remedy this. Because no one else reported this disgusting occurrence, I assumed it was a quality-control issue that affected my bottle alone. But it didn’t inspire confidence, and I’m hesitant to use this stuff again.
SkinSafe: This product has a score of 91. It contains hydroxyacetophenone (which SkinSafe considers a fragrance ingredient) and several potential irritants: butyloctyl salicylate, octisalate, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, and homosalate.
How We Tested
We evaluated 10 of Consumer Reports’ top lab-tested sunscreens, which we test for SPF and broad-spectrum protection. While some of these sunscreens are marketed explicitly for the face and others for the face and body (or just body), we chose highly rated products from CR’s tests that in some way indicated they’d be acceptable for the face. This meant no (advertised) strong fragrances and no stick or spray sunscreens.
We focused on wearability. Our criteria were:
• How well-designed is the bottle? Does the product dispense from the bottle at a reasonable speed? Or does it dispense too quickly or too much?
• How cosmetically elegant is the formula? Is it gritty, silky, watery, creamy?
• How easily does it spread on the skin?
• What is the finish? Is it as promised by the product’s marketing language?
• Does this sunscreen produce a white cast?
• How does it smell?
• How does it interact with skin care and makeup? Does it pill, or does makeup slide right off?
• We wore each sunscreen on our face and neck, on top of our standard skin care routine and beneath our everyday makeup.
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