Editor Tip: It’s no wonder this matte-finish formula won a 2021 Best of Beauty Award.
Type: Chemical | Key Ingredients: Avobenzone (3%), homosalate (10%), octisalate (5%), octocrylene (5%), aloe, squalane, shea butter, coconut oil
Best Transparent: Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40
Why It’s Worth It: Supergoop’s Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40 has a gel-like formula that dries down matte and completely clear—and therefore pairs perfectly with all complexions (as any sunscreen should). The weightless, oil-free formula is also filled with skin-nourishing ingredients like hydrating meadowfoam seed oil and shea butter, so you won’t even mind reapplying every few hours.
Chicago-based board-certified dermatologist Caroline Robinson, MD, previously recommended this broad-spectrum SPF. While she called out its rich, winter-friendly texture, the glycerin- and aloe-spiked sunscreen lotion works well in warmer weather, too, as it’s water-resistant for up to 40 minutes.
Editor Tip: It’s picked up not only one Best of Beauty Award but two Readers’ Choice Awards in its lifetime—the most recent being 2021.
Type: Chemical | Key Ingredients: Avobenzone (3%), homosalate (8%), octisalate (5%), octocrylene (4%), red algae, meadowfoam seed oil, frankincense
Best with Antioxidants: SkinMedica Total Defense + Repair Broad Spectrum SPF 34
Why It’s Worth It: $70 might seem like a lot to shell out for sunscreen, but when Mona Gohara, MD, Connecticut-based board-certified dermatologist, says it’s one of her favorites, we reconsider. SkinMedica Total Defense + Repair SPF 34 is brimming with antioxidants vitamins C and E, and guards skin against UVA, UVB, and infrared-A rays. Adding to the robust list of skin-nourishing ingredients are squalane, glycerin, and niacinamide to boost radiance and strengthen the barrier.
Editor Tip: The formula offers enough antioxidants and moisturizing ingredients that it can replace your A.M. skin-care routine in a pinch.
Type: Chemical and mineral | Key Ingredients: Octinoxate (7.5%), octisalate (3%), zinc oxide (8%), squalane, glycerin, vitamin C
Frequently Asked Questions
How does sunscreen work?
As beauty journalists, at least one person on our staff chats with a dermatologist on a near-daily basis, and nearly every single one praises the importance of wearing a proper broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF rating of, at the very least, 30. Wearing one daily (and reapplying every two hours) protects your skin from harmful, damage-causing UVA and UVB rays. As a refresher, too much exposure to the sun’s rays can result in long-lasting damage, leading to concerns like sun spots, skin sagging, fine lines and wrinkles, and so on. (UVA rays, for good measure, penetrate more deeply than UVB rays and can potentially lead to more aggressive skin cancers including melanomas.)
