We think Supergoop Play Everyday Lotion SPF 50 with Sunflower Extract is the facial sunscreen most people will like best. Although itâs not as readily available as the Thinksport formula we recommend (you can buy it only at Walmart), it is typically around half the price. We found that the Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection Sensitive Skin Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 took significantly longer to rub in compared with most other physical sunscreens weâve tried and consistently left a white cast. Or, maybe youâve already found your favorite physica⦠It’s non-whitening, goes on smooth and absorbs excess oil. According to the American Cancer Society, carefully designed studies on breast cancer and parabens have found no connection. Coppertone Pure & Simple Baby SPF 50, a combination sunscreen lotion, felt thick and took a while to fully absorb into our skinâbut not a prohibitively long time. Youâre getting hit by a fair amount of the sunâs rays every day, even overcast ones, âunless you are a spelunker,â dermatologist Rachel Herschenfeld told us. This choice, like many others, is a personal one â but for today's purposes, we're going to be talking about physical (or mineral) sunscreens. Because it hydrates without being greasy or tacky, it’s an effective base for makeup. But whiter zinc oxide and titanium oxide physical sunscreens and combination (physical and chemical) sunscreens are better bets for people who hate the classic smell of sunscreen, prefer a stickier texture, need a formula that wonât stain white clothes, want to be able to see where theyâve applied their sunscreen, or have an allergy to any ingredients commonly found in chemical-only formulas. Thinksportâs spartan ingredient list may appeal to those with sensitive skin, though people with sensitive noses might not feel the same way. Researchers have long known that some chemical UV filters can reach the bloodstream, and have detected varying amounts of these active ingredients in urine and breast milk. In a 2001 animal study (PDF), researchers at the University of Zurich fed rats a high dose of oxybenzone and found that it accumulated in the rodentsâ livers, kidneys, spleens, and testes; in female rats, the very high dose made their uteruses grow larger. While you don't necessarily have to reach for that bottle of SPF 100 (SPF 30 is sufficient), yes, you should wear broad-spectrum sunscreen every day, even if you have a darker skin tone. No-Ad Sport Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 is easy to apply and water resistant, and it offers broad-spectrum protection, leaves no white cast, and has no added fragrance. It comes in a packable, easy-to-grip, 8-ounce bottle with a seal-tight cap. Because every personâs situation is unique, itâs best to discuss this topic with your doctor. Although we could detect a slight sunscreen scent when we first applied it, after itâs been rubbed in, âit doesnât really smell like anything,â said Wirecutter social media strategy editor Sasha VanHoven, who was a member of our test panel and has been using Coppertone Ultra Guard consistently since. They sit on top of your skin, forming a barrier to ⦠A sunscreen ⦠Banana Boat Sport Performance Clear UltraMist is also less expensive than most other sprays we considered. Drunk Elephantâs Umbra Physical Daily Defense SPF 30 formulas (Sheer, Tinte) are our ⦠Nothing blocks 100 percent of UVB rays. Your chances of getting an effective SPF above 30 regardless of what the label claims are better if you buy a sunscreen labeled SPF 50 or even 70. In an article for The Skin Cancer Foundation, Steven Wang warns against a false sense of safety from super-high SPFs: You canât put on SPF 100 and then be invincible against the sun forever. Formula matters: Physical or mineral sunscreens (made with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) sit on top of the skin and deflect UV rays, while chemical sunscreens (made with ingredients ⦠We tried 11 additional physical sunscreens in spring 2020, and still like our reef-safe sunscreen pick, Thinksport SPF 50+, best. Lips need sun care, too. “I prefer mineral based sunscreens or physical blockers that contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, because they're more protective against exacerbation of discoloration and dark spots," says Dr. Singh. "You read right. “For dry skin I usually recommend using sunscreens that are hydrating. But if it will bridge the gap to proper application, it may be worth the extra cost to you. During peak hours in the middle of summer, as little as five minutes of sun exposure can suffice. Photo: Rozette Rago, No-Ad Sport upon application. âBabyâ sunscreens can be cost-effective physical options. With no breeze and spraying as close to the foil as possible, I found that nearly all of the sunscreen transferred to the surface. After testing seven such lotions for our guide to reef-safe sunscreen, we recommend Thinksport SPF 50+. (See âWhat lab testing can (and cannot) reveal about sunscreen efficacy.â), First, a panel of nine people, myself included, tried the sunscreens in swatches on our arms in a blind test, with the bottles covered in duct tape to avoid the influence of brand names and marketing claims. In addition, although we donât recommend that most people use a spray sunscreen, we do recognize that itâs the best option for some. We eliminated one chemical sunscreen lotion, Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Lotion Sunscreen SPF 30, early on in our testing because of its bottle. In addition to our pick, Thinksport SPF 50+ Sunscreen, Thinksport also sells versions for babies and kids. (Most sunscreens, including some of our picks, include parabens.). Neutrogena Wet Skin Kids Sunscreen SPF 70, a chemical spray sunscreen, comes in a bottle thatâs smaller than the competition (5 ounces versus the typical 8), meaning youâd probably have to carry more than one bottle with you for a beach day. Among other things, the FDA considers lab data on a given sunscreenâs SPF value, broad-spectrum protection, and water resistance. In this week's newsletter: Summer is around the corner, and we have new sunscreen recommendations for soaking up the sun safely. Vitamin D is essential for health, and wearing sunscreenâwhich deflects or absorbs the sunâs raysâsignificantly reduces the bodyâs ability to make it. (No-Ad SPF 45 Sunscreen Lotion is a slightly thicker version.). Spray sunscreens are deceptively difficult to apply adequately and generally cost around twice as much per ounce as comparable lotions. Donât hoard sunscreen: It breaks down over time. We recommend Kiss My Faceâs Face Factor Sunscreen SPF 30 as a non-greasy, mostly scent-free option in our guide to face sunscreens, but we wouldnât hesitate to use our top-pick body sunscreen on our faces for a beach day. After more than 60 hours of research, and many more wearing sunscreen on our bodies, weâve determined that the best sunscreen for everyday use is the one youâll apply liberally and often, so it should be inexpensive but still feel good. Although some doctors we spoke with said they were keen on physical or combination formulas, the consensus was that having a formula you like, with a listed SPF of 30 or higher, is the most important consideration. The chemical sunscreens we tested all smelled at least a little sunscreen-y if they didnât have some other fragrance added. We found that Fruit of the Earth Block Up Sport Sunscreen SPF 50 rubbed in easily, but not as easily as our other chemical sunscreen lotion picks. Itâs a zinc-based combination sunscreen that has all the features of a physical sunscreen while being a little easier to rub in than most physical-only formulas. Our testers liked Equate Baby Zinc Broad Spectrum Sunscreen Mineral Lotion SPF 50, a physical sunscreen, for its pleasant feel and lack of added fragrance. While its powered by chemical screens, there's no oxybenzone. Most of our panelists did not like it. The Banana Boat spray bottle itself was the best we tested. (Note that the 1-ounce measure for lotion sunscreens is volumeâthe amount youâd put in a glassânot weight.). âI put it on every single day,â she said. No-Ad Sport Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 nearly matched Coppertone Ultra Guard in our feel testing and smell testing, though testers found it stickier. And it didnât turn white when we wore it running, as some sunscreens did. Her debut picture book, Bedtime Bonnet, is the first-ever kids book on Black nighttime hair rituals. Labs that test sunscreens also examine how the formulas perform when applied to acrylic plates, quantifying the amount of UV radiation that passes through. Itâs easy to apply and comfortable to wear, while still being affordable. Wirecutter is reader-supported. Unlike many sunscreens we considered and some we tried, it wonât make you look like a ghost or smell like a Bath & Body Works shop. Like the Coppertone formula, this No-Ad sunscreen is rated to be water resistant for up to 80 minutes, and it has a thin texture and is easy to rub fully inâeven for people with significant body hair. Mineral sunscreens are particularly helpful for dark skin because they deflect heat which worsens hyperpigmentation, says Dr. Singh. Year after year, they find that some do not. All sunscreens have a sun protection factor, or SPF. Our testers largely preferred the original Thinksport formula, which has a somewhat fruity scent. *At the time of publishing, the price was $10. Some companies also make combination sunscreens, which have some chemical filters and some physical.1 Chemical sunscreens tend to be greasier but go on translucent. Avobenzone, oxybenzone, and ecamsule are the three main filters (PDF). The trouble is, so many options on the market leave a white cast that can be unflattering and chalky. Our self-proclaimed fragrance-hating tester preferred sunscreens that were zinc-based, including this one (which some testers said smelled somewhat of glue). Although sprays seem to be an appealing option for covering hard-to-reach parts of your body, every single expert we asked said you canât just spray your own back and be good to go. has not deemed safe and effective, either, but that it also canât remove without eliminating a valuable form of skin-cancer protection.â). Itâs also critical to have a sunscreen labeled as broad spectrum. Many sunscreens also contain added fragrance. Note that our tests were unscientific and this is a fairly rough estimate, but it provides at least a workable rule of thumb that leaves a person safely covered in the sun. One tester noted that the âsmell isnât offensive.â The tester continued, âItâs a little sticky [and it] blends into the skin decently.â. The spray we found easiest to apply properly, Goddess Garden Organics Kids Natural Sunscreen SPF 30, is a physical sunscreen that isnât aerosolized; rather, itâs a lotion that squirts out in little blobs. Instead, weâve focused our testing on the factors that affect peopleâs sunscreen use: Namely, how the formulas feel and smell. In some cases, these active ingredients were still detectable in varying concentrations in the participantsâ blood for days after their last application. It costs four times as much per ounce as the CVS Health Clear Zinc lotion. This process gave us a list of more than 70 top-rated, best-selling formulas. If youâre already on board with us all-natural sunscreen lovers, then I hope you liked the products I recommended! "Because many of my patients complain of greasiness and being acne-prone, I always recommend checking labels and ensuring that products are oil-free and non-comedogenic,” says Dr. Singh. Chemical sunscreens⦠Plus, the balm comes in over 10 pretty tints (read: it won’t make lips look ashy). Currently, the FDA says that only two sunscreen actives are considered safe and effective: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. If youâre using a bottle of spray correctlyâthat is, youâre applying and reapplying the recommended amount and rubbing it into your skinâone person could use up an entire bottle in a single day at the beach.