The 2024 SELF Healthy Beauty Awards: 17 Truly Exceptional Sunscreens for Your Face and Body
Bonus points, per the experts: If you’re looking for calmer skin (on top of reliable mineral sun blocking), you’ve come to the right place: This sunscreen contains a range of soothing ingredients, including allantoin, bisabolol, and niacinamide.
One tester said: “For a simple ‘no-makeup’ makeup look, this can replace your foundation, since it has a tint and completely covers and evens out your skin. It blended in with my skin quite easily and smoothed out blemishes and flaws without much effort. It’s light and doesn’t get cakey like a lot of foundations I use. It even left me with a dewy glow, which is extremely hard to achieve with dry skin and eczema! Oh, and it’s SPF 50?! The cherry on top!”
Best Tinted SPF, Chemical: Naked Sundays CabanaCrème Hydrating Sunscreen Moisturizer SPF 50+
Why we love it: Now here’s an efficient product: Naked Sundays’s CabanaCrème is a sunscreen, moisturizer, and lightweight complexion corrector in one pretty purple tube. It leaves skin feeling hydrated and looking even, and serves as a good primer for makeup too.
Bonus points, per the experts: The CabanaCrème contains tried-and-true moisturizing ingredients like niacinamide and hyaluronic acid.
One tester said: “It’s creamy, light, moisturizing, and absorbent, and it doesn’t leave a cast like a lot of sunscreens do. It creates an even look and isn’t oily or greasy. Overall, this is a fantastic sunscreen that won’t make you break out. I’ve used it consistently and will buy more when it runs out.”
Best Tinted SPF, Chemical / Splurge: YSE Beauty Skin Glow SPF 30
Why we love it: If you’re willing to get a little spendy, YSE Beauty’s Skin Glow primer with SPF 30 is an investment-worthy upgrade for your standard daily sunscreen. It offers solid sun protection, acts as a moisturizer, and, true to its name, imparts a radiant glow (which should come in handy on extra sleepy mornings).
Bonus points, per the experts: In addition to chemical sunscreen ingredients, this primer contains niacinamide, which helps hydrate your skin and boost its overall brightness.
One tester said: “You can use it alone or with makeup, it truly does make your skin glow, and the texture is really nice on your skin. It doesn’t feel overly cakey and even has a good smell. I was surprised how seamlessly it blended. The bottle is also super pretty and looks nice on my vanity!”
Best Facial SPF, Chemical: Biore UV Aqua Rich Weightless Moisturizer SPF 30
Why we love it: If pretty much every sunscreen feels too heavy for your liking, it’s time to try Biore’s Aqua Rich SPF. It absorbs quickly, leaves zero white cast, and feels light and refreshing on your skin (which should be especially nice in the peak days of summer).
Bonus points, per the experts: This chemical sunscreen is oil-free and formulated with hyaluronic acid, a lightweight moisturizing ingredient that is suitable for acne-prone skin.
One tester said: “The sunscreen goes on very smoothly and it quickly sinks into my skin, with a nice hydrating feel. It has a slightly cooling sensation, and doesn’t leave any residue or oiliness behind. I found myself consistently going back to this product.”
Best Serum SPF: Kiehl’s Better Screen UV Serum SPF 50+
Why we love it: Equal parts serum and sunscreen, this lightweight serum is formulated to prevent sun damage and help improve the skin’s texture.