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Hit List: Best Facial Sunscreen for Summer
What’s the Best Facial Sunscreen for Summer that you’ve tried?
Share your pick! And don’t forget to share why 🙂
For every day, I really like Origins’ A Perfect World SPF 25!
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My favorites are LAVANILA The Healthy Face SPF 40 and Paula’s Choice RESIST SPF 25.
I hope some people will be able to mention affordable cruelty free sunscreens! It’s so hard to find those! I’m gonna be keeping an eye on this post.
I think the ELTA MD products are cruelty free, and they’re great! If your skin is normal or normal/dry, you might like the the one called “UV Lotion.” It’s SPF 30 with zinc, and if you get it on sale at dermstore or lovelyskin, you can get 7 oz. for about $25.
Also, have you ever searched Beautypedia? You can search for cruelty free products and then by price range, I think.
Elta MD is my favorite. The UV Clear SPF 46 is my go-to. It’s so soothing, and it’s not sticky at all. I have oily skin and it’s my year-round moisturizer.
For everyday use and under make up, I like COOLA face spf 30 classic (unscented and moisturizing). This is non greasy, goes great under foundation and feels very light. For being on the beach and out on the water or any other all day outside in the summer sun type activities, I rely on Coppertone Sensitive skin faces 50spf. This has zinc oxide in it and goes on white but within about 10 minutes the white fades out. I have rosacea which flares when I am in the hot sun, this is the only sunscreen that prevents that process for me. I have worn foundation over it from time to time but it is not an ideal combination. I don’t have oily skin but I do get dry in the summer due to the climate I live and play in.
I would have to pick the face sunscreen from Korres with spf30. It’s all natural, plus it’s good for combination skin and doesn’t leave any grease. http://www.korres.com/default.aspx?page_id=107
I really like the La Roche Posay Anthelios XL cream gel sunscreen! Its gel based, non-greasy and very high spf sans the white cast! Perfect!
A huge second vote for La Roche Posay SPF 50 and slightly tinted. I wear it for baseball games and it has worked great! It *can’t* be greasy and it doesn’t sweat off in the 2-3 hours for a game.
They have it at Target and Walgreens.
Paula’s Choice Hydralight shine-free mineral complex spf 30.
I would second this – I use it everyday as both moisturizer and sunscreen and it works great!
Me too! I love that!! 🙂
I guess me fourth?
Although I’ve been trying to switch to Neutrogena pure and free liquid most days because I go through the hydralight really fast. It’s not cheap enough for that… But the hydralight is still a treat for me.
I love the new Dermalogica Sport SPF 50 for face and body. It is nicely hydrating and not greasy.
P.S.When i used to have more oilier skin in the summer, i loved the Skin ceuticals mineral SPF 50.
L’oreal Face 50. It’s lightweight, doesn’t break me out, doesn’t leave my NW45 face looking like Casper, and wears well under makeup.
Oh abso-freaking-lutely Glo-Therapeutics Oil-Free sunscreen for me. It’s a mineral sunscreen, provides SPF 40+ and it doesn’t make my skin extra oily or make break out.
Obagi spf 35 – not sticky or greasy. does not interfere with my skincare or makeup products.
I have sensitive skin, so I only use mineral-based sunscreens. I like CeraVe AM lotion, Paula’s Choice Skin Recovery and Hydralight sunscreens (both SPF 30), and Elta MD’s UV Lotion SPF 30+. The Elta is actually a body sunscreen, but the ingredients are the same as the facial sunscreen and you get more bang for your buck (7 oz. for about $25). All of these go on smoothly and absorb well. I find if I apply the sunscreen and then let it sit for about 30 seconds or so, I can then rub it in to get rid of any white cast,
I second all of these! + I love Replenix Sheer Physical Sunscreen Cream SPF 50+ It’s got a soft focus matte finish and the only active is zinc oxide, at 13%!
I need to try that one, especially since Skinstore has a 20% off everything sale going on right now. Have you tried the Citrix antioxidant sunscreen by the same brand?
Hi Lanie! I just tried the Citrix, as a matter of fact. I found it to be greasy compared to the Elta, Cerave, and Replenix products. I wonder if this greasiness is just a fact of life for water resistant sunscreens, though, as I haven’t tried any that were both truly elegant *and* water resistant. For now, I’m going to use the Citrix when I go for a jog or something–i.e. when I’ll be sweating and wearing no makeup. By the way, I think I would repurchase Solbar Zinc SPF 38 rather than the Citrix for this purpose, as the Solbar is so much cheaper and very similar (although without the antioxidants).
I have two faves. Neoutregena Ultra Sheer Face Sunscreen spf 60 and Ombrelle Face Stick spf 60.
Neutrogena Clear Face Break-Out Free SPF 55. No zits!
I use Elta MD every day year-round. Sometimes mixed with a primer. Works for me.
I really like EltaMD Clear 46. It’s got a high SPF (46), doesnt’ break you out, and feels weightless under make-up. Since I started using it (my dermatologist recommended it), I no longer look for excuses to to put on sunscreen andmy skin looks much better.
Kiss My Face SPF30 Face and Neck, hands down best sunscreen (and it’s natural, too!)
i love Vichy Capital Soleil SPF50 Toucher Sec (matte finish). I get it when traveling overseas or order from French drugstores online. I’m also a sensitive rosacea sufferer, but this stuff is great.
CVS sells this in the US. My bottle doesn’t say “Toucher Sec,” but otherwise it’s the same. I like it, too!
I swear by Paula’s Choice Hydralite SPF 30!
I have sensitive acne prone skin, so right now I love MD Solar Sciences SPF 50 Sunscreen. It’s mineral based, non-greasy, doesn’t leave a white cast on my dark skin or cause me to break out more. For the most part it also doubles as a primer. I used to like Josie Maran’s SPF moisturizer until they reformulated it.
Clarins UV plus Day Screen SPF 40 oil free, best for oily or combination skin
Love love love this!
Jack Blacks double duty spf 25 i believe its called, comes in a large blue pump bottle, its
fabulous!
i used to use Josie Maran’s spf face moisture, and have a new unopened box of the new formulation, I haven’t tried it yet
but i heard the new formulation has had complaints..
Biore’s SPF50 sunscreen for the face. It’s super light and non-greasy, and dries quickly to a matte finish so it’s perfect for wearing under makeup. It doesn’t budge, even when sweating, and it’s a lovely price too!
L’Oreal silly sheer and Neutrogena clear face. I have suuuuper sensitive skin and hate feeling greasy. I’m not allergic to either and I can’t tell that I’m wearing either.
Use Dr Denese SP30 Day Cream. Having sensitive skin, a lot of the chemical sunscreens cause me to blotch out so I try to stick with physical suncreens. The Active Ingredients are Zinc Oxide 7.5%, Octinoxate 7.5%. The octinoxate doesn’t cause me any issues. As it does contain silicones, it also services as my foundation primer. I have dry skin so I don’t have to deal with undo oiliness with the cones. It only has a mild sunscreen smell.
I switch between Skinceuticals Physical Fusion SPF 50+ tinted sunscreen (makes it so I can skip foundation – is way too dark, but it blends out) and Neutrogena Pure & Free Liquid SPF 50 (the normal cream breaks me out like crazy, this doesn’t!) I use mineral-only sunscreens due to sensitivity.
Neutrogena Pure Screen Sensitive Skin SPF 50 or Elta MD SPF 41. Both are light and work great!
L’Oréal Paris Advanced Suncare Silky Sheer BB Face Lotion SPF 30
I really…really in love with this product There’s nothing greasy about it. It’s so light, it’s almost like putting water on your face,Best drugstore sunscreen!!
I like CeraVe SPF 30. It contains zinc, yet is lightweight and has no white cast. It also contains ceramides and hyaluronic acids. It’s also very affordable running under $15.
I have been using a new product- Ocean Elements Sheer Daily Moisture SPF 30 and I love it! It is a combination moisturizer/SPF that was developed by a dermatologist. It is made with marine ingredients and has no chemicals. My favorite part about it is that it is sheer enough to wear alone or under makeup, so I can wear it every day.
It’s a tie between Dermalogica’s Oil Free SPF30 Booster and CoverFX’s SPF30 Protection Primer. Both give great protection and are non-irritating to my sensitive skin. Love these!
Supergoop SPF 40 Antioxidant-Infused Sunscreen Day Cream. I have very acne prone skin and this one doesn’t aggravate it.
Sun Age Control SPF30 by Lancaster. Perfect for a day outside.
I use a tinted moisturizer (Laura Mercier Oil fee with SPF) on a daily basis.
I really like the Soap & Glory Superfluid SPF 50!
I love Eucerin Daily Protection Moisturizing Face Lotion. It’s broad spectrum with a SPF of 30. I get it from Target for $12-$13 and it’s great for my oily, acne-prone skin! Doesn’t break me out and I’ve been using this for years. My liquid foundation and powders go on great right on top of it. I use this even when I stay indoors and study (I’m a nursing student) and don’t put on any makeup. It’s my everyday day moisturizer! I definitely recommend!
Tizo is a water resistant, physical, SPF 40 sunscreen containing micronized 3.8% zinc oxidize and 8% titanium dioxide. It comes in clear for light complexions and tinted for medium to dark complexions. It dries to a satin-matte finish and doubles as a primer. A great physical sunscreen for dry skin is Josie Maran’s argan oil SPF 47 sunscreen. It contains micronized 6.4% zinc oxide and 5.1% titanium dioxide. I know Josie’s new formulation has had some mixed reviews, but as long as you are aware that this is best suited to dry skin, you shouldn’t have any problems.
Eucerin Daily Protection Moisturizing Face Lotion SPF 30.
But for more heavy duty sunscreen, I like Neutrogena Age Shield face lotion SPF 70. It smells nice and is very lightweight.
I love Elemis Liquid Layer SPF 30. Its really light, non greasy but works really well.
Shiseido perfect UV protector spf 50! SOO good! Lightweight, nonsticky and doesn’t leave a white cast.