What’s Your Favorite Sunscreen in 2021?

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May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, so this is the perfect time to talk about sunscreen. Today, we've rounded up the favorite sunscreens of the Corporette and CorporetteMoms team. Please share your favorite sunscreens in the comments!

How do you decide which sunscreen (and SPF) to use? Do you prefer physical or chemical sunscreens?

First, here are a few important facts about sunscreen and sun safety:

1. A very high SPF is worth buying. I've googled this occasionally over the years, and for a long time, the conventional wisdom said that there wasn't any point to using products with a very high SPF such as 85 or 100 — and that it was basically a marketing ploy. However, a recent study found that wearing SPF 50 sunscreen does lead to significantly more sun-induced skin damage than SPF 100+. (Experts have warned that you might get a false sense of security from wearing sunscreen with a very high SPF, so make sure you reapply according to the instructions.)

2. Chemical sunscreens aren't necessarily “dangerous.” Physical (mineral) sunscreens act like a shield to deflect UV rays, while chemical sunscreens absorb UV radiation. The Environmental Working Group (EWG), which has their own sunscreen guide, considers the ingredients oxybenzone and vitamin A “of particular concern” and rates products that contain them accordingly.

Regarding the EWG, a few articles I'd recommend are “Dear EWG, This Is Why Real Scientists Think Poorly Of You” (American Council on Science and Health) and “The Sunscreen Ratings That Scare People Every Year Are Bulls***” (Lifehacker). (FYI, the EWG also sells the sunscreens they recommend on their website…) If you're looking for an alternate source of sunscreen info, check out Consumer Reports' Best Sunscreens of 2021.

That aside, here's an excerpt from a 2020 statement from the American Academy of Dermatology:

While these active ingredients [avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, octisalate, and octinoxate] were absorbed into the bloodstream at levels exceeding the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s threshold for waiving additional safety tests, more research is needed to determine if the absorption has any effects on a person’s health. As the researchers point out, just because an ingredient is absorbed into the bloodstream does not mean that it is harmful or unsafe.

3. You should pay attention to the UV Index. The UV Index ranges from 1 and 2 (low) to 11+ (extreme), and I like to check it on my weather app before I go outdoors. If it's pretty high and I'm going out in the middle of the day, I might add a sun hat, for example. Here's a chart that recommends sun protection for each level.

Without further ado, here are our favorite sunscreens — some of our favorites are linked in the little widget below, as well as some of the other sun protection products we've mentioned over the years…

Kat's Favorite Sunscreen

I have a few approaches to sunscreen — there's my “daily basis” sunscreen, my “going for a run” measures, and then my “walking around an amusement park or sitting at the beach for 12 hours” sunscreen.

My daily sunscreen at the moment is a chemical sunscreen — I'm using an older bottle of Missha but might buy another bottle of reader-favorite Elta MD when I'm finished. (I only had a mini-size before but I liked it.) I apply a light coating (probably too light, to be honest) on my face, chest area, and back of my hands. (I realize I'm probably washing it off within an hour or two, but I figure it doesn't hurt to get a layer on there while I'm thinking about it.) In summertime I'll take an old bottle of Obaji sunscreen and use it for my hands and chest; it leaves a white cast so I don't like it for daily use on my face. (Yes, I realize I shouldn't be using so much expired sunscreen… we've been such shut-ins over the past year plus, so it hasn't really mattered too much!)

If I'm going for a run I always wear a brimmed hat to keep sun off my face, and I'm trying to be better about reapplying a layer of sunscreen before I go outside. (This is a work in progress though.) I usually run in a lightweight random hat, but this UV-protectant hat looks even better.

I always carry a teeny tiny sunscreen stick (like this Neutrogena one) in my purse — I've pulled it out when a friend and I have randomly decided to sit in the park or have a drink outside.

For “day at the beach” sunscreen, I've applied my regular sunscreen (or maybe the Obaji physical one) to my face, hands, and chest at the start of the day, and then for my legs and other exposed areas just use whatever sunscreen I'm inflicting on my kids, which tends to be the spray sunscreen, supplemented by my sunscreen stick. (We've also tried and liked this and this for the kids' faces.) We're also big proponents of hats and rashguards, particularly if we're going to be in or near the water — after a mild burn on my forearms, I'm sticking with long-sleeved rashguards only. I think Athleta, Boden, and J.Crew make reliably cute ones; Lands' End also has a ton.

Kate's Favorite Sunscreen 

I've been using the same sunscreens from Neutrogena for a long time now. I'm very pale and burn easily — and I have tattoos that I want to protect from the sun — and I trust these products.

Face: For years, I've used Neutrogena Age Shield sunscreen that's oil-free and 110 (!) SPF ($10.99/3 oz. at Target) and Neutrogena Clear Face sunscreen ($10.29/3 oz. at Target; SPF 30 and up). Once it dries, it's not oily at all, but since the skin on my nose gets a bit oily in the summer anyway, I sometimes use a blotting paper beforehand. (I use these sheets from Clean & Clear.) I use these sunscreens when I'm going to be in the sun for longer than, say, 30–60 minutes, but no matter what, every day I cover my face and neck with Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture Broad Spectrum SPF 15 ($9.99/4 oz. at Target), which I recommended over at CorporetteMoms. (It has a strong sunscreen-y smell, but I don't care.)

Body: I've been using Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch sunscreen for years in various SPFs ($7.99/3 oz. at Target). This sunscreen dries with a bit of a white sheen (which I don't like on my tattoos — what can I say, I love my tattoos), so I'm currently looking for something that doesn't do that. (I slather on a LOT of sunscreen, so maybe that's it?) Disclaimer: I am not a beach person and not really a pool person either (we go to a water park every year with our son… but most of it is indoors), so I can't speak to using this in the water. (Note: Ann is also a fan, as she noted this morning over at CorporetteMoms!)

{related: serums, sunscreens, and retinoids}

Ann's Favorite Sunscreen

I flew all the way to Tokyo to buy this sunscreen. (I’m exaggerating, but my very patient husband and then toddler-daughter probably thought so when we burned an entire afternoon of our precious vacation at the Japanese version of CVS.) But now, you don’t have to, because it’s available on Amazon.

This my favorite facial sunscreen — it melts into your skin like your favorite moisturizer but features a high level of sun protection (SPF 50) and a powdery finish. I’ve tried physical sunscreens, but haven’t found a texture or finish I love. For me, the best sunscreen is the one I will happily wear every day, and this is my skin’s sunscreen match.

Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence is available (stateside) at Amazon for $19.96 (50 g).

{related: the best summer hats}

Elizabeth's Favorite Sunscreen

I’ve tried at least 20 different sunscreens (both chemical and physical) over the last five years, and I keep coming back to the City Serum from Supergoop ($42/2 oz. at Supergoop.com).

My sensitive skin tends to freak out whenever I introduce a new product, but for some reason this SPF 30 serum always seems to work. It goes on smoothly, doesn’t leave a weird white cast on my face, and absorbs quickly enough that I can put on makeup within a minute or two of applying. It’s also super hydrating, so it does double-duty as a moisturizer for me in the spring and summer months.

I don’t have a strong preference for chemical versus physical sunscreen, but I have noticed that the chemical sunscreens (like this one) seem to cause fewer breakouts and are easier for me to apply.

As an additional PSA, one of the best things I’ve learned in the last few years is that you can use your Health Care FSA to cover your sunscreen purchases. I’ve been setting aside some tax-free dollars each year to buy a few bottles of the City Serum and a giant bottle of the PLAY Everyday SPF 50 Lotion ($10–$58 at Supergoop.com).

Readers, do tell! What are your favorite daily sunscreens and other sunscreens? What source do you rely on for sunscreen information?

Stock photo via Stencil (woman squeezing sunscreen onto her hand from blue bottle).